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| Capitals finally start fast, but can’t sustain it in 3-2 loss to Blackhawks | Capitals finally start fast, but can’t sustain it in 3-2 loss to Blackhawks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| CHICAGO — Nate Schmidt started to pull up as he and Chicago’s Richard Panik raced for a puck crossing the goal line in the Washington zone. The Capitals were expecting an icing call, but a whistle never came. | CHICAGO — Nate Schmidt started to pull up as he and Chicago’s Richard Panik raced for a puck crossing the goal line in the Washington zone. The Capitals were expecting an icing call, but a whistle never came. |
| With two Washington players battling Panik for the puck, he was able to kick it out in front of the crease, where Dennis Rasmussen was left all alone as Jay Beagle and Brooks Laich trailed well behind after seemingly anticipating a stoppage. Rasmussen scored, and the goal proved to be the game-winner for the Blackhawks in a 3-2 victory Sunday over the Capitals. | With two Washington players battling Panik for the puck, he was able to kick it out in front of the crease, where Dennis Rasmussen was left all alone as Jay Beagle and Brooks Laich trailed well behind after seemingly anticipating a stoppage. Rasmussen scored, and the goal proved to be the game-winner for the Blackhawks in a 3-2 victory Sunday over the Capitals. |
| For Washington, it was a game of missed opportunities that was decided by Chicago capitalizing on chances like that one. | For Washington, it was a game of missed opportunities that was decided by Chicago capitalizing on chances like that one. |
| “I think the refs make a couple of bad calls, and they use it,” Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin said. | “I think the refs make a couple of bad calls, and they use it,” Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin said. |
| “Tough night for the linesmen tonight, I’ll tell you,” Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said. | “Tough night for the linesmen tonight, I’ll tell you,” Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said. |
| Beagle, who returned after missing 24 games with a broken hand, said he and Laich weren’t easing up on the play, but rather they were checking the location of Chicago’s defensemen behind them. “We should have hemmed them in there and shut it down right there,” Beagle said. | Beagle, who returned after missing 24 games with a broken hand, said he and Laich weren’t easing up on the play, but rather they were checking the location of Chicago’s defensemen behind them. “We should have hemmed them in there and shut it down right there,” Beagle said. |
| Goaltender Braden Holtby said “everyone was” expecting an icing whistle. | Goaltender Braden Holtby said “everyone was” expecting an icing whistle. |
| “It’s not an excuse,” Holtby said. “Calls are made like that every game. We have to make sure we’re aware, and obviously my awareness of that guy in front wasn’t very good. I could’ve played it better.” | “It’s not an excuse,” Holtby said. “Calls are made like that every game. We have to make sure we’re aware, and obviously my awareness of that guy in front wasn’t very good. I could’ve played it better.” |
| For Trotz, the trouble started with Washington not being ahead after the first period. The team has made a habit of starting slow, giving up the first goal in seven straight games entering Sunday and 14 of its past 17. It has been a point of frustration, something regularly brought up in the locker room. | For Trotz, the trouble started with Washington not being ahead after the first period. The team has made a habit of starting slow, giving up the first goal in seven straight games entering Sunday and 14 of its past 17. It has been a point of frustration, something regularly brought up in the locker room. |
| Sunday’s start, however, was arguably the Capitals’ best since the all-star break. They came out physically, tallying 21 hits in the first period while also possessing the puck for most of it. Washington had a 17-6 advantage in shots on goal in the first 20 minutes. | Sunday’s start, however, was arguably the Capitals’ best since the all-star break. They came out physically, tallying 21 hits in the first period while also possessing the puck for most of it. Washington had a 17-6 advantage in shots on goal in the first 20 minutes. |
| “How we played the first period, I don’t think anyone can hang with us,” Ovechkin said. | “How we played the first period, I don’t think anyone can hang with us,” Ovechkin said. |
| The Capitals were rewarded with an early power play after Andrew Desjardins was called for high-sticking. T.J. Oshie lost his stick on the man-advantage and returned to the bench. Justin Williams hopped on the ice for him, and as he skated into the offensive zone he fired a slap shot. | The Capitals were rewarded with an early power play after Andrew Desjardins was called for high-sticking. T.J. Oshie lost his stick on the man-advantage and returned to the bench. Justin Williams hopped on the ice for him, and as he skated into the offensive zone he fired a slap shot. |
| The shot bounced off Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford and up, and Marcus Johansson swatted the puck in while it was still in the air 6 minutes 13 seconds into the game. The lead was short-lived; Patrick Kane scored 31 seconds later, capitalizing on a turnover by Williams in the defensive zone. The teams went to first intermission tied at 1. | The shot bounced off Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford and up, and Marcus Johansson swatted the puck in while it was still in the air 6 minutes 13 seconds into the game. The lead was short-lived; Patrick Kane scored 31 seconds later, capitalizing on a turnover by Williams in the defensive zone. The teams went to first intermission tied at 1. |
| “Clearly, I didn’t see him,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said of Kane. “Sneaky bugger was hanging out behind me. It looks like we’re heading out of the zone with possession, and then their [defenseman] keeps it in. I don’t know if he saw [Kane] — if he did, that’s a [heck] of a pass — I think he just kept it in, and Kane was just sniffing around hoping for that to happen. It’s my responsibility to know where he is.” | |
| Said Trotz: “We should’ve been ahead in that first period, maybe by more than one goal. We could’ve been up a couple of goals.” | Said Trotz: “We should’ve been ahead in that first period, maybe by more than one goal. We could’ve been up a couple of goals.” |
| Chicago took the lead in the second period with a Jonathan Toews power-play goal with 1:45 left in the period, and with Washington trying to tie the game in the third period, Rasmussen’s tally with 7:13 left put the Capitals in a two-goal hole from which they couldn’t recover. Evgeny Kuznetsov’s power-play goal with 3:21 remaining capped the scoring. | Chicago took the lead in the second period with a Jonathan Toews power-play goal with 1:45 left in the period, and with Washington trying to tie the game in the third period, Rasmussen’s tally with 7:13 left put the Capitals in a two-goal hole from which they couldn’t recover. Evgeny Kuznetsov’s power-play goal with 3:21 remaining capped the scoring. |
| The game was dubbed as a potential Stanley Cup finals preview, a matchup between two of the league’s top teams. There is a lot of time before a potential June meeting, and maybe Sunday’s game was a good step for Washington in fixing its pattern of poor starts. But if the game was a measuring stick, then the Capitals didn’t feel they measured up in the way that matters most to them. | The game was dubbed as a potential Stanley Cup finals preview, a matchup between two of the league’s top teams. There is a lot of time before a potential June meeting, and maybe Sunday’s game was a good step for Washington in fixing its pattern of poor starts. But if the game was a measuring stick, then the Capitals didn’t feel they measured up in the way that matters most to them. |
| “We played better today as a whole, but losing sucks,” Niskanen said. “I don’t care what anyone says about playing well and taking moral victories. That’s dumb. I hate that. I’d rather win. It sucks today.” | “We played better today as a whole, but losing sucks,” Niskanen said. “I don’t care what anyone says about playing well and taking moral victories. That’s dumb. I hate that. I’d rather win. It sucks today.” |