The Washington Capitals snapped their four-game losing streak with a 2-0 shutout win against the New York Islanders on the road.
The Caps came into New York after getting crushed by the Boston Bruins at home. Washington got off to a hot start with an early 2-0 lead in that one. However, they eventually lost 7-3. This game was a different story.
Once again, the Caps got off to a good start after Tom Wilson put them up 1-0 4:35 into the first period. A backhand pass to center ice from Aliaksei Protas assisted Wilson’s goal. But, after that goal, the game was all defense for both teams. The Caps didn’t get the second goal until Alex Ovechkin put away an empty-net goal with 11 seconds remaining in the game.
Washington did well not to allow the Islanders to get comfortable on offense. They kept them out of their zone and limited shots on goal. As a result, New York could only get 23 recorded shots against the Caps with three power-play opportunities.
Both Semyon Varlamov and Vitek Vanecek played very well for their respective teams. After giving up that early goal against Wilson, Varlamov stood tall in net despite getting shelled with shots by the Washington offense. But, Vanecek is the goaltender that stood out. With one of the biggest struggles for the Caps being consistency in net, he reminded everyone how good he can be. He recorded his third career shutout with 23 saves in the win.
Washington still struggled on the power play going 0 for 2 against the Isles. They have been known for their power-play in the past, but it doesn’t seem to be clicking the way it used to. Usually, even though the extra man offense isn’t getting it done, they are one of the best teams when five on five. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case lately. In the last five games, the Capitals have not scored more than three goals. That should be a concern for the team, considering they have been one of the top-scoring teams in the league.
Overall, Washington was able to play solid defensive hockey on the road. Though we have been seeing the Caps fall into a little bit of a slump, they were able to win on the road in New York against a divisional opponent. Washington also snapped the Isles three game win streak at home, which is a good sign for Caps fans. They can use this win to create momentum for their final nine games before the All-Star break.