MONTREAL (AP) 鈥� Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome learned during the first intermission Thursday night against the Montreal Canadiens that wife Tayler had given birth to their third daughter.
鈥淭here was just so many emotions going through my mind,鈥� said Strome, with tears streaming down his face after assisting on three goals in the . 鈥淔irst of all, you want to make sure everyone鈥檚 OK, it鈥檚 a pretty scary thing. At the time of the first period, I kind of thought I was going to make it home in time, maybe. Obviously, that didn鈥檛 happen.鈥�
The couple named the girl Sutton Kimberley.
Strome said his wife 鈥渇elt it鈥� two hours before the 7 p.m. puck drop and gave birth at 7:30 p.m. He said there was no way to get back in time and emphasized the sacrifices Tayler makes while he spends so much time on the road.
鈥淩eally proud of her,鈥� Strome said, pausing at times to get the words out. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tough, and you obviously want to be there for the birth of your children and didn鈥檛 know it was coming this soon, but can鈥檛 wait to go see her. 鈥� It鈥檚 something that I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l ever experience again, hopefully no one does, kind of just feeling helpless.
鈥淲e got two young ones at home, and she鈥檚 taking care of both of them while I鈥檓 gone. I had to call in some reinforcements for her to go to the hospital. It鈥檚 a crazy thing that definitely hockey was not really on my mind going out for the first period, but I got the call after the first that she was there. So it鈥檚 incredible and I can鈥檛 stress enough how super proud I am of her.鈥�
Strome won a faceoff to set up Alex Ovechkin鈥檚 opening goal and later fed the Washington captain on a 2-on-1 to make it 6-4.
鈥淪ince like first shift, I think Stromer was feeling it,鈥� said Ovechkin, who added an empty-netter for a . 鈥淚 think he was unstoppable today.鈥�
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