Capitals' slow start proves costly against the Wild

The Washington Capitals returned home from a brief one-game road trip in the Central Time Zone, and on the day Daylight Savings Time came to an end, the Caps ended up getting a delayed start in a Sunday matinee at home. A sluggish first period cost them a point at home against the Minnesota Wild, as they dropped a 5-1 decision with the game-winning goal scored just 5:27 into the game.

Washington had a difficult time breaking through Minnesota's passive style for nearly 40 minutes, as the Wild defense dared the Capitals to shoot through traffic, with the time in the offensive zone usually met with white-clad skaters hanging back below the dots and protecting the shooting lanes.

Justin Sourdif was able to sneak a shot through traffic very late in the second period, but that is all the Capitals could manage on the afternoon before the roof caved in with 3 Wild goals in the last 3 minutes to drop to 8-5-0 on the season, and 6-3-0 on home ice.

Minnesota struck early to open the contest, as Quinn Hughes' shot from between the circles slipped through Logan Thompson's pads for a 1-0 lead just 3:42 into the game.

The Wild struck again less than two minutes later, Michael McCarron's shot from in tight beat Thompson and Washington dug an early hole.

"When you [have] fallen behind by two before the first television time out, I just didn't think we were sharp at all to start the game," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said afterwards. "Next thing you know right out of the gate, we're on our heels."

 "I felt like our guys were very overwhelmed in that moment, then we were able to settle in."

"Against the team like that, they're incredibly skilled and incredibly fast, and, you know, we're one of the biggest teams in the league, so we just kind of have to muscle them in their own end, and, you know, kind of create that space in front, and, you know, really take it into them" Justin Sourdif said.

"We [didn't] do that for a full 60 minutes, and they're gonna make us pay with their skills."

Armed with a multi-goal lead, Minnesota was more than content to keep 5 skaters back, with them hanging below the dots at several points, and dare the Capitals to shoot through traffic. Washington opted to try and work around the defensive effort, with limited success.

"They're a pretty good hockey team over there, you know?," Jodan Kyrou said. "It's hard to create over there, and, you know, they pressure us hard. ... They take away time and space, so it's hard to get chances, and we just didn't really capitalize on them anywhere."

Further hampering the Capitals' attempt to dent Wild goalkeeper Jesper Wallstedt was the fact the first two periods were played with no penalties at all, keeping Washington's special teams off the ice.

However, Justin Sourdif was able to put the Capitals on the board just before the second intermission, tipping a Cole Hutson shot from the blueline in front with just 6 seconds left in the frame to bring Washington within one. The goal was just Sourdif's second on the season, with Hutson picking up his 3rd point in the last 2 games.

Washington nearly tied the game with less than 6 minutes gone in the third, but a golden chance deflected off Alex Ovechkin's skate which was parked at the post and skittered across the crease just short of the goal line, and it remained out to keep it a 2-1 game and Ovechkin at 930 career goals.

Asked if he thought his captain had one of his better games so far this season, Carbery said he did.

"I did," he said. "I thought 3 grade A [chances] ... I thought he had a lot of good looks. He was around the net. So some good opportunities. That's a positive. I know he's gonna be frustrated that they [didn't] go in the back of the net for it, but, but when he's getting those looks, eventually, it'll crack."

That chance just inches from the goal line was the closest the Capitals could get to a point, and after Minnesota iced the game late with a pair of power-play goals and an empty netter in the final 3 minutes the Caps saw their three-game win streak come to an end.

The single-goal performance tied a season-low for Washington, with the only other contest with a lone tally came in Tampa back on Oct. 3.

"[The] start wasn't good enough," Pierre-Luc Dubois said "I thought we played well to win anyway. Sometimes you [play] your game, you lose, and you play a bad game, you wonder. It's 84 games. That's what happens sometimes."

The Capitals were busy before the game, acquiring Remi Poirier from the New Jersey Devils for their seventh-round draft pick in 2027. Poirier, who will remain on the Washington roster as a third goalie for now, is under a two-way contract and so joins Mitch Gibson as goaltenders with NHL contracts who have not appeared in a game for Washington this season.

Defenseman Dylan McIrath was placed on waivers with assignment to Hershey should he clear. McIlrath has appeared in just 4 games for Washington this season despite being on the Opening Night roster, and with the success of Jack St. Ivany since being claimed from Winnipeg just eight days ago, his roster spot became expendable.

Washington continues its three-game homestand Tuesday when the Dallas Stars make their only visit to the nation's capital this season.