Takeaways: Häman Aktell & Phillips Make Their Mark, Who Else Stood Out & Who Has More To Give As Capitals Fall To Red Wings

The Capitals fell 5-2 to the Red Wings, but there were some positives despite the lopsided result.

The Washington Capitals' first time on the road this preseason didn't go according to plan, as a rough start would eventually translate to a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Despite the result, head coach Spencer Carbery saw some key names step up and his group get their legs going after falling to a 3-0 deficit early in the second, and it's a welcome sign as the team faces tough decisions with roster spots up for grabs up front and on the blue line.

Here are the takeaways and the names that stood out the most.

With Joel Edmundson out 4-6 weeks following hand surgery, the Capitals have a vacancy on the third-pairing left side, and there's quite a few defensemen in the running for that gig. But on Saturday, Hardy Häman Aktell arguably took the lead in that competition with a stellar showing.

Häman Aktell operated on the third pairing with Dylan McIlrath but was playing top pairing minutes, while also taking charge on both the power play and penalty kill — and it paid off big time for D.C.

The 6-foot-3, 198-pound blueliner was using his size to his advantage, making the most of his reach and physicality to keep the Red Wings at bay as they dressed several of their regulars. At the other end of the ice, he was mobile and involved offensively, dictating breakouts, making smart passes and shooting the puck when he got a look.

With the exception of Maritn Fehervary, Häman Aktell had the most ice time (19:28) and had three shots on goal, as well as a plus-minus rating of plus-1.

Carbery sent a clear message to his fringe skaters on Saturday, as he explained that the competition for the role of Washington's extra forwards is very much still up for grabs.

Phillips took those words to heart, and he turned heads with another strong preseason outing that resulted in a multi-point performance.

The 5-foot-8 forward was making the most of his speed and skill against the Red Wings and started things off with a nice power-play assist as he recovered from a fumble to get the puck to Ethen Frank, who then teed up Dylan Strome for Washington's first of the night.

Later in the second period, Phillips would get a goal of his own, finishing off a picture-perfect passing play from Strome and Sonny Milano with a rocket of a shot that made it past Michael Hutchinson and made it 4-2.

He ended the night with a team-leading four shots through 16:40 minutes.

Phillips, who signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Capitals following an All-Star year with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, is looking to stick up at the NHL level, and he's showing that he is showing so far that he is more than capable of making that jump.

In addition to Phillips, Frank also made some noise up front, showcasing his speed and shooting ability as he generated some nice chances. The Malenstyn-Riley-Sutter-Bogdan Trineyev trio also generated quite a few good chances and was one of the best combinations when it came to sustaining pressure, especially early on.

Hendrix Lapierre also had some good bursts of speed and drew a penalty, and he also had a couple of good looks. In the third period, Aliaksei Protas generated some quality chances and appeared to pick it up, as he was eager to give more in his second game of this preseason. Regulars Strome and Milano also continue to contribute, and Milano has also been playing with grit to open play this year.

On the blue line, Chase Priskie helped chip in and got some looks in his preseason debut and first game back with the Capitals since returning to the organization following four years away.

In goal, Hunter Shepard, despite allowing five goals on 24 shots, looked solid and came up with some ten-bell stops while moving well in the crease.

When it comes to who has more to give in the final days of camp, Anthony Mantha is a name to watch. The 29-year-old emphasized weight loss this offseason and said to start camp that he wanted to be the player D.C. traded for two years ago. He had three hits and was physical against Detroit, and also finished the night with a fight to try and spark his team late, but otherwise, he couldn't get much going offensively.