Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals fell to the St. Louis Blues 4-0 on Saturday night at Verizon Center. The loss dropped the Caps record to 53-16-5 (111 points). The Capitals are back at Verizon Center on Monday night when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck-drop is 7:00 PM.

The starting lines for the Caps:

Offensive Lines:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Williams
Johansson-Kuznetsov-Burakovsky
Chimera-Beagle-Wilson
Galiev-Richards-Winnik

Defensive Pairs:
Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov
Schmidt-Carlson

Philipp Grubauer got the start in net for the Capitals. T.J. Oshie missed his second consecutive game due to illness (Flu). Michael Latta, Mike Weber and Taylor Chorney were the healthy scratches for tonight’s game.

QUICK TAKES
The first period was essentially a 0-0 draw between two pretty evenly matched teams, however the level of play was much better than last nights scoreless first period in New Jersey. The Blues would take control of the game in the middle frame, scoring three times. The Blues would add a fourth goal in the final frame, and that would be all the Blues would need, winning 4-0. This was the Blues fourth straight shutout. The Caps were shutout in consecutive regular-season regulations for 1st time since Mar. 2-4, 2012. Audio from Coach Trotz’  post game presser can be found here: Team stats for the game can be found here: Player stats for the game can be found here:

A spirited first five minutes of play, with scoring chances for both sides. Philipp Grubauer made three nice saves in the first seven minutes of the opening frame to keep the game scoreless. The Caps had the advantage in offensive zone time through the first ten minutes. The Caps would get the game’s first power play at 15:53, but the Caps could do very little with the man advantage. The first period would end 0-0, with the Caps leading in shots on goal 10-8.

Even 5-on-5 play continued for the early part of the middle frame, then the Blues began to take control of the game. The Blues took the SOG lead 15-12 four minutes in the second period and began to gain control in offensive pressure. The Blues would finally knock one home at the 4:45 mark of the second period on a dirty goal in front of the net by Kyle Brodziak. The goal was preceded by an Orlov turnover behind the goal.

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The Blues would stretch the lead to 2-0 on a goal by Colton Parayko at 11:05 of the middle frame. Barry Trotz called for a coaches challenge, claiming the play was off-sides, but after review the play was determined on-sides and the goal was upheld.

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The Blues would add another to stretch the lead to 3-0 on a goal by Vladimir Tarasenko at 12:45 of the middle frame.

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The period would end with the Blues leading 3-0 at the end of the second period. The Blues led 24-23 in shots on goal through two periods of play.

The teams traded end-to-end action for the first ten minutes of the final period. The Blues would begin to play more of a defensive style of play late in the game and would lock it down for the win. The Blues would add to the lead on a goal by Patrik Berglund at 17:45 of the final frame.