WASHINGTON — Peter Laviolette couldn’t clarify why his Washington Capitals fell flat in a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night time with an opportunity to maneuver up within the standings and enhance their playoff positioning.
“We have been flat,” the veteran NHL coach mentioned. “I don’t know.”
Enjoying with out injured captain Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals blew a lead and gave up 4 unanswered targets to an opponent that has lengthy been out of playoff rivalry. They allowed power-play targets to Ryan Pulock and Noah Dobson, goaltender Ilya Samsonov botched a puck-handling try behind the online to assist Casey Cizikas rating short-handed and Tom Wilson turned the puck over to Anders Lee for New York’s fourth purpose of the sport.
“Guys have been out of sync a little bit bit, couldn’t get a lot going,” winger Tom Wilson mentioned. “Type of an unsightly recreation.”
Washington did not go rival Pittsburgh for third place within the Metropolitan Division after the Penguins misplaced at residence to Edmonton, however the Caps nonetheless have two extra possibilities earlier than the top of the common season.
Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves to assist the Islanders snap a five-game shedding streak close to the top of what has became a misplaced season a 12 months after reaching the East ultimate. They performed a ahead brief with 17 skaters as a substitute of the standard 18 after Brock Nelson and Zdeno Chara have been dominated out due to sickness.
Nelson was in uniform and anticipated to play till he informed coach Barry Trotz simply earlier than warmups he didn’t really feel properly sufficient.
“Our room is hacking and coughing and there’s a number of guys sick and proper now they’re battling via it,” Trotz mentioned. “Give them a number of credit score. I assumed it was a superb character win.”
Ovechkin was deemed a game-time determination and is listed as everyday, however it was apparent earlier within the day he wasn’t a superb wager to play with what the crew is looking an upper-body damage. He slammed left shoulder first into the boards Sunday, and his standing shifting ahead is unsure.
The Capitals bought some clarification on their first-round opponent: Carolina’s victory on the New York Rangers clinched the Metropolitan Division, and that mixed with Boston beating Florida takes the Hurricanes out of the equation for Washington.
Washington is now set to open in opposition to the Rangers or Panthers, relying on how the ultimate video games of the season go.
The Capitals may have wrapped up third within the Metro after they play the Islanders once more Thursday — had they received Tuesday. Now, it’ll come all the way down to Friday to see whether or not Washington can keep away from Japanese Convention-leading Florida and a harder path via the Atlantic Division facet of the bracket.
“We are able to’t play like we did tonight,” Laviolette mentioned. “This isn’t who we're. This isn’t our M.O. It’s one night time, it was awful and in order that’s that.”
On the best way to a second robust loss in a row, the Capitals bought a little bit of a scare when winger T.J. Oshie took a puck off his left foot and left the sport briefly. Conor Sheary, who scored their solely purpose on a deflection within the first interval, additionally went down late within the second blocking a shot however stayed in.
“He completed the sport,” Laviolette mentioned of Oshie. “He got here again and performed, and he gave the impression to be effective.”
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