The Washington Capitals managed just one goal against the worst team in the league on Monday night. They dropped the game 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks and kicked their five-game road trip off on the wrong foot.
This team just cannot score goals. The past two games have been horrible watches.
- When your team plays an even, toe-to-toe game against the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks, even with the Sharks’ recent run of better form, you should be worried. The Capitals managed just five high-danger chances against the league’s worst defense and only scored once. Over the past two games, they have managed just that one goal while playing the worst and third-worst teams in terms of goals against allowed per game. That’s concerning to say the least.
- The power play is a combined 0-for-8 in those two games. I feel like you don’t need me to tell you much more about that unit at this point. The Capitals do have the fewest power play opportunities in the NHL so far this season (53) but I don’t think them getting more chances would change much and they simply don’t play with the puck enough at five-on-five to earn more calls.
- Zero individual high-danger chances for Alex Ovechkin in the game. Ovi now has just five goals through 18 games. He’s on pace for just over 20 goals this year. There are about 1,000 reasons why that’s scary.
Martin Fehervary, playing in his first game since Nov. 10, recorded the secondary assist on Kuznetsov's goal, his third assist of the season. Fehervary has recorded an assist in the last three games he has played (also Nov. 8 vs. FLA: 1a; Nov. 10 vs. NJD: 1a).
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) November 28, 2023
- The team was at their best with Matthew Phillips on the ice at five-on-five. In his 12:19 of ice time, they saw positive differentials in both scoring chances (+4) and high-danger chances (+3). Probably should stay in the lineup.
- Tom Wilson has been the best individual skater recently in terms of leaving his stamp on games. In this one he recorded six shots on goal, six individual scoring chances, two individual high-danger chances, a drawn penalty, and four hits.
- Darcy Kuemper made 23 stops in the loss. He wasn’t the problem.
Numbers thanks to Hockey-reference.com and NaturalStatTrick.com.
