Maple Leafs Silence Capitals 2-0

Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 on Tuesday night at Capital One Arena. The loss dropped the Capitals record to 3-3-1 for the season. The Capitals have now lost 4 of their last 5 games. The Capitals next make a short one game road trip to Detroit to face the Red Wings on Friday night. Puck drop is 7:30PM.

Braden Holtby got the start in goal for the Capitals, after having the night off in Philadelphia. Frederick Andersen got the start in goal for the Maple Leafs.

Lars Eller was scratched due to illness and replaced by Tyler Graovac at center on the third. Nathan Walker also returned to the lineup on he 4th line. Alex Chiasson and Aaron Ness. Matt Niskanen continued his sting on long-term injured reserve.

#Caps lines tonight: 65-19-77, 8-92-13, 10-91-43, 79-83-25. Defense: 29-74, 44-22, 9-4. Holtby vs. Andersen. #CapsLeafs

— Mike Vogel (@VogsCaps) October 17, 2017

Tonight’s attendance was 18,506, the Capitals 366th consecutive sellout at Capital One Arena.

FIRST PERIOD
As expected, the game got off to a blistering start, with the Leafs missing out on several prime scoring chances in the early going. Toronto continued to own a majority of the offensive zone time through the middle of the opening frame. Leafs led in shots on goal 6-4 after nine minutes of play.

The Capitals began to tip the ice back in their favor, and led in shots on goal 7-6 with four and a half minutes to play in the period. The Capitals would be the benefactors of the games first power play with 1:10 remaining in the opening stanza. Both Ovechkin and Oshie has excellent looks at the goal but could not convert.

The first period would end with the game tied 0-0. Shots on goal were tied 7-7 after the first 20 minutes. The Capitals won the battle at the dot 57-43% for the opening frame.

Tyler Graovac would leave the game with an “upper body” injury in the first period, and would not return to the game. Graovac sustained to shoulder area blows in the opening frame.

SECOND PERIOD
The second period opened with the Capitals on the power play for 50 seconds, but the Caps could not convert. The middle frame was much more evenly played as far as scoring chances. The Leafs led in shots on goal 7-6 at the midway point of the middle frame.

The Capitals would return to the power play with 5:42 left in the second period. The Caps had several good chances but once again were unable to convert. The Maple Leafs would quickly go to the power play with 3:12 left in the period, their first power play of the game. The Capitals would hold the Leafs to 0 shots on goal for the man advantage.

The period would end with the game remaining scoreless. Shots on goal for the period were 10-10 for the middle frame, and 17-17 through the first 40 minutes of play.

THIRD PERIOD
The Leafs would be the first to light the lamp with a goal by Connor Brown at the 5:53 mark of the final period.

The Maple Leafs would pull back on defense from there on out. The Caps had several grade A chances in the final 5 minutes. The Leafs would add an empty net goal to seal the victory, 2-0.