Ice Tracker – Game Summary – Event Summary – Shot Report – Faceoff Summary – Play-by-Play – Home TOI – Visitor TOI – Advanced Stats at: war-on-ice, hockeystats, Natural Stat Trick and more via Nice Time On Ice
After a sloppy win over the Devils on Thursday night Barry Trotz’s team came out flat against the Predators, giving up three goals in the game’s first fifteen minutes. Braden Holtby‘s performance was cut short there, spelled by Justin Peters after Filip Forsberg‘s tally. Troy Brouwer did his best to lead a Washington comeback, but the Capitals didn’t have enough time to score the tying goal.
Check back for our full recap later, but first, here’s Saturday afternoon’s Plus/Minus:
Nine more notes on the game:
Both Ekholm and Forsberg’s goals were ones that the Capitals’ #1 needs to make, especially against a loaded Nashville club. The goals came from each faceoff dot, the former a backhand and the latter a forehand to Holtby’s glovehand side.
Brouwer kicked off the Capitals’ comeback effort with two goals to open the second period. His first came thanks to a friendly bounce in the slot and his second came while Washington was shorthanded. The two goals less than eight minutes apart had Verizon Center engaged in the game again, but it wouldn’t last…
Washington dominated their guests in the third period, taking ten shots versus Nashville’s four, but it wouldn’t be enough. The Capitals woke up a bit too late in this one and skated off the ice without any points.
The Predators played without Shea Weber who was sitting out because of a lower-body injury. Despite the thin defensive core Washington’s comeback effort ended up being all for naught because of Ribeiro’s second period goal.
The Capitals have a chance to bounce back to form tomorrow afternoon against the New York Rangers, and they’ll need to be ready to play at three o’clock. With the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators both within reach of the 7th and 8th Eastern Conference playoff seeds Washington needs to put as many standings points on the board between now and April 11th as possible.
And now, this…
Game highlights: