The non call that cost the Capitals the game

The Washington Capitals dropped their fifth straight and missed another opportunity to get a grip on their playoff chances or face another long offseason. There were two penalties in the final 10 minutes that gave the Carolina Hurricanes two points they didn't necessarily need.

Think defending Homecoming Queen wins the Prom Queen award yet she doesn't need it, she's already out partying with her friends. That's what the refs did. They crowned the Canes, at least that's was from the perspective of the visiting locker room.

Their thesis before I get to the quotes was a moment when Evgeny Kuznetsov, yes that Evgeny Kuznetsov who once played for the Caps, tripped Nick Jensen and no call. That isn't the only thing Kuzy can get away with.

The Kuznetsov trip non call came after Sonny Milano was called for interference. Shortly after the non call was an actual penalty called on Rasmus Sandin that made everyone from John Carlson, Dylan Strome, to the rest of the team and coaching staff furious.

It made Spencer Care Bear Carbery furious to the point he even mentioned the ref's name Corey Syvret when he talked to the media afterwards.

"I mean Corey yeah.... It's just when he watches it back he'll see what everybody else saw. And he's on the back side of that too, so you're guessing at that point because you don't have the sight line to be able to see there. And if you watch the replay it's actually (Darcy) Kuemper, it's not Sandin it's Kuemper and the puck is there and he goes to swipe at the puck and that's what gets Aho's skates. And so that, yeah, it's the wrong call."

For context Sebastian Aho of the Hurricanes, who would go on to score the game winning PPG on the ensuing power play, tripped over Darcy Kuemper's goalie pad on a. legal play. But instead Sandin was called for hooking Aho. It was a sneaky play by Aho and it made the Caps pay.

Although scores around the league helped out the Capitals, they didn't help themselves out despite two goals from Alex Ovechkin and what could've been Darcy Kuemper's biggest win as a Capital.

Kuemper had his night shift cut out for him as the Caps were outshot 45-16 overall and out attempted 73-26 at five on five play adding up to Carolina having 68.2 percent scoring chances and a 65.3 percent expected goals for percentage, per Natural Stat Trick.

Either way you chalk it up to a loss and you have to put it behind you if you're the Capitals. The Ottawa Senators come to Washington Sunday night where the team will honor John Carlson for 1,000 games played.