The Capitals, coming off the first game of a back-to-back couldn't keep up with the Hurricanes, who hadn't played since Thursday.
The surging Washington Capitals were in for a tall task on Sunday, going up against the well-rested and red-hot Carolina Hurricanes just 24 hours after a busy game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Though they put up a fight, they ran out of gas, and despite goals from Alex Ovechkin and Brandon Duhaime and a standout game from Charlie Lindgren, Washington couldn't keep up in a 4-2 loss.
Here are all the takeaways.
Fatigued Capitals Run Out Of Steam, Can't Keep Up In Loss
It was a tough matchup for the Capitals, who played on Saturday and were going up against a Hurricanes team that hadn't played since Thursday.
It was an uneven matchup, as Washington struggled to keep up with Carolina from the get-go. Despite leading 2-1 after the first thanks to goals from Alex Ovechkin and Brandon Duhaime, the Capitals ran out of steam as the Hurricanes continued to dominate from the second period on, with Dmitry Orlov and Martin Necas getting on the scoresheet.
Ultimately, Carolina did a better job at controlling the puck, while Washington struggled with missed passes and turnovers while being a step behind when it came to loose pucks or battles.
The Capitals were ultimately outshot 34-15, and for the first time this season, couldn't score at least three in just their third loss of the season.
Alex Ovechkin Scores No. 860, Power Play Sees Life But Still Has Struggles
On a brighter note, Ovechkin kept his hot streak alive for Washington, finding twine for the fourth straight game with his team-leading seventh goal of the season.
The Capitals captain struck from his office on an extended 5-on-3 power play to put D.C. on the board. It marked his 860th career goal, and he's now just 35 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. He's on pace for 52 goals, which would put him at 905 goals to end the season, and if he can reach that mark, he'd record the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history.
While Ovechkin got the ailing power play on the board, the man advantage continues to experience woes. At 5-on-4, Washington couldn't get a clean entry and struggled to keep the puck in, and after initial chances, saw Carolina easily clear the puck.
Charlie Lindgren Comes Up Big
Despite the defeat, Charlie Lindgren had his best outing of the season, coming up big to bail out the Capitals time and time again.
The 30-year-old netminder stopped 40 of 43 shots (.930 save percentage), coming up big with some ten-bell saves to keep the game within reach, especially later in the third.
It was by far his most convincing start of the season as D.C.'s defense struggled in front of him without the services of Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy.
Andrei Svechnikov scored an empty netter with eight seconds left to ice the win for the Hurricanes.
Top Shelf Takes
- Dylan Strome extended his point streak with his 13th assist of the season and has points in all but one game this season.
- Brandon Duhaime has three points in his last three games.
- Nic Dowd has five points in his last seven outings.