WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals seemed to find their spark back on Monday, but they couldn’t carry much of it over into Wednesday’s meeting with the struggling Dallas Stars.

The Capitals’ lackluster start led to a lackluster finish in a 4-1 loss to the Stars.

Here are the takeaways from the loss:

From the moment the puck dropped, Washington couldn't seem to match the Stars' urgency, as Dallas had to snap a six-game losing streak. And to make matters worse, an early fumble proved costly.

The Capitals went on an early power play, where Radek Faksa got hold of the puck and charged down ice. After getting his initial shot off, he beat two defenders and Logan Thompson to the rebound and made it 1-0 for Dallas with a shorthanded goal.

It was a sign of things to come, as Washington failed to really generate any momentum throughout the game. Though Brandon Duhaime tried to spark things with a fight with Ilya Lyubushkin in the second, it wasn't enough.

The Capitals also fell victim to some mistakes and errors, as John Carlson failed to lift Sam Steel's stick in front, leading to a 2-0 lead for the Stars. Later in the third, a bad pass from Anthony Beauvillier led to another goal for the Stars, who went up 3-0 on a strike from Wyatt Johnston.

Over the course of the night, Washington's offense was held to just 11 shots through the first two periods and couldn't really generate much on goal.

Spencer Carbery later tweaked the lines, trying some different combinations to try and spark something. Alex Ovechkin ultimately scored at 6-on-5 late to spoil the shutout, but otherwise, there was a lot to be desired on the forecheck.

Ultimately, the rally was cut short after an empty-net goal for Roope Hintz.