Edinburgh Capitals rack up a thumping in home from home as performance improvement sought
Edinburgh Capitals have returned for a new season in style.
Edinburgh Capitals are seeking improvement this weekend - despite a thumping home from home success.
The Caps waltzed to a resounding 8-1 win over Ayrshire opposition in their first regular season home fixture. Although technically the Caps were the away team, the game was played at the Murrayfield Ice Arena, as the Thunder’s home rink is currently under renovation. The Capitals had the momentum coming back into their home rink after crushing the Aberdeen Lynx 10-2 on the road last weekend.
Their lightning quick attack picked up right where they left off last season lead once again by Joe Lynch, who scored his first hat-trick of the season, followed by newcomer Scott Jamieson who added three of his own. However, despite coming off an emphatic win, the Capitals got off to a slow start against the Thunder and were unable to beat goaltender Mattew Ried until eight minutes had passed in the first.
What happened in most recent Edinburgh Capitals game?
It was Connor McNulty who broke the deadlock, tapping in a back-door goal off a beautiful display of passing from new additions Scott Jamieson and Caly Robertson, leaving Reid with no chance. Aiden Paterson and Joe Lynch would round out the scoring for the first twenty minutes. Both fired well placed shots into the top corner to push the Caps lead to three.
Despite the scoreline, the Caps play was not up to the standard they had set for themselves this preseason. At the start of the second period, it was clear that whatever coach Steven Lynch had said in the locker room got the Capitals moving. Within the first five minutes of the second, the Capitals brought their lead from three to six, putting on a blistering display of attacking play to effectively put the Thunder away before the halfway mark of the game.
Newcomer Marcus Murdoch kicked the Caps into gear, picking off an errant pass in the first minute to start a rush leading to another easy goal. Not long after, the Robertson and Jamieson duo set McNulty up on the backdoor yet again for his second of the night, with Captain Joel Gautschi finding the net off a rebound on the next shift.
Scott Jamieson was the only other Capital to score in the second, with McNulty finding him on the rush to round out his three point and man-of-the-match performance. In the third, goaltender Ciaran Hoggan was replaced by youngster Johnnie Livingstone for his first appearance in a Caps uniform this season. Livingstone made several saves early in the period and only conceded one to Kilmarnock’s Ruby Newlands with just 17 seconds remaining in the game.
Scott McKay scored the only goal for a coasting Capitals squad, burying a rebound to bring him to two goals in his last two games. Although the final score showed a dominant Capitals performance, the Caps overall play was lacklustre. It was not the polished team that fans have become accustomed to but the one that is seen often in games against the Thunder.
However, this does not speak to the quality of the Capitals team this year, simply to the effort given when facing a team that has struggled as much as Kilmarnock has over the past few seasons. The Caps will have another chance to step up and show the league that they are once again the team to beat next Saturday when they face the Solway Sharks at home.
The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly