The Washington Capitals embarked on a West Coast road trip that spanned five games– San Jose, LA, Anaheim, Las Vegas, and Arizona. It was expected that this road trip would be a season-defining series of games, but after a disappointing performance out West, the Capitals organization and fans alike should hope that it is not a bad omen. With a 2-3 record on the road, messy play, and high levels of frustration, the Washington Capitals need a hard reset– and soon.
What Went Right?
L.A. Kings– November 29th
Let’s start with the positives– the Capitals rallied hard to defeat the LA Kings 2-1, with Charlie Lindgren making 38 saves on the night. The Capitals’ performance snapped the Kings’ five-game win streak, making it a satisfying and exciting win for the boys in red. The fourth line showed up once again for Washington, with both goals coming from the Protas-McMichael-Mantha combination, with all three forwards adding a two-point night to their stats sheet. Anthony Mantha tied the game in the first period on a two-on-one, and Connor McMichael tilted the ice in Washington’s favor late in the second period with a rebound goal, hitting the puck out of the air to score. Overall, the Capitals looked good against LA, and Charlie Lindgren came in clutch once again–he has been a true asset to the Capitals so far this season.
Anaheim Ducks– November 30th
Coming into a back-to-back game, especially one on the road, is always a daunting task for a team. However, the Capitals held their own against the Anaheim Ducks, who entered the match on a seven-game losing streak. By the end of the first period, the Capitals were up 4-2, with Tom Wilson already on hatty watch. Tom Wilson achieved a huge milestone with the game against Anaheim– his 700th in the NHL. Fans of both teams were on the edge of their seats in the third period when the Ducks brought the score difference to one; however, Tom Wilson held his own offensively and scored a Power Play goal to clock a hat trick in his milestone game. A handful of hats flew, and the Capitals celebrated hard. Frank Vatrano of the Ducks scored in the final seconds of the game, but Darcy Kuemper and the Capitals held on defensively to win the game 5-4.
What Went Wrong?
Oh boy, where do we start? One of Washington’s biggest killers on the West Coast was penalties. The Capitals registered 46 PIM across all five games, with Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Tom Wilson, and Evgeny Kuznetsov being the biggest offenders. Washington was not creating scoring chances or producing offensively, skated noticeably slower than their opponents, and lacked dynamic goaltending. With Charlie Lindgren only starting one game (and being put in one game later in the road trip), goaltending was lackluster as Darcy Kuemper struggled to block shots in critical moments, struggling the most in Monday’s game against Arizona.
Arizona Coyotes– December 4th
At the end of their road trip, Washington faced the Arizona Coyotes, who were entering the game on a four-game win streak. After going down 3-0, Darcy Kuemper was pulled from play and replaced by Charlie Lindgren. Kuemper was, understandably, not happy, smashing his stick on his way down the tunnel. Defeat noticeably sunk into the Capitals’ play, and Charlie Lindgren was not any more successful in stopping shots, as the Coyotes won 6-0 at the end of 60 minutes. Offense was slow, and scoring chances were not taken advantage of. Not one of the 26 shots on goal made it past Connor Ingram. The score tells the story: the defense was severely lacking, and both goaltenders struggled in net. Fatigue was surely setting in, as long roadies are never easy; however, Washington previously showed that they can perform while away from home. They did not live up to expectations and delivered a lackluster performance on the West Coast.
The team returned home on Tuesday and will face the Dallas Stars at home on December 7th.
