Given a late power play, the Chicago Blackhawks could not capitalize on a golden opportunity to win the 2015 Winter Classics. Given the same chance, the Washington Capitals could — and did.
Troy Brouwer scored on a broken play, which included a broken stick by Alex Ovechkin, with 12.9 seconds to play in the Capitals' 3-2 victory on Thursday.
Ovechkin fanned once entering the zone before his stick was busted on a chop by the Blackhawks' Brandon Saad.
Yes. Yes. Yes. “@NHL: Late-game heroics are that much sweeter outdoors. #WinterClassic https://t.co/a59OKfCI7b”
— Jordyn Gosney (@jordyngosney) January 1, 2015As Ovechkin protested with his hands in the air, Brouwer followed up behind him with the game on his stick. Ovechkin peeled off to the left, and Brouwer's stop flew past Corey Crawford for the winner.
"Ovi came in wide, broke his stick, I picked it up, threw it on net and kind of handcuffed Crawford," Brouwer said on NBC after the game.
The Caps killed off Matt Niskanen's boarding penalty, and soon thereafter Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews picked up a hooking penalty. Braden Holtby and the Caps' penalty killers saved the game before Brouwer's goal. Among his 33 saves on Thursday, Holtby came up big in the scrambling final seconds as the Blackhawks pushed for the equalizer and overtime.
And there was much rejoicing among fans at Nationals Park, the Washington, D.C., baseball field converted into a hockey rink.
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