Gamecenter — Natural Stat Trick
Capital One Arena hosted a massacre on Saturday night, as the Washington Capitals were bewildered by the Philadelphia Flyers in a 7-2 loss.
“The league is too good to play like we did on Saturday and expect any other result,” head coach Todd Reirden said Monday morning.
And yet against the New York Islanders later in the day, the Capitals played much like they did Saturday and got the same result. They did manage to mount a bit of a comeback this time around, making the score slightly less lopsided after digging themselves a 4-1 hole, but ultimately fell to the Islanders 5-3. They’re now 2-4 in their last six games, and 1-3 in February.
Plus: The third line of Carl Hagelin, Lars Eller and Richard Panik was excellent, the lone bright spot for the Capitals. They dominated possession, with shot attempts at least three-fourths in every member of the trio’s favor. “Eye of the Tiger” blared to give fans something to get pumped up for in the rout as Eller deflected Hagelin’s wraparound pass off his skate and past Islanders goaltender Thomas Griess.
Minus: The defense. The turnovers. It’s the same story you’ve been reading too often lately. This is not a talent issue.
And now, this:
More thoughts on the game:
The Capitals now go on a three-game road trip, heading out west to take on the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights. Ovechkin stills stands two goals away from 700 — and while it’s possible that this incredible achievement may come on the road, it will still be an indelible moment in NHL history.
Or, hey, maybe it will be next week at home against the Montreal Canadiens. Either way, we’ll see you here Thursday for the Caps date with the Avs. Maybe the road trip will do the Capitals some good.
Here’s the part where I sum how the game went, so here it goes: poorly.