On a game-winning goal from Alex Ovechkin (his 903rd career goal), the Washington Capitals (9-8-2) took down the Los Angeles Kings (10-6-4) in a tight game by a score of 2-1. This win by the Capitals extends Washington's home winning streak to two games.
A power play goal in the second period from Anze Kopitar isn't enough to keep the Los Angeles Kings winning streak going vs. Washington
The Kings' six-game winning streak on the road was snapped tonight in the one-goal loss to Ovechkin and the Capitals in Washington.
Defenseman Matt Roy opened the scoring in this game in the first period for the Capitals. Roy put home a loose puck in front of the net to open up the scoring tonight for Washington on the scoreboard.
Ovechkin doubled the Capitals' lead on the scoreboard early in the second period, putting home another loose puck around the crease on a lapse in defensive coverage in their own zone by the Kings.
Later in the middle frame in the second period, captain center Anze Kopitar cut the Capitals' lead in half with a nice goal in front of the net that got past Charlie Lindgren on the power play for the Kings. Corey Perry and Kevin Fiala had the assists on the goal by Kopitar in the second period for the Kings on special teams.
But the Kings couldn't find another goal to push the game to overtime in the third period tonight. Lindgren and the Capitals stopped a half-dozen high-danger scoring chances from the Kings in the game's final 25 minutes.
Here are three takeaways from the Kings close 2-1 loss to the Capitals on the road in Washington D.C. at Capital One Arena on Nov. 17.
Early mistakes cost the Kings in the game's first two periods
Lapses in the defensive zone and untimely turnovers and coverage lapses ultimately cost the Kings in the game's first and second period on the scoreboard. Darcy Kuemper definitely played good enough for the Kings to pick up at least one point in the standings tonight in Washington.
The Capitals and Ovechkin scored a couple of goals in the game's first two periods tonight off of bad Kings' turnovers in the defensive and the neutral zone on the ice. Washington has a consistent pressure on the forecheck in the offensive zone, and it hurt the Kings on the game's first goal, which was scored by defenseman Matt Roy.
One bad stat for the Kings tonight vs. the Caps was that the team had three defensemen who had defensive zone turnovers in this game (per Natural Stat Trick).
Power play comes through in the second period, but still leaves something to be desired
Kopitar's goal on special teams on the power play was the lone bright spot for this team and the power play unit in the past four games. The goal Kopitar scored on the pass from Perry and Fiala broke a four-game goalless streak on the power play on special teams for the Kings.
The Kings had two great chances to tie the game up on the scoreboard and get momentum on their side of the ice in the second and third periods tonight vs. Washington. But Lindgren kept coming up big against the Kings, and I thought the team missed some chances to put away rebounds in front of the net on special teams.
Pacific Division continues to tighten in the standings in the West
The Kings had a chance tonight to get some separation in the standings from the in-state division rival Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division in the West.
After tonight, the Kings will either sit in first or second place in the Pacific Division standings in the West, depending on whether the Ducks defeat the Utah Mammoth in Anaheim on Nov. 17.
Separating the Kings and the San Jose Sharks in second-to-last place in the Pacific Division standings is just five points early this regular season. This loss to the Capitals tonight ended the Kings' four-game winning streak to start this six-game road trip in the East in the past week. It also ended the Kings' road points streak in the standings in the West at 10 games this fall.