That's D.C. Hockey Pilot In our deep-dive of the Washington Capitals' Saturday night win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, I finished off with this paragraph looking ahead to their tilt with the Detroit Red Wings. A struggling team can be the most dangerous to play against, and Washington will need to be sharp in this one. While Detroit is one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league so far, averaging 2.44 goals per game, the talent on the roster shouldn't be underestimated. Unfortunately, the Capitals weren't sharp by any means to start, and that rocky first period was insurmountable in the end. Alex DeBrincat scored twice and Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond also piled on goals in the first as the Red Wings took down Washington, 4-2, in a contest that D.C. will look to wash their hands of pretty quickly. Let's unpack this one a bit. THINGS WENT SIDEWAYS QUICKLY Right off the draw, Washington looked off. Whether it was fatigue or something else, it was pretty clear from the early going that Detroit was in control of the game. The first period began with the Red Wings firing on all cylinders early. It was clear from the start that Detroit wasn't going to lose their fifth straight as it took full advantage of a Capitals team that looked slow and out of place. Too often, the Washington defense was caught flat-footed as the Red Wings worked the puck in their zone. Ultimately, the first two Detroit goals were ones that Charlie Lindgren might have had a chance at had he not been screened. Both goals came off screens from DeBrincat, and then Nic Dowd trying to defend. While the second goal was on a power play, Lindgren may have been able to keep those two out — or at least had a better chance at them — without traffic in front. The third goal came courtesy of a breakdown in coverage that left DeBrincat alone in front for an easy slam dunk, which came just 31 seconds after Alex Ovechkin [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-alex-ovechkin-comments-empty-net-goals-not-easy] brought the Capitals within one. As for the fourth goal, well... I don't even know what to say about that one. Just tough all around. Special teams were another mixed bag for Washington. While the penalty kill unit killed off three of four penalties, the power play went 0-for-3 and allowed some shorthanded chances on a night where one or two PPGs could have helped turn the tide. While the man advantage has been an area of concern all season, and they're also adjusting as they have Ovechkin back into the fold, the Capitals have to find their groove before the playoffs start. SOME POSITIVES It wasn't all negative, though. Alex Ovechkin scored his 17th of the season (No. 870...but who's counting) on a vintage one-timer, courtesy of Jakob Chychrun and Connor McMichael. Then in the third, Nic Dowd scored his 10th of the season, outworking two Red Wings players in the process to sneak one past Alex Lyon. Speaking of that third period, the Capitals did manage to find some life, and a rally did ensue as the team tried to claw back in the third. The chances and possession stats swung heavily in their favor in the final frame, and the resiliency we've been writing about all season was on display. While Washington had a strong third, hockey is a 60-minute game, and unfortunately, the first 40 were not kind to D.C. last night. TURN THE PAGE, WASH YOUR HANDS That aforementioned resiliency we've been yammering on about all season applies not only in the individual games but also in how the Capitals have responded to tough losses as well. Throughout the season, this team has been one of the highest-scoring teams, while maintaining one of the strongest blue lines in the league, which is why this article isn't full of critiques about their need to lock down defensively on the opposition or organize better in the offensive zone. Hockey is an 82-game season, and this is just one loss amidst that. Washington will look to rebound Tuesday in a lunchtime tilt against the Boston Bruins, where it will also look for some revenge for that pre-holiday loss, too. D.C. has been great about turning the page on poor outings all year, and I suspect this will be no different.
