The Washington Capitals are back after a long three-day layoff to take on the New York Islanders for 90’s Night. The Islanders come into Capital One Arena with a 4-1-2 record, sitting fourth in the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals sit one point behind them in fifth, riding a three-game winning streak.

The Capitals are facing an uncertain future without superstar center, Nicklas Backstrom, who announced he was taking a leave from the team due to his lingering hip injury. Connor McMichael will shift to center in the Swede’s absence, his natural position.

Puck drop is a little after 7 pm. The game’s on Monumental Sports Network featuring Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin on the call.

Must read RMNB content

• Nicklas Backstrom’s leave of absence
• The lines without Backstrom
• Ovi: “It’s hard as a friend to see what’s happening right now”
• Oshie: “It’s just tough all around to not have 19 on the bench next to you”
• Carlson: “It feels weird to me. I’ve never been here without him.”
• Wilson and Oshie will share vacated “A”
• Update on Pacioretty
• An injury update on Dowd
• Edmundson skates again
• First RMNB snapshot of the season
• Appreciating Backstrom

Lines

Lineys!#CapsIsles | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/XXDybMKcGe

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 2, 2023

Tunnel weirdness

Woooooweh#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/xdF5yvYrbQ

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 2, 2023

1st Period

🚨 1-0 Isles. Ryan Pulock scores 22 seconds into the game beating Darcy Kuemper with a wrister.

🚨 2-0 Isles. Simon Holmstrom scores 10:41 into the period via a snap shot.

Oh gosh. Darcy Kuemper had a 0 percent save percentage in the period.

It's official: Darcy Kuemper made zero saves that period. Allowed two goals on two shots. That's a save percentage of .000. We double-checked the math.

— RMNB (@rmnb) November 2, 2023

The Capitals out-shot the Islanders 8-2 in the period and dominated in five-on-five shot attempts, 22-5. Just no puck luck.

2nd Period

TJ Oshie down the runway and to the locker room after taking a shot off his hand on the power play.

Oshie is back and only missed a few minutes.

Former Capital Semyon Varlamov is out here holding a clinic.

🚨 3-0 Isles. Brock Nelson scores on an odd-man break. Kuemper remains in the game despite giving up goals in three of his first five shots, a masterpiece.

Evgeny Kuznetsov gets hit in the face by a Bo Horvat clearing attempt at the end of the period. He appears to be okay.

Capitals are outshooting the Islanders 22-10 and destroying the Islanders in 5v5 shot attempts, 37-11, and high danger chances, 18-2. Isles lead 3-0 going into break. lol

3rd Period

TJ Oshie scores a butt goal, but it’s disallowed due to goaltender interference.

Caps lose 3-0 and are shut out by Semon Varlamov.

The Capitals outshot the Islanders 32-21 and out-attempted them at 5v5, 65-36. In the final period, the Islanders had 8 of 10 high-danger chances.

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