The Washington Capitals finished a two-game road trip on Tuesday night. They went back-and-forth with the Florida Panthers, but couldn’t finish the job and fell 5-3 in Sunrise.
Tom Wilson opened the game with the first goal to put the Capitals up 1-0. But then Florida responded with two tallies to take a 2-1 lead.
Right before the end of the first, the Capitals went on the power play and Wilson struck again to tie it up at 2-2.
Early in the third, Dylan Strome came through to give the Capitals a 3-2 lead. However, the team collapsed after that and gave up three Florida goals.
One big story of this game was the amount of penalties, as there were 11 in total (six for the Capitals and five for Florida).
Next up, the Capitals have an afternoon back-to-back on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. They host the Rangers on Wednesday and head to Ottawa on Thursday.
Capitals Analysis
Wilson hopes to hear his name announced by Team Canada on Wednesday, as he made a great impression on Monday night.
The 31-year-old scored 3:53 into the first period, and then came through on the power play to tie the game up at 2-2.
Wilson then recorded an assist as he set up Strome, who also helped out on the Capitals’ first two goals. Both top-6 forwards finished with three points each on the night.
The Capitals had many chances throughout the night, but they couldn’t maintain consistency and ultimately fell apart in the third.
Earlier in the game, Florida went on the power play and Sam Reinhart scored his first of two goals on the night. Then, while up 3-2, the Capitals took another penalty and Brad Marchand tied it back up just as the power play ended.
Tied at 3-3 in the third, the Capitals got another power play opportunity. However, Ryan Leonard was sent to the box for holding, resulting in a 4-on-4 instead.
With under seven minutes left in regulation, the Capitals defense got tired and broke down, as Aaron Ekblad gave Florida a 4-3 lead.
The Capitals got a late power play with a chance to tie it back up, but Sam Reinhart sealed it with a long empty-netter.
Capitals Report Card
Team: C+
The Capitals started off strong, but a lack of discipline and consistency ultimately cost them at the end.
Tom Wilson: A
Wilson scored both of the Capitals first two goals and finished with three points. The alternate captain now has 19 goals this season.
Dylan Strome: A
Strome also finished with three points as he recorded the Capitals’ third goal of the game. The 28-year-old now has points in five straight games and 31 points on the year.
Capitals Special Teams: C
In a game full of penalties, the Capitals only scored on one of their six power play opportunities. The team did well for the most part on the penalty kill except when they surrendered Reinhart’s first goal.
Ryan Leonard: C-
Leonard’s third-period penalty ruined the Capitals’ chances on a power play, which became a 4-on-4. He also finished with a plus-minus of -1.
