A day after losing his father Tim - known to all as "Coach Osh" - to Alzheimer's disease, Oshie returned to the team and insisted upon playing Wednesday's game. He registered a hat trick in what was a highly emotional game all around, a 4-2 Washington win.
"Pretty spectacular," says Caps coach Peter Laviolette. "To go through what he went through and to want to be back here and get with his teammates and play, a game for 'Coach;' and the game that he played was outstanding. It says a lot about him and what he means to this team."
The opening minutes of Wednesday's rematch resembled something out of the estimable hockey film "Slapshot," sans Eddie Shore, Dit Clapper, Toe Blake and for that matter, Paul Newman.
Video: Oshie records hat trick in a 4-2 win over the Rangers
In the wake of Monday's 6-3 Capitals win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers were upset when the NHL's Department of Player Safety opted to fine rather than suspend Washington winger Tom Wilson for a post-whistle incident with Rangers forwards Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin near the Caps' net during a New York power play.
One second after the puck dropped for Wednesday's rematch, all three forwards on both sides dropped the mitts and went at it. Less than a minute later, Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith incurred an instigator minor when he went after Wilson and they fought. Two more fights followed that one. Before the first frame was even five minutes old, six players on each side were in the penalty box for fighting. At the same time.
"Obviously you guys watched what happened the game before," says Smith. "I don't really want to touch on it too much; I think it's been exhausted already. I had no beef with anybody else on their team. I thought that it should have been handled before this game, and it wasn't. So unfortunately, it had to be kind of on my shoulders, and I thought I took it."
Wilson incurred a 10-minute misconduct shortly after exiting the box, and his hand was visibly bloodied while he was serving his sentence. He did not return after the misconduct, held out because of an upper body injury.
Wilson's 10-minute misconduct was the first of four handed out on the night, two to each side, as the officials tried to keep things in check after that opening outburst of rancor and fisticuffs.
While the Rangers came to the rink seeking vengeance, the Caps were more interested in the two points available to them as they vie for a sixth straight division title.
Washington's power play got a good workout in the first period, and it entered the second with 13 seconds worth of carryover time with the extra man, which is typically not enough time with which to generate much. But the Caps managed to get the puck into New York ice and get one good shot.
That one good shot came off Oshie's stick from the right circle, and it gave the Caps a 1-0 lead just 12 ticks into the middle period.
A few minutes later, Buchnevich issued a hard, two-handed cross-check to the grill of Washington winger Anthony Mantha, who quickly dropped his gloves to take the Rangers forward to task. Buchnevich had no intention of fighting, but instead received a five-minute major and a game misconduct while Mantha got a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Before he was sent away for the night, Buchnevich racked up 19 minutes worth of penalties, all with his stick. He was boxed for slashing and hi-sticking minors earlier in the game.
After two minutes of 4-on-4 hockey, the Caps had three minutes worth of an all-you-can-eat power play. Once again, Oshie found a way to score with the extra man, recovering a rebound and fighting off Rangers defenseman Adam Fox to chip a shot behind Alexandar Georgiev at 8:26 of the second, extending the Caps' lead to 2-0.
In Monday night's game between the Caps and Rangers, Nic Dowd scored eight seconds after winning a defensive zone draw in the immediate aftermath of a television timeout. In Wednesday's rematch, Dowd scored seven seconds after winning an offensive zone draw in the immediate aftermath of a television timeout. It turned out to be the game-winner.
Video: WSH@NYR: Dowd tips in Carlson's shot from deep
After winning the draw back to Dmitry Orlov at the left point, Dowd went to the net. Orlov went across to partner John Carlson, who put a shot on net from the right point. Dowd got a piece of it en route to the cage, giving the Caps a 3-0 lead at 14:48 of the second.
Early in the third period, Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere spoiled Vitek Vanecek's shutout bid, scoring on a rebound from the bottom of the right circle at 1:15 of the final frame.
With Georgiev pulled for an extra attacker, Oshie filled out the hat trick at 18:20 of the third. New York tacked on a Morgan Barron goal 24 seconds later - the first of his NHL career - to account for the 4-2 final.
With 19 saves, Vanecek notched his 20th victory of the season, tops among all NHL rookies. He is the third Caps rookie netminder ever to record as many as 20 wins in a season.
After the game, the Caps eschewed their typical post-game victory song for John Denver's "Country Roads," which is Oshie's "goal song" for games played at Washington's Capital One Arena.
"I think the way that we started the game obviously pulled the guys together," says Dowd, who dropped the mitts and fought one second into the game, along with linemates Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway. "Everybody that was asked answered the bell. I think that just brings our team closer together as a whole.
"And then it was such an emotional night for T.J. He has been such a big leader for our team, and we're trying to be there for him to take care of him, and he ends up taking care of us and leading us to win the game. I don't think it surprises any of us."
Video: Postgame | Backstrom and Dowd
The Caps wore "COACH" stickers affixed to their helmets and the Washington coaching staff wore the stickers on their suit coats.
"It's one of the most special moments and special games, just unbelievable," says Caps defenseman Brenden Dillon. "He's got to be one of the best teammates and best people in the hockey world, whether you meet him in the streets, in the hallways, as a teammate, as a friend, as a family man, you just can't say enough good things about T.J. Oshie, and you haven't even gotten to the part about how good of a hockey player he is, and he is such a huge part of this team.
"With what he has had to go through these last couple of years really, but specifically these last couple of days, to fly across country to come back, deal with jet lag, time zones and probably not much sleep, and he comes out and has a hat trick like that. It's just hockey. It's hockey, man. Unbelievable."
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