Photo: Greg Forweck/Getty Images

The Washington Capitals lost to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-4 at PNC Arena on Saturday night. The loss meant that the Capitals will stay to 10 points ahead of the New York Islanders for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Goaltender Braden Holtby made 23 saves in the loss.

Capitals’ Lines at Hurricanes

Capitals lines vs Hurricanes:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Boyd
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Panik
Leipsic-Dowd-Hathaway

Sigenthaler-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
Djoos-Gudas

Wilson out.

Holtby

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) December 28, 2019

Forward Tom Wilson, who left Friday night’s 2-1 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets after a hit by center Ryan McInnis but returned, came on for the pregame skate early but left and did not play. He is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Michal Kempny (illness) missed his second straight game.

First Period

Center Lucas Wallmark one-timed a shot past Holtby’s blocker after getting fed by forward Nino Neiderreiter from behind the net to make it 1-0 Hurricanes 10:38 in.

The Capitals led 12-5 in blocked shots, 8-2 in blocked shots, 4-1 in takeaways, and failed to convert on one power-play in the first.

The Hurricanes led 11-7 in shots, won 56% of the draws, went 1-for-2 on the power-play, and were credited with five giveaways while the Capitals were handed six after 20.

Second Period

Forward Warren Foegele one–timed a cross-ice feed from center Jordan Staal from the right dot to make 2-0 eight seconds into the period.

Center Nic Dowd called his own number on a two-on-one rush from the right circle after retrieving the puck off of an indirect pass off of the boards to cut the Hurricanes’ lead in half at 3:26.

Dowder on the rush 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0aXxzovH8J

— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 29, 2019

Defenseman Christian Djoos (upper-body injury) left the game and did not return.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton ripped a shot past Holtby’s blocked from the left dot after Foegele fed him with a cross-rink pass to make it 3-1 1:46 after Dowd scored.

Captain Alex Ovechkin hammered a one-timer from the high left circle past goaltender Pete Mrazek’s blocker after getting fed by defenseman Dmitry Orlov from up top to cut the Carolina lead to one again at 9:56. He now sits alone in third place all-time in NHL history with 256 power-play goals.

Hello from Ovi’s office pic.twitter.com/eVxV0gJqHt

— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 29, 2019

Foegele pushed the puck past Holtby on a goal-mouth scramble to make it 4-2 shorthanded with 6:58 left.

The Capitals led 20-18 in shots, including 13-7 in the second, 21-13 in hits, 7-4 in takeaways, went 1-for-4 on the power-play, and won 54% of the draws in the first two periods.

The Hurricanes led 12-7 in blocked shots, had seven giveaways while the Capitals had nine, and went 1-for-3 on the power-play through 40 minutes.

Third Period

Center Evgeny Kuznetsov retrieved the puck up broadway, flew past three Hurricanes’ penalty-killers, and went through the five-hole of Mrazek to make it a one-goal game two minutes into the third.

Kuzy splits the D and finds the back of the net pic.twitter.com/H4sLbJlO8B

— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 29, 2019

1:20 later, center Martin Necas picked up a loose puck after center Erik Haula’s shot in front was blocked by a Capitals defenseman and stashed it past Holtby to restore the Hurricanes’ two-goal lead.

Forward Andrei Svechnikov skated in after he ripped off Ovechkin along the boards to add an empty-netter with 4:02 left.

Defenseman Radko Gudas rifled one to the top left corner off a draw and forward Richard Panik tipped the shot past Mrazek to cut the lead to 6-4 with 1:13 to go.

The Capitals led 29-20 in hits, went 2-for-5 on the power-play, and won 54% of the draws.

The Hurricanes led 11-9 in third-period shots, 17-15 in blocked shots, had eight giveaways while the Capitals had 10, and went 1-for-3 on the power-play.

Each team launched 29 shots on net and eight takeaways.

The Capitals have now lost three of their last four road games (1-3-0) after winning five straight away from home.

The Capitals come back home to host the Islanders on New Year’s Eve. Action from from Capital One Arena can be seen on NBC Sports Washington beginning at 1 PM ET.

By Harrison Brown