Washington's performance against Montreal was underwhelming as the Canadiens turned the tables in the second.
Washington's performance against Montreal was underwhelming as the Canadiens turned the tables in the second.
After being officially eliminated from playoff contention, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin admitted that these final games would be difficult mentally, with the team "basically playing for nothing." And that's what it looked like on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.
The shorthanded Capitals, who still have pride and fan support omn the line, didn't have much jump or energy against Montreal. And ultimately, a sloppy and somewhat careless effort, combined with a lack of puck luck, resulted in a 6-2 loss.
Here are all the takeaways from the defeat, which officially puts D.C. below .500.
Washington Capitals Show No Signs Of Spark For Majority Of Night
Despite scoring the game-opening goal and sustaining offensive zone time in the first, Washington was a step behind the Canadiens, who came into Thursday's game on a four-game slide and went without a goal in seven straight periods while missing several key names and playing several AHL skaters.
Montreal was outshooting Washington 14-6 going into the second, and that's where the team tilted the ice.
Washington got five power-play chances but went 0-for-4 to start and didn't get any high-quality chances against Sam Montembeault and one of the worst penalty kills in the league. The only PPG they got was a Nicklas Backstrom tap-in that came too little, too late.
To make matters worse, the Canadiens got back-to-back shorthanded goals on the last two chances, as Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia both capitalized while working on the PK.
Darcy Kuemper was hung out to dry on a couple of those goals against, as the Capitals faltered with the puck, couldn't keep up with Montreal's youth or get much going the other way, while a couple of unlucky bounces also set them back.
Overall, though, Washington didn't appear all that interested or invested in the low-stakes game. And though it doesn't have much of an impact on anything, it's still disappointing for the club.
Dylan Strome Provides Lone Goal, Hits 20-Goal Mark To Continue Strong Season
On the bright side, Dylan Strome kept his hot streak alive. The 26-year-old scored early in the first off a quick shot that beat Montembeault to get D.C. on the board.
It marked Strome's 20th goal of the season, marking the second straight year he's hit that 20-goal mark. He later got an assist to record his first 60-point campaign.
The 6-3 center, who signed a five-year extension to remain with the Capitals, now has goals in back-to-back games and five points in his last six outings.
Washington Capitals Try For Late Comeback, Play Shorthanded
Trailing 4-1 late and up a man, head coach Peter laviolette pulled Kuemper for the extra attacker. It paid off, as Backstrom scored to make it a 4-2 game.
Backstrom's goal jumpstarted a comeback attempt, but it was shortlived as there was again a lack of drive. Joel Armia's empty netter for the hat trick and a late goal for Mike Hoffman then sealed the deal for a 6-2 defeat.
As has been the story all season, Washington again played shorthanded, with Anthony Mantha a late scratch due to a lower-body injury.
With T.J. Oshie and Trevor van Riemsdyk also out due to upper-body injuries and not on the trip, the Capitals had no extra players available to dress and ran with 17 skaters.
Additional Ice Chips
- Alex Ovechkin picked up his 32nd assist of the season on Strome's goal and now has points in four of his last six games.
- Ovechkin's first shot of the game didn't come until early in the third period.
- Nick Jensen's assist on Strome's goal was his 23rd of the season. Twenty-two of his 23 helpers have come at five-on-five.
- Craig Smith got time on the first power-play unit after a first-period fight for Tom Wilson against Michael Pezzetta led to a two-minute instigator, five-minute major and 10-minute misconduct for No. 43.
- John Carlson picked up an assist and now has six points in six games since returning from a fractured skull and temporal artery.
- Martin Fehervary did show heart with a strong showing and good backcheck to shut down a Rem Pitlick breakaway bid late.