In a low-scoring affair, the Washington Capitals edged past the Vancouver Canucks with a narrow 2-1 victory on Saturday night. Alex Ovechkin led his team by scoring yet another goal. This one was his 841st career goal and the game-winner. The winning goal helped to bring his Capitals team even with the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
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Tom Wilson also contributed to the Capitals’ win by providing the crucial tying goal in the second period. Wilson’s goal came before Ovechkin scored his 19th goal of the season. Capitals’ goalie Charlie Lindgren also was a huge part of the win with his solid goaltending. He stopped 21 shots to secure the win.
Despite the Canucks’ early lead with Brock Boeser’s goal just over a minute into the game, they struggled to generate any sustained offence throughout the game. Casey DeSmith was also good; however, he came up one save too short. He made 22 saves in a losing effort for Vancouver.
Three Reasons Why the Canucks Lost
Here are three key reasons why the Canucks fell short against the Capitals:
Reason One: The Canucks Had Offensive Struggles
The Canucks had their chances, they just failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities. And, most of the chances they generated were less than quality chances. Lindgren shut the door whenever the Canucks had a high-quality chance. Despite outshooting the Capitals in the third period, they couldn’t find the back of the net to mount a comeback.
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Reason Two: The Canucks Had Too Many Defensive Lapses
The Canucks’ defensive lapses cost them. They gave Wilson and Ovechkin scoring chances in the second period and the duo capitalized. Vancouver’s inability to contain the Capitals’ offensive threats ultimately proved costly. That said, seldom does a team win when it only scores a single goal; and, a single goal was all the Canucks could put on the score sheet.
Reason Three: The Canucks Missed Opportunities
In building off reason two, the Canucks missed several scoring chances by failing to convert on key opportunities. This included when they had pulled DeSmith for an extra attacker late in the game. Their inability to capitalize on these chances prevented them from mounting a late-game comeback.
The Good News
Despite the loss, the Canucks remain in first place in the Western Conference standings. That said, they won’t stay there unless they win. And, to do so, they’ll need to address their scoring issues to maintain their position in the playoff race.
Can they do it without Thatcher Demko in the lineup?