The Washington Capitals held two leads over the Florida Panthers but couldn’t pull out a win inside Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers, aided by some shambolic officiating, walked away 5-3 victors after a late third-period goal from defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
Frustrating game to watch. Not a bad effort, but they need to pick up some points.
- There were a ton of penalties in this game, so I had a tough time putting together my thoughts on the five-on-five play. The numbers show the Caps didn’t put together nearly enough output event-wise, registering just 20 five-on-five shot attempts in the game. They had just five in the third period, which is the frame that ultimately saw the Panthers take the lead and hold on from there. There are certainly some issues there, but again, a whole ton of special teams in this loss.
- Tom Wilson scored two goals, bringing his season total to 19. With his second goal, Wilson leapt over Alex Semin (197) for the sixth-most goals in franchise history. He had three points (2g, 1a) in the game overall, his third three-point effort this season and the 14th of his career.
- Hendrix Lapierre played 6:09 of total ice time in the loss. Brandon Duhaime played 6:34. Ethen Frank played 8:52. The Capitals need a fourth line.
- Dylan Strome looked like his old self, notching three points (1g, 2a). He recorded four shots on goal, six shot attempts, three individual scoring chances, three individual high-danger chances, and went 15-4 in the faceoff circle. The Capitals need more and more and more and more of that. Badly.
- Twelve total power plays in the game, and I thought around half of them were really bad calls from the referees. The most consequential ones hurt the Capitals at really tough parts of the game. Not a good night from the referees.
- The Capitals…need a trade…or two…quickly…y’all.
This story would not be possible without
Please consider joining us in supporting them.
