A few days ago following a cross-check to the head of Vancouver Canucks’ right winger Conor Garland, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was given a three-game suspension from the NHL. It was the first time in his career that he has received such a hefty disciplinary action. Back in February 2019, he did receive a two-game suspension. However, such a star player won’t be able to play for three games resulted in an uproar from the Oilers’ fans.

Fans even pointed fingers at Garland, who did hold the #97 for a long time on the rink, making him unable to move in the final few seconds of their match. However, the NHL didn’t turn down any of the official decisions against McDavid, and the Oilers played their first game without their captain against the Washington Capitals. It was a home game for the Oilers at Rogers Place, but in the absence of their captain, someone in the crowd was almost able to throw a tantrum on the rink.

So the match between the two teams started with Leon Draisaitl scoring first and giving the Oilers their home advantage over the Capitals in the first five minutes. However, the Capitals’ Tom Wilson equalized the score around five minutes later, and till the conclusion of the first period, there was no more score from either of the teams on the rink. In the second period, despite the Oilers’ dominant history in the particular section of the games, the Capitals managed to emerge ahead with a 1-2 score after Matt Roy hit the puck into the net with 11 minutes remaining.

The match took a drastic turn after the Capitals’ Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in the first five minutes of the third period. However, with a big assist by Draisaitl, the Oilers’ Corey Perry scored for his team right after a minute of their opponent’s goal. Now at 2-3, the pressure loomed on the Oilers. But this particular goal had a different story to it. Someone from the crowd threw nachos on the rink distracting the Captials’ goaltender Logan Thompson, who later shared about this incident, stating, “I saw the guy that threw them. Wasn’t too happy. But credit to him. He got them a goal.”

The goalie wasn’t happy with the way things turned out on the rink with one of the Oilers’ fans throwing nachos on the rink. The officials did react, but it took them some time and a goal against the Capitals to clear up the mess. It was featured by B/R Open Ice on X, and the frustration on Thompson’s face was clear.

These games are high-stake matches, and every single thing on the rink could affect the results. The Capitals could’ve played a calm game until the third period was over, but they had to be on their toes as the Oilers were just a single goal away from bagging that equalizer. However, the match at Rogers Place did pan out the way the Capitals had predicted, as they knew that the Oilers would be playing without their #97.

Capitals did benefit from the absence of Connor McDavid

For the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid has been a star player since he proved himself in his debut season way back in 2015. It has been a long time since he has been with the team, and he has always been considered a respected player in the NHL. However, perspectives on the Oilers’ captain changed after he gave an illegal cross-check to the Canucks’ Conor Garland that did cause him to get a three-game suspension. People had different reactions to it, but the Capitals’ captain had an intriguing take when he heard about the decision.

“Sucks for him. Good for us. We’ll take it,” said Alexander Ovechkin, as he knew that without McDavid on their team, the Oilers would struggle. And the results? The Capitals secured a smooth victory over the home team with 3-2 on the scoreboard. However, the victory was special for the team from Washington as they secured an 11-game point streak, and the last time they did such a feat was back in the 2019-20 season.

With this victory, the Capitals have emerged as the top team in the entire NHL division for the current campaign, boasting 69 points after 47 games played and a record of 32-10-5. The season is still long for Ovechkin’s team, and he aims toward Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record; his team will be focused on getting to the playoffs and then grabbing the Stanley Cup.