The Washington Capitals fell to the Ottawa Senators by a score of 3-2 in overtime as their losing-streak extended to six games (0-4-2). Washington fell to 36-30-11 (.539 points percentage) this season. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren pitched 18 saves in the loss. Ottawa was already eliminated from postseason contention.
Washington’s Lines
Alex Ovechkin — Dylan Strome — Tom Wilson
Mike Sgarbossa — Connor McMichael — Aliaksei Protas
Max Pacioretty — Hendrix Lapierre — Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn — Nic Dowd — Ivan Miroshnichenko
Martin Fehervary — John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin — Nick Jensen
Alexander Alexeyev — Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: RW Nicolas Aube-Kubel, D Vinny Iorio
Out: D Ethan Bear (NHLPA players assistance program), C Nicklas Backstrom (hip), RW T.J. Oshie (undisclosed)
Ottawa’s Lines
Brady Tkachuk — Ridley Greig — Claude Giroux
Dominik Kubalik — Shane Pinto — Drake Batherson
Boris Katchouk — Mathieu Joseph — Parker Kelly
Bokondji Imama — Mark Kastelic — Jiri Smejkal
Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot — Erik Brannstrom
Jakob Chychrun — Jacob Bernard-Docker
Joonas Korpisalo
Anton Forsberg
Scratched: N/A
Out: D Travis Hamonic (undisclosed), C Tim Stutzle (upper-body), RW Matthew Highmore (upper-body), RW Zack MacEwen (lower-body), LW Angus Crookshank (lower-body)
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring
4:43, 1-0 Washington: After Sanderson turned the puck over to Milano behind the net, Milano fed Lapierre, who was at the left post and set up Pacioretty, who hammered the one-timer in the slot. Lapierre earned his fifth assist in his last seven games and has two goals and three points in two games vs. Ottawa this season. With his 330th career goal, Pacioretty passing Kevin Stevens for the 20th-most goals by an American-born player in NHL history.
BANG-BANG PATCHES pic.twitter.com/kfsoZAnBC5
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2024
Shots: 5-4 Ottawa
Other Notable Stats: 14-11 Washington in hits, 7-3 Washington in blocked shots
Sunlight was somehow bleeding into Capital One arena and was blinding Joonas Korpisalo 😭 pic.twitter.com/dSM4YS09Tn
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 7, 2024
Sandin got crosschecked at the Ottawa bench and did not return with an upper-body injury.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring
5:40, 1-1: Kastellic executed a give-and-go through the neutral zone with Chychrun and finished the play in front of the goal after deking to the backhand.
Slick backhand Kasty 🤌#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/UnksmeX0c0
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) April 7, 2024
With 9:24 left, Lindgren sprawled across the crease on a two-on-0 rush to deny Giroux with the right pad at the post.
👨🏻 splits pic.twitter.com/IOy2aDmUIz
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2024
17:10, 2-1 Washington: Protas tapped one into a wide open net in front after Korpisalo swatted away Van Riemsdyk‘s point shot. Protas has recorded four points (two goals) in three career games against Ottawa, which is tied with Columbus for the most points he has registered against a single opponent.
#ALLCAPS 2-1. PROTAS GIVES US THE LEAD. LETS GO pic.twitter.com/zFkm8WOiNL
— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) April 7, 2024
Shots: 12-11 Washington, including 8-6 in the second
Other Notable Stats: 59% Ottawa on faceoffs, 14-8 Washington in hits, 24-19 Ottawa in hits
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring
12:49, 2-2 (PPG): Grieg ripped a wrist shot that went over the glove of Lindgren with Joseph providing a screen to finish off a triangulation passing play with Pinto and
Honey Badger sighting in Washington 🦡#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/No6tNHkUUr
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) April 8, 2024
Shots: 21-19 Washington, including 9-8 in the third
Other Notable Stats: 21-12 Washington in blocked shots, 39-24 Ottawa in hits, neither team scored on the power play (Washington: three opportunities, Ottawa: two), Ottawa won 62% of faceoffs
OVERTIME
Scoring
Sanderson regrouped and fired a wrister under the arm of Lindgren after patiently waiting for a screen to develop in front.
Shots: 21-20 Washington, but 1-0 Ottawa in overtime
Jake Sanderson gets it done in OT for the Sens! pic.twitter.com/oSAdAHGwO0
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 8, 2024
Standings
Washington tied the Philadelphia Flyers (with a game in hand) and Pittsburgh Penguins (each team has played 77 games) for the third wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference in addition to coming one short of the Detroit Red Wings (77) for the second. The team padded their four- and five-point leads over the Buffalo Sabres (with one) and New Jersey Devils (77), respectively. Washington is also trailing the New York Islanders (77) by a point for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Next game: Tuesday at Detroit (7 PM ET, ESPN)
By Harrison Brown