Here at RMNB, there have been many times after a Caps loss where we’ve argued that the team deserved to win or that they did a lot of things well despite an undesirable result. This is not one of those times.

The Caps deserved to lose Game Three. This series is not over, not by a long shot. But the path to victory just got harder after Monday’s deserved loss.

Here are a few of the reasons the Caps deserved to lose Game Three:

• The third period: To say the third period of this game was pivotal is a huge understatement. The top seed in the East, the Presidents’ Trophy winners, found themselves tied entering the third period of a series tied 1-1. This seemed like the perfect time for the Caps to assert themselves like they did in the opening minutes of the game. They did nothing of the sort. The Leafs had 28 shot attempts in the period while the Caps only mustered nine. The Caps were lucky this game even got to overtime with how badly they were outplayed in the final frame.
• Missed opportunities: Up 3-1 in the second period, the Caps had a 5-on-3 three for a full two minutes and another power play shortly after. Presented with an opportunity to all but put this game away, the Caps didn’t get the job done. They did have decent zone time, a few good chances, and Kevin Shattenkirk missed a wide open net on the 5-on-3, but for a team that preaches owning the big moments, they failed to do so here.
• First line ice time: The Caps first line came out determined in the first period, as Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin both scored to give the team a 2-0 lead before the game was five minutes old. Given this, you’d think the first line would play a lot of minutes, especially given that the Caps never led by more than two. This didn’t happen. Alex Ovechkin only skated 15:08, just 2:01 more than Tom Wilson. This is inexcusable in a game of this magnitude.

Let me repeat that this series isn’t over. The Caps are still very much alive. But it’s going to take a better effort than Monday night to get the job done.

Full Coverage of Caps vs Maple Leafs

Headline image: Kevin Sousa