Connor McMichael stops Jordan Martinook from scoring just inches from the goal line: ‘Probably that’s the biggest save of the night’
Connor McMichael has spent more time at center with the Capitals this season, but he got to try out yet another position against the Carolina Hurricanes: goalie — albeit without the gear.
As the Capitals fought to maintain a 3-1 lead in the third period on Tuesday, an offensive flurry saw the Canes get within literal inches of launching a comeback effort. Logan Thompson batted away Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin’s initial shot, but the play set off a netfront scramble as skaters tried to bat the puck into the net.
The Hurricanes were certain they scored on a rebound from Jordan Martinook — so certain, in fact, that Nikishin started celebrating — but they didn’t realize that McMichael had gotten his stick into the net, nudging the puck away only seconds before it completely crossed the goal line.
The call was so close that officials required a video review before they ruled that McMichael had just barely kept the puck out of the net.
If Martinook had scored, he would have narrowed Washington’s lead to one with more than 12 minutes to go, a dangerous proposition for the Caps against a team with the fifth-most goals in the NHL (59). Instead, the Hurricanes went scoreless for the rest of the night, with Alex Ovechkin notching an empty netter to seal the game 4-1.
Official goaltender Logan Thompson put up an exceptional game himself, saving 3.59 goals above expected in one of his best performances of the season, but he named McMichael’s play as the most important stop of the night.
“It was nice,” Thompson said postgame. “If it wasn’t for him, who knows what could have happened. Probably that’s the biggest save of the night. So credit to Mikey.”
Tuesday’s win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Capitals, who improved to a record of 8-7-1. They’ll wrap up a four-game road trip when they face the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
