“I don’t think there was anything wrong with the effort tonight,” middle Lars Eller mentioned. “Battled hard, and we had a lot of big penalty kills to keep us in the game. Power play came through, and it just comes down to a shootout. Sometimes you are on the right side of it and sometimes you are not, but we might as well have walked out of here with two [points].”
Playing his third recreation in 5 days, Kuemper was stellar, ending with 33 saves. Coach Peter Laviolette mentioned he performed a “spectacular game.”
“I thought he did an unbelievable job the entire game,” Laviolette mentioned.
He’s more likely to relaxation in favor of backup Charlie Lindgren when Washington (5-4-1) hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night time at Capital One Arena.
Washington was with out winger T.J. Oshie and defenseman John Carlson. Both suffered lower-body accidents throughout a 3-0 win at Nashville on Saturday. Oshie is out indefinitely, the staff mentioned, whereas Carlson is day-to-day.
“When guys leave the lineup it is tough, but it is the next-man-up mentality,” Kuemper mentioned. “The guys that have come in have done a really good job bringing energy, and the guys moving up in the lineup are doing a good job filling in as well.”
Neither staff may break via in time beyond regulation. It appeared Carolina (6-2-1) would have the greatest probability to finish it when Eller was despatched to the penalty field for tripping at 2:09. But the Hurricanes, who bought 18 saves from Frederik Andersen, needed to wait till the shootout to prevail.
The rating was tied at 2 coming into the third, and it was a whistle-heavy closing interval of regulation. Washington had an early power-play probability however couldn’t convert. Evgeny Kuznetsov had a wide-open web from the circles, however Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin saved a aim with a gritty block. Carolina had a late man benefit of its personal however couldn’t break via, both.
Carolina scored first, solely 4:27 in. On the energy play, Stefan Noesen tipped in Brent Burns’s level shot for his first aim of the season. Washington had killed 13 straight penalties earlier than Noesen’s tally.
Strome tied it at 1 simply 1:23 into the second interval with a rebound aim at the prime of the crease. It was his second of the season.
Captain Alex Ovechkin put the Capitals up 2-1 at 8:57 of the second earlier than Svechnikov tied it at 2 with 4:18 left in the interval together with his eighth aim of the younger season. Ovechkin’s power-play strike from the left circle was his fifth aim of the season and his second in as many video games. It gave him 785 profession objectives; he’s one shy of tying Gordie Howe for the most in NHL historical past with one staff. Howe scored 786 with Detroit, then added 15 extra with Hartford.
Here is what else to learn about the Capitals’ loss:
Oshie’s harm is a serious concern. He was harm early in Saturday’s recreation after he appeared to drag one thing whereas chasing the puck in the offensive zone throughout the Capitals’ first energy play. He needed to coast again to the bench as the Predators bought a shorthanded probability. He then was helped down the tunnel to the dressing room, and he didn’t return.
Oshie, 35, stayed in Nashville on Saturday night time and didn’t journey with the staff Sunday. Coach Peter Laviolette mentioned Monday that Oshie was being examined by the medical workers and, as soon as Washington returns to D.C., the staff would have a greater thought of when he’ll be capable to return.
Carlson was injured after he appeared to fall awkwardly in the nook after making an attempt to knock the puck away from Nashville’s Zach Sanford. There is an opportunity Carlson performs Tuesday, however Washington may hold him out for precautionary causes.
Forward Connor McMichael and defenseman Matt Irwin drew into the lineup. It was Irwin’s season debut. He performed 17 video games for Washington final season. Irwin was on the third defensive pairing with Erik Gustafsson. To exchange Carlson, Trevor van Riemsdyk moved as much as the prime pairing to skate with Dmitry Orlov, and Martin Fehervary was with Nick Jensen.
McMichael began the night time as a winger on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. It was McMichael’s second recreation of the yr. He had been handed over when injures created different lineup openings earlier in the season.
“I think when you come to camp, you want to get into the lineup. … It had not worked out for Mikey that way to this point,” Laviolette mentioned. “This is an unbelievable opportunity.”
Winger Joe Snively was Washington’s lone scratch. The Capitals didn’t recall any gamers from Hershey of the American Hockey League however are probably to take action earlier than Tuesday’s recreation or forward of their matchup Thursday in Detroit.
Forward Aliaksei Protas has slowly gained extra confidence, which has allowed his recreation to proceed to develop. But regardless of notching two objectives in his earlier three video games, he mentioned he’s not completely happy together with his current play. The 21-year-old believes he nonetheless must “earn the coach’s trust every shift” — and that that belief will flip into extra ice time and extra alternatives.
“I can’t take a shift off,” he mentioned. “Couple games weren’t the best, so we got to keep getting better. … [I have to] work hard, play more physical. That’s my weaknesses, I believe, right now.”
Protas took a tripping penalty Monday that led to the Hurricanes’ first aim. He completed with one shot on aim in 11 minutes 37 seconds of ice time.