The Capitals put up another strong preseason performance on Thursday night. They beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 at Giant Center
The Capitals put up another strong preseason performance on Thursday night. They beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 at Giant Center in Hershey. Here are five takeaways from the game:
Five Takeaways from the Capitals’ Preseason Win vs. Bruins
First Capitals Game in Hershey in 19 Years
Since 2005, the Hershey Bears have been the Capitals’ AHL affiliate. This was the first time the Caps played in Hershey since September 2006. This preseason contest was meaningful for so many reasons, from Spencer Carbery’s homecoming, to many players with Bears experience.
Carbery was Hershey’s head coach from 2018 to 2021. In his final season, he led the Bears to the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, the AHL’s regular season league championship. Carbery also won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award for coach of the year.
Meanwhile, multiple Capitals players in the lineup have had experience playing at Giant Center. Matt Strome, younger brother of Dylan, scored the game-winning OT goal to secure back-to-back Calder Cups for Hershey in 2024.
Sonny Milano Scores Twice Again
Sonny Milano finished with two goals again, just like the Bruins contest on Sunday. The Caps made it 3-0 in the second period when Vincent Iorio set up a feed to Milano in the slot for the tally. Then, he scored the final goal with just over a minute left in regulation. With two impressive preseason performances, Milano looks like he’s ready to return to the main roster.
Young Guys Make Statements
The young Washington players stepped up once again in preseason play. Andrew Cristall went top shelf for the first Caps goal in the opening period. Then, Ivan Miroshnichenko drove to the net with a power move and snuck the puck in to make it 2-0. In addition to recording an assist, Iorio thought he scored a goal in the third period. But it was waived off after the refs deemed it didn’t cross the line. Meanwhile, Hendrix Lapierre recorded a hat trick of three assists.
Connor McMichael Goes Shorty
Washington fan favorite Connor McMichael came through with a shorthanded goal in the third period. The Caps were on the penalty kill early in the final frame. However, McMichael stole the puck and went on the breakaway and scored to make it 4-1. The veteran played on the second line alongside Cristall and Aliaksei Protas on Thursday.
Clay Stevenson Steps Up in Net
Finally, Clay Stevenson was the main goalie through all three periods. He looked impressive by making some nice saves and stopping 15 of 16 shots. The 26-year-old has also had a strong training camp, and is close to becoming waivers eligible. Stevenson could soon return to Hershey as the team’s No. 1 goaltender.
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