The Washington Capitals knew that Saturday's meeting with the Boston Bruins would be hard on multiple accounts, especially following the trades of John Carlson and Nic Dowd. But, they had a job to do and rallied as best as they could, but it didn’t result in a win.

Aliaksei Protas scored, but ultimately, the Capitals fell 3-1.

Here are the takeaways:

The Capitals were doing what they could to stay in Saturday's contest, but it was a lack of discipline that sunk the team on Saturday.

Washington took six separate penalties, and though some of those calls were necessary, it set Boston up to drive momentum and generate chance after chance.

Eventually, the Bruins broke through as Pavel Zacha scored on the man advantage in the second period.

Then, early in the third, with things tied up and the game able to go either way, the Capitals let Viktor Arvidsson sneak behind the play. As the puck was turned over, Arvidsson broke away, and gave Boston a 2-1 lead and the momentum once again as the B's heavily outshot D.C. in the final frame.

Logan Thompson did what he could, stopping, but ultimately, it was that lack of discipline and miscues that led to the loss.

With Carlson no longer in the picture, Washington will expect even more offense from Jakob Chychrun, and he didn't disappoint in helping drive the forecheck on Saturday.

Chychrun was moving the puck efficiently all afternoon long, making smart moves, getting the puck up ice and generating chances where he could at even strength and on the power play.

Ultimately, it was his finesse and moves to the net that helped set up Aliaksei Protas for a rebound and game-tying goal for the Capitals in the second.

Chychrun now has points in five of his last six games, and with the assist, hit the 50-point mark.

Beyond that, though, Washington couldn't really get much going amid all the penalties or sustain any significant pressure, and in the third, appeared tor un out of gas.

The Capitals power play had shown flashes of success with a 2-for-2 showing earlier in the week against Utah, but ultimately, couldn't get much of anything going against the Bruins as special teams remain a glaring issue.

Washington went 0-for-3 on the power play in a game where, again, a PPG could have gone a long way in making a difference.

On the flip side of the special teams battle, the penalty kill eventually gave up a goal, but otherwise, held its own in a difficult game while adjusting to life without Dowd on the kill.

Washington went 5-for-6 on the PK, with Brandon Duhaime stepping up to make some good blocks, Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson generating some pressure shorthanded and Anthony Beauvillier continuing to take on a bigger role.