Lars Eller is an unrestricted free agent. Just sayin’. (Caps Outsider)
Less than an hour before puck drop, the Washington Capitals made their first move of the looming NHL trade deadline. This time, despite sitting just outside of a playoff spot the team dealt roster players away rather than bringing pieces in for a potential playoff run. The Thursday night game, not to mention the five previous losses, justified the trade as the team lost 4-2 to the league-worst Anaheim Ducks.
The loss marks the Caps’ sixth straight in regulation.
“It’s sad to see two really great guys, great guys in the room, great players [go],” Trevor van Riemsdyk said of the Caps trading Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway. “But that’s no excuse for what we just did there. We got to find a way to win the game.”
The Caps opened the scoring with T.J. Oshie deflecting an Erik Gustafsson point shot past John Gibson on the power play with just over 8 minutes left in the first period. The Ducks would tie the game early in the second when Cam Fowler caught Washington in a bad line change, as he fired a stretch pass to the tape of Isac Lundestrom. Lunderstrom had a breakaway from the blue line in and roofed a shot pass Charlie Lindgren after dekeing the goalie to the ice.
The Capitals retook the lead moments later when Nick Jensen found time and space and lifted a backhander past Gibson from near the goal line. But the lead was short-lived as the Ducks tied it less than a minute later, albeit, with some controversy.
Lindgren got a piece of a shot with his glove, but the puck deflected off his glove and off the crossbar, and sat in the crease. A mass of bodies flooded the crease and Lindgren wound up in the net. The play was reviewed but ultimately ruled a good goal. The Caps did not challenge for goalie interference.
“They said our guy pushed someone into me,” Lindgren said on the explanation he got. “The bottom line is I got hut and I got spun around, spun into the net. The refs said it was our guy and that’s something we got to live with.” Caps coach Peter Laviolette said he didn’t challenge it because he wasn’t sure and didn’t want to risk putting Anaheim on the power play.
As a result, the teams entered the final frame tied at two, but the Capitals held a 26-16 advantage in shots on goal.
Laviolette also said that Anaheim tying the game rather than Washington being able to extend its lead to two was a major factor in the game’s result.
The Capitals went into the third period with a power play, but couldn’t find the back of the net. The Ducks used that momentum and scored shortly after on another odd-man rush.
Jakob Silfverberg fired a shot past Lindgren, who was in good position to the make the save, but the puck squeaked through. The Caps couldn’t find the equalizer and Anaheim would add an empty netter to seal the game.
Washington played well enough to win, but weren’t able to find the back of the net, a pattern that has existed all season long.
While the team still thinks they have the players it takes to get into the playoffs, their chances took a hit tonight. Not only did they lose in regulation to a team they should beat, the Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings beat teams they weren’t in Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers.
With a quarter of the season left to go, the Caps still have time to prove they are a playoff team, but the current slide is starting to build frustration.
“I think we’re all pissed off and frustrated to be honest with you. It’s been a really tough stretch here,” Lindgren said. “But you know, we can be pissed off and frustrated tonight and then we gotta brush it off…no room for pouting, no room for sulking.”
