The Washington Capitals have not been playing the best hockey over the last few weeks and Sunday’s game was no different. The lack of effort all around was evident and it led to a huge loss. The Caps have been looking to sneak back into a playoff spot and with their latest loss, their odds have dropped significantly and it seems near impossible to squeeze into the last spot.
A 5-2 loss to an Eastern Conference rival is the exact opposite of what the team was hoping for as they now need to win the rest of their games if they want a chance to move up in the standings. At this point, the only positives for the Capitals are moving Alex Ovechkin closer to the all-time goal record, and playing for pride to show they still have a competitive team for next season.
Here are three takeaways from the Capitals’ loss to the Rangers.
Aliaksei Protas Stands Out
In a game full of negatives, Aliaksei Protas stood out as the best player on the ice and was rewarded with a goal. His hard work away from the puck was evident and he seemed to be one of, if not the only player that played a full 60 minutes of hockey and played with 100 percent effort every shift.
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There were a lot of things to pick on during the game, but the fact Protas played well and is showing signs of being a future top-six forward that the Capitals can put into a bigger role as soon as next season was fun. He’s always been a favorite to watch, so seeing a strong performance helps his case to be a full-time Capital next season.
Kuemper Has Rare Off-Game
Darcy Kuemper has been the backbone of the Capitals all season and is the reason they aren’t lower in the standings right now. Unfortunately, Sunday’s performance was a rare showing of his that he didn’t play well. He faced 34 shots and stopped 29 of them, which comes out to a .853 save percentage.
This game can’t, and shouldn’t, be blamed on goaltending. The team as a whole seemed off entirely, as they couldn’t keep the puck out of their own end and couldn’t enter the zone cleanly by any means. They were outplayed for the full 60 minutes and emotions boiled over near the end of the game when Ovechkin got tossed.
Kuemper has been consistent, so a rare off-game doesn’t hurt anybody. He’ll come back strong, and keep the Capitals’ slim playoff hopes alive.
Emotions Boil Over, Ovechkin Tossed
Ovechkin was ejected for a series of stick infractions that led to a couple of fights late in the game, as emotions boiled over for the Caps. They know as a team their playoff chances are slim to none, so their anger finally got the better of them.
While the Capitals haven’t been great, it was good to see some emotion at the end of the game to prove the team hasn’t given up entirely yet and they’re willing to try and make a final push for the playoffs.
What’s Next For The Capitals?
The Capitals have a nice little break and don’t play until April 6 against the Montreal Canadiens. They will need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. While they have almost no shot, they can’t play like the season is already over.
The expected goalie matchup is Kuemper versus Sam Montembault, who have both played decently well as of late for their respective teams. The Caps will need a big game out of every single player in the lineup if they want to have a chance at making it into the playoffs, and they can’t take any shifts off.
