Peter Laviolette kept his comments very brief after the Capitals’ 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Without Alex Ovechkin in the lineup, the Capitals were listless despite having an opportunity to pass the third-place Penguins in the Metropolitan Division and get out of the dreaded second wild card spot.

Laviolette’s interview lasted one minute and 47 seconds and barely eclipsed 100 words. The look on his face was exasperation. At times, he looked like he was screaming internally, but to his credit, he managed to keep his cool and not criticize anyone.

The questions Laviolette was asked have been edited slightly for clarity.

When did that game get away from you?

Peter Laviolette: From the beginning. It wasn’t good.

Do you feel like this was a missed opportunity to move up in the standings?

Peter Laviolette: Absolutely. Missed opportunity for two points.

Did you guys come out flat mentally, physically..

Peter Laviolette: We were flat. Both.

Why do you think that was?

Peter Laviolette: We were flat. I don’t know.

Was this game disappointing considering last game and you didn’t come out with more…

Peter Laviolette: This game was this game. We didn’t play well.

Given how well you’ve played since March and how well you played the last two weeks or so, how important is it to get back on that horse going into the playoffs.

Peter Laviolette: We can’t play like we did tonight in the playoffs. This isn’t who we are. This isn’t our MO. It’s one night. It was lousy. That’s that.

Laviolette’s longest response came when he was asked about Casey Cizikas’s goal after the Islanders’ forward ripped off the puck and scored a shorthanded goal after an extremely poor exchange between Ilya Samsonov and Dmitry Orlov behind the net. It’s a play that should not happen in the NHL.

CASEY. CIZIKAS. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Cjnt4bV73R

— NHL (@NHL) April 27, 2022

Laviolette was asked what should have happened there.

“Uh,” he said before taking a long pause to consider his response.

“Well for me, probably should have just been a clean break,” Laviolette said. “Clean entry exiting the net and it wasn’t. Came around the other side, I think he got hung up on the net.”

Samsonov hit the goal frame and spun around like a top as Cizikas shoveled the puck into the yawning net. The goal made it 3-1 and took all wind out of the Caiptals’ sails for a potential comeback.

The Capitals will have an opportunity to prove that tonight isn’t who they are on Thursday in a rematch against the Islanders at UBS Arena.

Screenshot: @Capitals