It was a tough night for the Capitals.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals did a lot of things right to start things off on Thursday against the Seattle Kraken, but after 20 minutes, they stepped off the gas. And ultimately, they just couldn't find a way to get the job done, and again a lack of 5-on-5 offense and some defensive mistakes proved costly.
Max Pacioretty scored the lone goal and Washington started strong and sustained pressure, but ultimately, the team fell 4-1.
Here are the takeaways from the defeat, which marks the Capitals' sixth loss in eight games since returning from the holiday break.
Max Pacioretty Scores Lone Goal, Capitals Fail To Finish Chances
Washington had its chances, with the Capitals making some nice plays to get some decent looks on Joey Daccord. However, the Kraken netminder was on top of his game, shutting down some strong chances for the likes of Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael.
Pacioretty was the only one to break through, scoring his first goal off a one-time feed from Alex Ovechkin. He and his linemates also generated a number of chances.
Other than that, the Capitals didn't get much to the interior and couldn't generate a lot of high-danger chances on Daccord, who stood tall.
Defense, Kuemper Struggle
It was also a tough night for the blue line. Darcy Kuemper struggled on a couple of shots in the first, and was also screened partially by his own defense.
The blue line as a whole left a bit to be desired, as the Kraken were able to get right back in the game and tilt the ice in the second half after a decent start for D.C.
Kuemper finished the night with 19 saves on 23 shots.
Wilson Misses Game & Has Absence Felt, Oshie Returns
Washington was also left without a major impact player as Tom Wilson sat out with a broken nose.
On the bright side, T.J. Oshie made his return to the lineup and had some strong moments.