Phillips enjoys 'unreal' game for Capitals against former team

WASHINGTON -- Matthew Phillips wasn’t thinking about revenge against the Calgary Flames on Monday.

The rookie forward couldn’t hide, though, that it meant a little more to score his first NHL goal against the Flames, his hometown team who selected him in the sixth round (No. 166) of the 2016 NHL Draft, to help the Washington Capitals rally for a 3-2 shootout victory at Capital One Arena.

“It feels pretty good,” said Phillips, who also had his first assist in the win. “I'll leave it at that.”

It also felt good for the Capitals, who were reeling after falling behind 2-0 in the first period, when they were outshot 18-3. Those 20 minutes came on the heels of a 4-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in their season opener on Friday.

Washington needed some kind of spark, and it got it from Phillips, who started the comeback with his goal 6:50 into the second period before setting up Connor McMichael’s tying goal at 9:54.

“He’s been great the last month and a half since he’s been here,” said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery, who earned his first NHL win. “Played his way onto this team. Was great in the preseason, was great in practice, and even though probably you could argue the deck was stacked against him, he fought his way onto this team and just continued practice after practice after preseason game that he wasn’t going to be denied.”

Phillips prefers to view it as proving the people who believed in him right, but the 25-year-old is used to being doubted because of his size. Generously listed at 5-foot-8, 160 pounds, Phillips played in just three NHL games in seven seasons with the Flames organization, including two last season, when he led the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League in goals (36), assists (40) and points (76) in 66 games.

Seeking a new opportunity, Phillips passed on a two-year contract offer to remain with the Flames and instead signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Capitals on July 2. He followed Mitch Love, his coach last season with the Wranglers, to Washington after Love joined the Capitals as an assistant under Carbery.

But Phillips earned his roster spot with his hard work and play during the preseason, when he scored two goals, including an overtime winner against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 3.

“I'm always trying to play my best every single game, and tonight was no different,” Phillips said. “Obviously, it's kind of funny that we ended up playing [Calgary] the second game of the season, and it kind of happened pretty quick. But, yeah, it was great.”

Phillips found chemistry playing right wing on a line with center Dylan Strome and left wing Sonny Milano during training camp, and that line helped turn the tide for Washington on Monday.

Phillips’ goal in the second period came off a give-and-go with Milano on a 2-on-2 rush, when he drove to the left post and chipped in a backhand saucer pass from Milano over goalie Jacob Markstrom’s blocker.

“We weren’t feeling good about the first period, for sure, or the first four periods I should say,” Capitals goalie Darcy Kuemper said. “So, for him to go out there and get the goal to get it to within one, that was huge. The crowd got into it, and we kind of built off that and were able to get back into the game.”

Many emotions ran through Phillips when he was mobbed by his teammates during the celebration.

“It's a pretty cool moment, and something that I've done in my head about a million times,” Phillips said. “So, to actually do it, it feels unreal.”

That Phillips' father, Doug, had flown in from Calgary and was there to witness it made it that much more special.

“It's pretty awesome,” Phillips said. “It's a long way from home here, and any time he can watch or any family it's pretty special. So, I'm sure he's going to remember it, for sure.”

Even some of Phillips’ former Flames teammates couldn’t help feeling good for him, having watched him work and wait for this moment, too.

“Yeah, it’s good to see,” said forward Dillon Dube, whose power-play goal gave Calgary a 2-0 lead at 17:12 of the first period. “It [stinks] when you’re playing against him. Respect it.”

Phillips wasn’t finished, though.

With the Capitals still down one, it was his pass that sent McMichael with speed into the Flames' zone, where his curl-and-drag wrist shot found its way into the back of the net under Markstrom’s left pad to tie it 2-2 just 3:04 later.

“Sometimes you find, especially in second periods with a long change, momentum can be an even bigger factor,” Phillips said. “’Mikey’ made a great play there to pull and shoot, so it’s nice to tie that up.”

The Capitals survived a third period that included two Flames power plays as well as a penalty shot attempt from Blake Coleman, who was stopped by the left pad of Kuemper, before pulling out a much-needed first win of the season in the shootout.

Following the victory, Phillips’ unforgettable night was capped off by him being named the game’s first star.

“It's pretty cool, something I'll probably have to reflect on tomorrow and tonight a little bit,” Phillips said. “I don't have many words. It's just a pretty awesome feeling.”