Geoff Burke — Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fa4ef014-b954-47aa-b386-5aac1a15beda.jpeg] Geoff Burke — Imagn Images WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals needed some life going into the final 20 minutes of play against the New Jersey Devils — anything to stop them from experiencing the same old story with the same ending. Enter Alex Ovechkin. The captain set the tone for his team with some big hits early on, and then in the third, brought the offense, setting up Connor McMichael and tying the game himself to force overtime, but ultimately, a shootout was the breaking point in a 3-2 loss. Here are the takeaways. OVECHKIN & MCMICHAEL HELP CAPITALS SHAKE OFF SLUGGISH, UNDISCIPLINED START It was hardly the start the Capitals wanted to get off to against the red-hot Devils, who have several weapons in their arsenal even with star Jack Hughes out long-term. Washington took three straight penalties through the first 7:02 minutes of the game, and the Devils took advantage, with Arseny Gritsyuk opening the scoring on the team's second power-play opportunity. With Jack Hughes out for the Devils after undergoing surgery on his finger, Luke Hughes helped fill the void on offense, and after setting up Gritsyuk, added a goal of his own later in the frame to give New Jersey a 2-0 lead. That lead would hold until the start of the third, when Alex Ovechkin and his first line with Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome would help power a comeback. Ovechkin was a force to be reckoned with; after bringing on the physicality earlier in the night, he picked up the puck from behind and hooked around to find McMichael for a tap-in on the backdoor, pulling his team within one. Minutes later, he converted on a scramble in front, evening the score and erasing an ugly first 40 minutes for Washington and force OT. LOGAN THOMPSON COMES UP BIG, CAPS FALL IN SHOOTOUT It was another big night for Logan Thompson in net, who made some ten-bell saves to keep his team in it until the end. Thompson finished the night with 31 saves on 33 shots. He made some huge saves in overtime, too, including a split stop on a Simon Nemec rebound that should have been a slam dunk. While he impressed, Jesper Bratt and Nemec beat him in the shootout, resulting in the loss. SPECIAL TEAMS REMAIN GLARING ISSUE The Capitals do have to continue to clean things up in the special teams department, though. Washington, playing without John Carlson due to an upper-body injury, went 0-for-1 on the power play, and again gave up a power-play goal, marking the fourth time in five games they've given one up on the man advantage.
