Alex Tuch keeps giving Washington exactly what it paid for.
The Capitals winger scored twice Wednesday night, including an empty-netter late, and Washington beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 at Capital One Arena. It was another sharp showing in what has turned into a blistering start with his new club.
Through 11 games in a Washington sweater, Tuch has nine goals. That puts him in rare company: he became just the second player in franchise history to hit that mark, joining Dino Ciccarelli, who had 12 goals in his first 11 Capitals games in 1988-89.
Washington brought Tuch in from Buffalo and then signed him to an eight-year, $84 million extension in June. Right now, that move looks every bit as dangerous for opposing defenses as the Capitals hoped.
Dylan Strome helped drive the attack with three assists, while Jack St. Ivany and Pierre-Luc Dubois each finished with two. The group kept pressure on Philadelphia all night and made sure the Capitals never had to sweat the finish.
Logan Thompson returned in net after missing Saturday’s win over Buffalo with a lower-body injury, and he handled the job cleanly with 23 saves on 25 shots.
Philadelphia had a couple of answers. Matvei Michkov opened the door with his ninth goal of the season, and five of those have now come on the power play. Sean Couturier then scored early in the second period to briefly pull the Flyers level.
Still, Washington controlled the closing stretch and pulled away. Joseph Woll stopped 25 shots for Philadelphia, but the Flyers dropped their third straight game after Tuesday’s overtime loss to Columbus.
The win gave the Capitals four victories in five games on the homestand, and Tuch’s scorching start is giving them another dangerous finisher every time they touch the puck in the offensive zone.
In Other News...
Capitals Waiver Pickup Is Suddenly Changing A Bigger Deadline Decision
When the Capitals claimed Jack St. Ivany off waivers from Winnipeg, it looked like a straightforward depth move to help cover injuries on the blue line. Instead, the right-shot defenseman has quickly become part of the conversation for a team that has been leaning on him in recent games, and head coach Spencer Carberys familiarity with St. Ivany from a previous coaching stop helped smooth the transition into the lineup.
What makes the pickup more interesting now is the ripple effect it could have on Washingtons deadline plans. The Capitals already have several right-handed defensemen in the organization, both on the roster and in the minors, and that kind of logjam can shape whether the front office looks to add, stand pat or even move pieces when the NHL deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Roster Debate Comes Down To One Thing Fans Can't Ignore
Jack St. Ivany has already made a quick impression since Washington claimed him off waivers, giving the Capitals a useful reminder of what they tend to value most in the back end of a roster decision. In just two games, he has fit in cleanly and shown the sort of buy-in that coaches and front offices tend to appreciate when they are sorting out the edges of a lineup.
The larger debate around the Capitals is less about raw talent than about the kind of player who helps the room function every day. A separate situation involving Dylan Larkin in Detroit has only sharpened that point, with the Red Wings facing a trade request, a refusal to play and a suspension, the sort of mess Washington would rather avoid as it weighs who belongs in its locker room and who does not. [Read more 🡒]