The Washington Capitals looked to continue their winning ways against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. The Caps hosted the Stars, winless in their last six games, at Capital One Arena in their final home game before they set off on their annual Mentors’ Trip to end the week.
Radek Faksa opened the scoring shorthanded, burying a rebound past Logan Thompson. Sam Steel doubled the Dallas lead with a tip-in from the crease. Wyatt Johnston added a third late in regulation. Alex Ovechkin grabbed a consolation marker with Thompson pulled for an extra attacker. Roope Hintz with the empty netter.
Stars beat Capitals 4-1.
- Without the lackadaisical power play and gaffe from Logan Thompson, the first period felt very even between the Capitals and Stars. I thought Dallas did a very good job in their own end, stifling the Caps, keeping them to just one shot at the most per shift. Tough to leave that frame down a goal, but one of their better starts of late.
- TNT’s national broadcast opened the first period tonight with Eddie Olczyk absolutely losing his mind over Justin Sourdif and Connor McMichael complaining about a linesman kicking them out of the faceoff circle. It continued with Kenny Albert calling Beck Malenstyn’s name twice in succession, even though Malenstyn was definitely not on the ice, in the city, or in the state, as he has played for the Buffalo Sabres this season and last.
- Wild to see Brett Leason back in a Capitals sweater after he spent three seasons away with the Anaheim Ducks. Peter Laviolette was the head coach, and Ilya Samsonov was the number-one netminder, the last time Leason suited up for the Caps before tonight.
- The second period was one of the most lifeless slogs that I’ve had to sit through with this year’s Capitals. Just zero bounce, jump, energy, whatever you want to call it. It was topped off with a power play that could be best described as just some dudes skating around. Holy schmoley, not good.
- John Carlson can’t be getting beaten by Sam Steel at the back post on that second goal. However, I do think Brian Boucher had a point: Thompson likely had the chance to stop that pass from ever reaching Steel in the first place. I do understand him wanting to stay square to the shooter, though, as he’s not exactly in the best run of form right now.
- Brandon Duhaime tried to get his team and the arena into the game by fighting Ilya Lyubushkin. He won the fight, but didn’t get much from his teammates afterward. Still, gotta appreciate the attitude.
- I have to keep reminding myself that the team’s entire first line is out of the lineup right now. It’s not like they were exactly lighting the world on fire with Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas healthy either, but those guys are legitimate difference-makers, and this Caps team doesn’t have a ton of them.
- Yeah, not much better in the third period. I’ve been pretty up front with my belief that this team needs to make a trade or two. Honestly, it might be three now. We’re now less than two months away from the trade deadline. I imagine there is also some activity ahead of the NHL’s Olympic break.
- Dylan McIlrath seems like a lovely guy, but the Capitals consistently just play shorthanded when he’s in the lineup. I can somewhat understand why forwards like Hendrix Lapierre and Sonny Milano don’t play much, given the injuries and depth issues up front. However, the Caps purposefully sit two defensemen who are better than McIlrath whenever he gets a sweater, and then he plays less than 10 minutes. Someone explain that logic to me.
- The third Stars goal was a great summary of tonight’s effort. Just a grenade pass to no one back into the defensive zone for no reason. Roy gets beat by the hustle of Steel, and then Johnston is just wide open right in Thompson’s lap.
The Capitals will practice on Thursday before heading out to Chicago and Nashville to end the week. Two bad teams. Need two wins.
