The Washington Capitals visited the lowly Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, looking to turn around some recent tough play. The Canucks entered play sporting a league-worst 11-game losing streak.
The Capitals raced out to a 2-0 lead with power-play goals from Dylan Strome and Justin Sourdif. The Canucks responded with two in a row of their own from Brock Boeser and Evander Kane to tie the game. Drew O’Connor turned the score all the way around with a goal in the second period, and Filip Hronek extended Vancouver’s lead. Strome potted one late to make it close, but no cigar.
Canucks beat Capitals 4-3.
- Pretty awful start from a five-on-five perspective for the Capitals. They went up after a rare good start with their power play, and then just completely caved to pressure from the Canucks. Not a good sign when you need a win and are playing an objectively terrible team. Brutal would be the word that I would choose.
- The Capitals managed two power-play goals in the first period, giving them a multi-goal game with a man up for just the fourth time this season. They have yet to score three power-play goals in one game.
- Rasmus Sandin has been directly at fault for some brutal goals lately. That didn’t change early in this one as he handed Brock Boeser a goal to get the Canucks on the board. To be fair to him, there isn’t a single defender on the roster that I can point to as playing well in their own end right now.
- Not sure what else to write about the second period. I guess, more of the same? Again, zero urgency from the Capitals. Again, terrible decisions by defenders. Again, probably not good enough from Logan Thompson. Again, no even strength production from the top guys. Four unanswered goals from a team that has lost 11 games in a row coming into tonight.
- As I’ve said, the guys in front of him were brutal more than a few times, but Thompson, per MoneyPuck, had allowed 1.65 more goals than expected after two periods. On the flip side, Kevin Lankinen had saved 1.53 more goals than expected. Charlie Lindgren looked pretty great in Denver. Could we see him get a few more starts here on this trip?
- The fact that Tom Wilson is back? Phenomenal news – tremendous even. The fact that Wilson missed eight games and was still the team’s leading scorer coming into play tonight? Big problem – huge even.
- The Capitals are apparently one of the front-runners in the trade market for Artemi Panarin. I think they need more than one Artemi Panarin to turn this season around. If that’s the case, is trading away assets for Panarin wise? Maybe if he signs an extension as part of the deal? These are the questions the front office needs to answer over the next few weeks.
- Capitals assistant coach Patrick Wellar told Al Koken during the second intermission that the team’s third period against the Canucks was “the most important moment of the season.” Did it look like that to anyone until they pulled their goalie? Man, this club could really do with some jump and offensive bite. Would really love to see Ilya Protas and Andrew Cristall get their NHL debuts soon. It’s not like Hendrix Lapierre and Sonny Milano are irreplaceable right now.
- This was Vancouver’s first regulation home victory since December 6, also known as the last time the Capitals looked like a somewhat functional hockey team.
- The Capitals are now 14th out of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference in points percentage. That’s not a typo, folks. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers are behind them.
The Capitals remain out on the road, visiting the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers on back-to-back days to end this week.
