The Washington Capitals started brightly against the Hurricanes but couldn’t…capitalize…on their early good play. The result was a 4-0 shutout loss and a 2-1 series deficit.
Need a win in Game 4 just like last round. Get it done.
- The Capitals’ first period could not have gone better from a pure process perspective, despite one very key thing. They didn’t score any goals on the eight high-danger chances they created. There were breakaways, wide-open net-front shots, odd-man rush opportunities, etc. You name it, and the Caps didn’t score on it. If they get at least two goals like they should have had in that frame, I think they win this game. Instead, they get burned on a face-off play and a bad goal allowed by their goaltender, and just fully capitulate from there.
- Logan Thompson didn’t have a great night. I think he wants two, maybe even three of those four goals back. He stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced in his third loss of the postseason. Per MoneyPuck, he allowed 1.15 more goals than expected.
- On the flip side, Frederik Andersen was frustratingly excellent. He stopped all 21 shots he faced and, per MoneyPuck, saved 2.61 more goals than expected. Despite the seemingly lopsided scoreline, he quite literally was the difference in the game. The Caps have to hope this one will be his best effort of the series, or they’re in trouble.
- Alex Ovechkin doesn’t have a point through three games of this series, and he probably should have had at least two in the first period alone. The Capitals’ top line saw a whole lot of Carolina’s top line and actually dominated the matchup. They just didn’t get any bounces. In 7:03 of five-on-five ice time with Ovechkin and Andrei Svechnikov on the ice, the Caps saw positive differentials in shot attempts (+4), scoring chances (+6), and high-danger chances (+4). Carolina did not create a single scoring chance or high-danger chance during those shifts. Good news – really great sign they can handle those guys on the road. Bad news – they didn’t take advantage of it and need to repeat that at least three more times.
- Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael played the second (18:49) and third most (17:58) ice time of any Capitals forward in the loss. During that ice time, the two young, emerging high scorers combined for a grand total of zero individual shot attempts at all strengths. The Capitals need a ton more from them.
- The last time the Capitals were in a 2-1 playoff series deficit and went on to win was the 2018 first round against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In that series, they dropped the first two games on home ice and then won four straight to advance to the second round.
Numbers thanks to Hockey-Reference, NaturalStatTrick, and HockeyStatCards.
