The Caps followed up a lackluster loss to the Winnipeg Jets over the weekend, where they were almost shutout 5-0, with a lackluster game in Minnesota last night where they did get shutout 5-0. There’s a lot of places you could pick where the Caps lost the game but might as well start with the first goal by the Wild…because it was all downhill from there..
Just a little over two minutes into the game, the Wild dumped the puck behind the Caps’ net. After a couple of lost puck battles by the Caps behind the net, Minnesota was able to center it to the slot. The pass went past the player in front of the net but made it to Vladimir Tarasenko at the blue line.
As Tarasenko was entering the slot, Anthony Beauvillier went out to try to block the shot but instead simply managed to screen his goalie, who was already dealing with another screen directly in front of him. Tarasenko’s shot hit the cuff of Charlie Lindgren’s glove and went in. The issue here was Beauvillier’s shot block attempt; if you’re going to stand in front of your goalie, you have to actually block the shot or you get out of the way. Beauvillier did neither and unfortunately what should have been an easy glove save for Lindgren instead ended up in the back of the net.
Who knows if that would have changed the game at all – probably not, but it allowed the Wild to get out to quick start and gave them all the momentum, and they never gave it back. The Caps have put up back to back stinkers – here’s hoping they can get things together when they return home against the Maple Leafs tomorrow night.