Winger Marcus Johansson called the 4-0 loss “frustrating.” (Caps Outsider)
The Capitals have struggled to find consistent scoring this season, and Saturday was no exception. Two days after scoring four goals, the Caps were blanked 4-0 on home ice by the defending Stanley Cup Champions, Colorado, despite controlling play for two periods.
Over the last five games, the Caps have scored 14 goals, just under a critical three a game. When the Caps have scored three or more a game, they are 7-1-1. When they score two or fewer, Washington has a record of 0-9-2.
“I thought we started with the right intentions,” Caps head coach Peter Laviolette said. “First 15 minutes, we were pushing, we were good defensively, and then situations happened on the ice and I don’t think we responded very well to them.”
Winger Marcus Johansson called it “frustrating.” He added, “We’re such a good hockey team, it’s kind of gotten into our heads a little bit. We just got to work through it. We got to find a way to work together to get through this. This can beat any team in this league, and I think we’ve shown that.
“We’ve played some unbelievable hockey at times,” he continued. “We just have to do it for 60 minutes.”
Dylan Strome said the team needs to “find a way” to create chances offensively. “Wether that’s five-on-five, power play, whatever it may be.”
The good news for the Caps is that just one team, the New Jersey Devils, have run away in the Eastern Conference. The Caps sit just three points out of a playoff spot with 62 games to go. The bad news, it is no longer early. A quarter of the season has been played and the team has just seven wins. They have also played more games than anyone else in the conference.
With the Caps, the start if the season was all about staying in it until Tom Wilson, and potentially Nicklas Backstrom return to the ice. Those two have been skating, but still no time table on their return. T.J. Oshie has also returned to the ice, but there is no timetable for his return either. Dmitry Orlov is also close to returning.
The Caps seem to be at a crossroads in their season. Can they tread water for a little while longer, or will the lack of consistency sink their season? Only time will tell.
