The first 19 minutes of last night’s game looked great for the Washington Capitals! Then Cale Makar scored a shorthanded goal off a brutal turnover from Evgeny Kuznetsov, and it was all downhill from there. Makar’s goal slowed any momentum the Caps had going, and Nathan MacKinnon’s natural hat trick in the second was the final three nails in the coffin.
Three Takeaways:
- Considering the circumstances–coming off a loss the night before and playing in a challenging road arena–the Caps got off to a pretty good start in Denver. They were controlling the pace of play, moving the puck well, and getting good looks on both of their power play chances. We all know what happened next, though. Makar’s shorthanded goal was the second one the Caps have allowed in their last three games, and it was also yet another completely deflating moment for the team.
- With last night’s loss, the Capitals are 0-3-0 on this road trip and have three straight regulation losses for the first time this season. They are at risk of going pointless on this four-game Central Division swing, an outcome that would almost certainly put an end to Washington’s slim playoff hopes this year.
- Lost in the disappointment of last night’s outcome, Dylan Strome played in his 400th NHL game last night! He celebrated the milestone by scoring the Capitals’ only two goals in Denver—good for him!