The Capitals move to third in the Metropolitan Division.
WASHINGTON — John Carlson's 1,000th NHL game was business as usual, filled with a heavy workload and another milestone as he proved clutch again for the Washington Capitals, who, despite the overtime loss, moved into third in the Metropolitan Division.
Carlson and Mike Sgarbossa scored, and Charlie Lindgren and the Capitals were able to escape with a point. But ultimately, D.C. fell 3-2 in the shootout.
Here are all the takeaways from the, which puts D.C. at 82 points and puts the team in third.
Capitals Miss Out On Extended Power Play In OT, Fall In Shootout
Washington got a golden opportunity to win the game on Saturday, as T.J. Oshie took a stick up high for a four-minute, 4-on-3 power play in overtime. However, despite dominating in zone time, D.C. failed to convert as the Bruins pulled off a big kill, with Jeremy Swayman stopping all four shots against.
Things then went to the shootout, where Kevin Shattenkirk scored the winner in the fifth round. Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak also scored.
John Carlson Comes Up Big In 1,000th NHL Game, Rasmus Sandin Hurt
The Capitals got a surprise before puck drop, as Rasmus Sandin was a late scratch due to what the team is calling a lower-body injury. With him out, Vincent Iorio drew in for his first NHL game of the season, and John Carlson was tasked with picking up some heavy minutes.
Though the night started a bit rough for 74 as Washington adjusted to a new-look blue line, he made up for it in the second with a huge power-play goal after John Beecher gave Boston a 2-1 lead earlier in the period.
Carlson got to the net front and banked a backdoor pass from Max Pacioretty past Jeremy Swayman to make it a 2-2 game for the Capitals in the second period. It marked his eighth goal of the season and 46th point overall, and he now has points in seven of his last eight games. He is the second player in franchise history to score in his 1,000th NHL game, joining Calle Johansson, and D.C. now has power-play goals in five of the last seven and 14 of the last 18 overall.
The 34-year-old blueliner, who was also honored with a tribute and remixed version of "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton herself, led all Washington skaters with 30:16 minutes while having seven shot attempts and making some clutch plays.
Capitals Fail To Generate Shots, Charlie Lindgren
After Hampus Lindholm's point shot broke through to give Boston a 1-0 lead after 20, Mike Sgarbossa responded early in the second, firing home a shot on a semi-breakaway to even the score. It marked his fourth goal of the season and gave D.C. some much-needed life.
While the Capitals did a solid job of possession, the Bruins were blocking almost every shot thrown their way, preventing Washington from capitalizing on a number of opportunities. Boston ended up blocking 29 attempts from Washington.
In their own end, Charlie Lindgren and the Capitals were able to hang on and block 18 attempts of their own, but ultimately fell in the skills competition.
Lindgren stopped 26 of 28 shots as Washington was outshot 28-20.
Top Shelf Takes
- Dylan Strome picked up an assist and now has points in seven of the last eight games and a team-leading 61 points.
- Beck Malenstyn led all skaters with six hits.
- Nic Dowd and Nick Jensen picked up assists to extend their respective point streaks to three games.