A loss that probably puts the playoffs out of reach: numbers for the morning after

The Washington Capitals lost in regulation Saturday to the one team they really couldn’t lose to if they wanted to truly keep their playoff hopes alive. After a trade deadline seemed to emotionally decimate the team, the Caps dropped a 3-1 decision to the Boston Bruins.

Folks, it’s not time to entirely call it a wrap just yet, but it’s a lot closer than it was a week ago.

• There were spells of this game where the Capitals were playing some smooth, fun hockey, but those spells were either interrupted by constant special teams play or didn’t last long enough to have more of an impact on the final score. Per usual, the team started slow, not creating a single five-on-five high-danger chance in the first period and allowing four to the Bruins. They then recovered in the second, scoring their lone goal and creating five high-danger chances. Unfortunately, the third-period effort was muted, and some common failing spots this season failed yet again.
• What I’m referencing in that last sentence is, of course, the club’s power play and penalty kill. Another 0-for-3 effort while up a man for the Capitals drops them back to tied for 30th in the NHL in power play effectiveness (16.1 percent). They also gave up a power-play goal to the Bruins and are ranked 18th in the league on the penalty kill (78.6 percent). Some serious thought needs to be put into wholesale changes for both units next season, because special teams directly lost this team an arguable 10-15 games this year.
• Aliaksei Protas scored the team’s goal, giving him 11 points (5g, 6a) in his last 12 games. Protas was tied for first among Caps forwards, with Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, in shots on goal in the loss, with just two.

• Logan Thompson did his part again for the Capitals, making 27 stops on the 29 shots he faced. According to MoneyPuck, Thompson saved 1.6 more goals than expected, particularly with a lot of brilliant work on Boston’s six power-play opportunities. He is now second in the NHL in goals saved above expected (23.4), behind just Ilya Sorokin (25.9).
• Hendrix Lapierre played just 5:39 of ice time in the loss. Certainly, that was helped by how much special teams time occurred, but it’s also a sign that David Kampf is about to immediately send Lapierre back to the press box.
• The Capitals are now seven points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for third in the Metropolitan Division, and the Penguins have two games in hand. They are now six points back of the Bruins for the second wild card playoff spot, and the Bruins have two games in hand. If you put the certainly palpable and reasonable Ovechkin-related sentiments aside, the Capitals should be more concerned with netting a higher first-round draft choice at this point.