Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
The Washington Capitals fell to the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 4-2 at Capital One Arena on Thursday to remain two points behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and stay a point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and two points behind the Detroit Red Wings in the race.
Just prior to the game, Washington traded defenseman Dmitry Orlov and right-wing Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins in exchange for 2023 first-, 2025 second-, and 2024 third-round picks, and right-wing Craig Smith. The loss was Washington’s sixth straight in regulation. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 19 saves in his first start since February 12.
Washington’s Lines vs. Anaheim
Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson
Conor Sheary — Nicklas Backstrom — Marcus Johansson
Sonny Milano — Dylan Strome — T.J. Oshie
Lars Eller — Nic Dowd — Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Erik Gustafsson — Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Martin Fehervary — Nick Jensen
Matt Irwin – Dylan McIlrath
Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Injured: D John Carlson (upper-body, missed 24th straight game, out indefinitely); RW Connor Brown (ACL, 56th, indefinite); LW Carl Hagelin (hip, 60th, indefinite); LW Anthony Mantha (upper-body, first, day-to-day)
Scratched: Smith, D Alexander Alexeyev
After Orlov and Hathaway were dealt, Aube-Kubel and Irwin slotted into the lineup. Gustafsson bumped up to the top defensive pair. With Ovechkin returning after missing the last four games to tend to the death of his father, Milano bumped down one line. Milano took Mantha’s spot after the 28-year-old was injured in Washington’s 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Anaheim’s Lines
Derek Grant — Trevor Zegras — Ryan Strome
Frank Vatrano — Mason McTavish — Troy Terry
Max Jones — Isac Lundestrom — Jakob Silfverberg
Brett Leason — Max Comtois — Sam Carrick
Cam Fowler — Dmitry Kulikov
Simon Benoit — Nathan Beaulieu
Colton White – Kevin Shattenkirk
John Gibson
Lukas Dostal
Injured: G Anthony Stolarz (lower-body, seventh, day-to-day); D Jamie Drysdale (shoulder, 51st, month-to-month); D Urho Vaakanainen (lower-body, ninth, indefinite); C Adam Henrique (lower-body, first, week-to-week); D John Klingberg (lower-body, second, status unknown)
Scratched: C Jayson Megna
First Period
Scoring
11:41, 1-0 Washington (PPG): Oshie deflected Gustafsson’s wrister from the top in the slot glove-side on Gibson after Backstrom fed Gustafsson, who has eight assists in his last eight games, from the right dot. The goal marked Oshie’s 200th career power-play point (89 goals).
#ALLCAPS 1-0. WE HAVE A LEAD? pic.twitter.com/WKWTSiwQKN
— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) February 24, 2023
Shots: 12-6 Washington
Other Notable Stats: Washington, who scored once on two power-play opportunities, led 7-3 in hits and 2-1 in takeaways. Anaheim had four giveaways while Washington tallied six. Each team blocked seven shots.
Second Period
Scoring
7:09, 1-1: Lundestrom received a stretch pass by Fowler from the defensive zone to get sent in on a breakaway, deked from forehand to backhand, and tucked one past Lindgren blocker-side.
🚨 Lundy!!
What a feed from Fowler!
This game is tied at one. pic.twitter.com/0nX8lxugGD— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 24, 2023
9:07, 2-1 Washington: Jensen took a drop pass from Dowd at the blueline, skated down, deked to the backhand to protect the puck from McTavish, and roofed a shot top corner on Gibson. Seven of Dowd’s 10 assists have been primaries. The goal marked Jensen’s 22nd point of the season, which is a new single-season career high (previously 2021-22: 5g-16a–21p). In three career games vs. Anaheim, Fehervary has three assists.
#ALLCAPS 2-1. JENSEN SCORES A BEAUTIFUL GOAL pic.twitter.com/GbNZNclxch
— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) February 24, 2023
9:51, 2-2: After Kulikov‘s shot hit Lindgren’s glove and iron, a goal-mouth scramble ensured and the puck bounced into the net after Terry got a touch on it.
🚨 Chaos in the crease but the puck crosses the line after a shot from Terry hits the crossbar!
We are tied at two. pic.twitter.com/fqylk32VR1
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 24, 2023
Wilson dropped Benoit to the ice in a tussle at 10:01.
#ALLCAPS TOM WILSON FIGHTS, AND WINS BY A MILE. (look how sexy he looks at the end oh my lord) pic.twitter.com/dKp0rabCy4
— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) February 24, 2023
With 5:19 to go, McIlrath punched Carrick down with a couple of uppercuts to the chin.
#ALLCAPS now McIlrath fights pic.twitter.com/zGG2gCbTdR
— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) February 24, 2023
Shots: 27-16 Washington (including 15-10 in the second)
Other Notable Stats: Washington led 16-9 in blocked shots and 12-6 in hits. Anaheim earned eight giveaways while Washington put up 11. Each team recorded three takeaways. Anaheim did not score on two power plays.
Third Period
Scoring
2:15, 3-2 Anaheim: Silfverberg wristed a shot through the five-hole of Lindgren from the right dot after getting a cross-ice pass from Comtois on a two-on-one rush.
🚨 Silvy!!
He gives us the lead! pic.twitter.com/QmWv6VHiyB
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 24, 2023
Wilson destroyed Kulikov along the boards behind the net with around 8:30 to go.
🚂🚂🚂 pic.twitter.com/PEk0Igxal9
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 24, 2023
18:29, 4-2: Grant got the puck away from Kuznetsov and flipped it down the ice into the empty net from the defensive blueline.
Shots: 43-21 Washington (including 16-5 in the third)
Other Notable Stats: Washington, who scored once on three power-plays, led 21-6 in hits and 7-4 in takeaways. Anaheim had 13 giveaways while Washington was credited with 16. Each team tallied in blocked shots.
Next game: Saturday vs. New York Rangers (1 PM ET, ABC, ESPN+)
By Harrison Brown
Feel sad for Ovi — Caps lose to worst team in the league, he has no goals, no assists.
I thought the team would rally for him. They looked lost.
I think they were all trying but looked mentally exhausted. There just wasn’t a lot of stability this year. A bit of adversity is good but if it’s just one thing after another it wears you down. Even this trade, which I think is a good trade, came at perhaps the most unhelpful time, right before a game, for a team that really needs a metaphorical bounce to go their way.
Today’s trade was a preview of what is now pretty obvious after losing to one of the league’s worst teams at home: stick a fork in ’em, they’re done.
The only question is really which of these guys are going to get a chance to win a Cup… on another team. For their sake, I hope at least one of them does end up on the winner.
In the near term, the Caps need to move as many of their 10 remaining UFAs as they can in the next 7.5 days, and maybe a bad contract or two if the opportunity arises, then bring up as many kids in Hershey as possible, including signing Ethen Frank. They need to sort out what they have in the system so they can plan for next year and beyond.
Given his aversion to players under 25, Laviolette is clearly not the right coach for this team in the next year or two. B’bye to him and his entire staff as well.
Listening to Lavi’s press conference after the game, I don’t think he wants to come back. I think he’s tired, he’s frustrated, and he doesn’t see a Caps future having the kind of players he wants. Now, maybe the Caps (reticence to change, loyalty to Ovi) will make him an offer he can’t refuse, but right now I don’t think his heart is in it.
So let’s run with the “Lavi isn’t coming back” thought.
My choices for his replacement, in order of likelihood of being hired:
1. Gabby
2. Todd Nelson
3. Spencer Carbery
4. Jeff Halpern
5. Barry Trotz
I could live with any of the first three. Like Halpern but no head coaching experience at any level. Trots, I worry about lingering bad blood.
Nothing like losing to the worst team in the league, for your 6th consecutive defeat.
That was UGLY!
*sigh* this was hard to watch. A slow decline has turned into rapid acceleration and it’s tough to watch this team go down like this. We’ve been spoiled for a long time but I guess nothing lasts forever.
That may be the worst regular season loss in the Ovechkin era.
Such long faces, and defeatist attitudes! This is what I’ve been looking forward to! The rebuild, that is. We now have a chance to draft another generational player, or other franchise player. Remember how much fun the Young Guns under Boudreau were? You don’t get that by being just mediocre. You have to be downright bad. Be patient for 3 or 4 years, and we’ll be looking like Buffalo, LA and Detroit look now. A team that is ascending, not treading water.