The Washington Capitals skated to a 3-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a Saturday afternoon matinee where a slow and undisciplined start coupled with emotionless play all game led to the loss. It is the first time the Capitals have dropped three straight all season.
The first period was another slow start for Washington, and undisciplined play didn't help. Penalties by Ovechkin, Dubois, and Wilson gave Tampa three power play chances; the latter one allowed the Bolts to capitalize for a 1-0 lead courtesy of Mitchell Chaffee.
Speaking of penalties, a would-be Capitals goal in the first period was called back for a missed stoppage of play due to the puck being previously played by Chychrun with a high stick.
The second period was better for Washington, although they still failed to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Capitals managed to play a more cohesive and organized game, getting a few good chances, but were ultimately unable to solve Vasilevskiy.
In the third period, Washington managed a few more chances, but the listless play continued for large portions of the period. Gage Goncalves gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead early in the third, which didn't do much for the Capitals' ability to build momentum.
Later in the third, a broken play in the high-slot in front of Vasilevskiy led to Alex Ovechkin's 884th career goal, and gave the Capitals some much-needed momentum and something for the fans to cheer about.
Unfortunately that momentum wouldn't last long, as a poorly played puck by Dylan Strome led to a Brandon Hagel empty-netter to seal the game for Tampa.
The Capitals are back in action at home on Monday night against the Ottawa Senators.
