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Takeaways: Capitals Go Distance, But Fall To Bruins In Shootout
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- Takeaways: Capitals Go Distance, But Fall To Bruins In Shootout
(Geoff Burke — Imagn Images)
WASHINGTON — Saturday's matinee between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins turned into a battle of the blue line through regulation and overtime. Ultimately, things came down to a shootout, where D.C. fell after nine rounds.
Rasmus Sandin had a multi-point game and Matt Roy also scored to get the Capitals at least a point, but it wasn't enough in a 3-2 lossZ
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Here are the takeaways from the
Roy & Sandin Shine As Defense Carries Capitals
It was an impressive day for the Capitals blue line, as Matt Roy and more stepped up to help Washington.
Roy himself was having a standout showing over the course of the game, moving confidently with the puck, making smart reads at both ends of the ice and, ultimately, opening the scoring for D.C.
The 31-year-old blueliner got open at the point and fired an 86 MPH shot past Jeremy Swayman top corner to make it 1-0 for the Capitals just 1:15 minutes into the second period. It marked his first goal in 45 games (Nov. 17 vs. the Los Angeles Kings ).
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Not only was Roy solid, but so was his defensive partner, Rasmus Sandin, whose multi-point night.
Over the course of the game, Sandin helped generate a handful of high-danger chances while showcasing his impressive two-way play and skating ability. The 26-year-old was tied for the team lead in shots (4) and had several good looks, and ultimately, his knucklepuck from the point beat Jeremy Swayman to make it 2-1.
Given the Capitals' struggles to generate offense this season, more scoring from the blue line is exactly what they needed, and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time against a Boston team they're chasing for a playoff spot.
Capitals Can't Convert On Power Play, Penalty Kill Comes Up Big
The Capitals had two late opportunities to take control of the game after Charlie McAvoy evened things up late, but as has been the case, the man advantage couldn't get much going.
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Washington went 0-for-3 on the man advantage, and came up empty on two opportunities in the final six minutes of regulation that could have won it the game. As has been the case, special teams have marked the difference between wins and losses, and Saturday was no different.
On the flip side, the penalty kill stepped up when it had to.
Coach Spencer Carbery preached pregame how Washington would have to work harder to stay out of the box against Boston, especially after having taken six penalties against the Bruins in their previous meeting a week prior.
While the Capitals weren't in the box six times, they did take a handful of penalties in the third period when Tom Wilson and Anthony Beauvillier got sent to the box. They had to kill off a 49-second, 5-on-3 and subsequent power-play, and the penalty kill rose to the occasion.
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Aliaksei Protas , Martin Fehervary and Matt Roy shined as the three-man unit on ice while Wilson finished serving his time, and from there, Wilson and Protas, along with Brandon Duhaime and Connor McMichael , interchanged to finish staving off the Bruins' power play.
Connor McMichael then took a penalty with 1:15 left in regulation, and again, the Capitals' kill did its job well as Boston went 0-for-4.
Despite the loss, Logan Thompson put on an impressive performance in net, stopping 29 of 31 shots.
Capitals Fall In Shootout
After a rare 4-on-4 overtime due to McMichael's penalty, both teams went to a shootout.
Neither team scored through the first four rounds of the shooutout
