For the fourth straight game, the Capitals required extra time to get things done, but it didn’t go their way.
WASHINGTON — For the fourth straight game, the Washington Capitals required extra time to get things done. This time, though, it didn’t go their way.
Anthony Mantha scored in regulation to get his team a point, but the Capitals ultimately fell 2-1 in a shootout.
Here are all the takeaways from the loss, which ends a three-game winning streak but extended the point streak to four games going into the holiday break.
Second Line Stays Hot, Mantha Scores Again While Protas Hits New Career High
Washington was in need of a goal following a sluggish start to action for D.C., and it was Mantha who delivered.
The 29-year-old was serving as a screen in front and redirected a point shot from Nick Jensen past Andrei Vasilevskiy to make it a 1-1 game.
It marked Mantha's 10th goal of the season and his fifth in eight games, and he also points in seven of his last nine outings overall.
Last season, he managed just 11 goals, and it took him 59 games to hit double digits in that department. Now, he is on pace for his first 20-goal season since 2018-19 when he was still with the Detroit Red Wings.
That play also started thanks to a great feed from Aliaksei Protas. With the secondary assist, the Belarus native extended his point streak to three games and established a new career-high in points (16). He also remains the team's leading scorer at 5-on-5 (15).
Capitals Overcome Sluggish Start To Extend Point Streak, Charlie Lindgren Solid But Hurting In Final Seconds
Washington didn't start on the right foot, as the Bolts got going early to take a 1-0 lead into the second.
After that, the Capitals tilted the ice and dominated Tampa, outshooting the Lightning 14-6 through the final 40 minutes of regulation to ultimately force.
It marked the fourth straight game and the fifth time in six outings that the Capitals have required extra time.
Charlie Lindgren also put on a show, stopping 19 of 20 shots, but he was shaken up in the final seconds after hitting his hand on the post.
In the end, Tampa got shootout goals from Brayden Point and Victor Hedman to secure the win.
Top Shelf Takes
- Joel Edmundson led his team with four shots and had a strong outing at both ends of the ice.
- Evgeny Kuznetsov scored on his famous “Kuzy Crawl” attempt.
- Eleven of Washington’s 31 games have gone past regulation.