"I was very close to pulling my hair out watching the first period until the Capitals decided to come alive with like 30 seconds remaining in the frame. After that, though, I really, really loved the effort they put together. At five-on-five from the outset of the second period onward, the Caps were up 44-22 in shot attempts, 22-7 in shots, 26-10 in scoring chances, and 17-4 in high-danger chances. They were probably one defensive clear away from a really satisfying win."
"One of the main problems was sitting in the box too much, as they gave the NHL's top power-play unit five attempts to score. When you're dominating the game five-on-five, the last thing you want to do is put the other team up a man. While a few of the calls were probably bogus, that's just how it goes playing against Connor McDavid's team."
"Another thing that's still very obvious is that this team is lacking a deadly finisher. We know the front office is looking to address that, but they probably should have done so 10 games ago. Let's get a move on. They created 1.94 five-on-five expected goals in the third but only scored one. This is a win if an elite player buries another one."
The Capitals mounted a strong final 40-minute effort in Edmonton, outshooting and out-chancing the Oilers heavily at five-on-five yet ultimately lost 6-5 in overtime. The team surrendered an extra-attacker goal late and allowed five power-play opportunities against the league's top unit. Washington generated significant expected goals but failed to finish, highlighting a continued lack of a deadly finisher and prompting urgency for roster moves. Jakob Chychrun recorded his 300th career point with an assist on a Strome power-play goal. Justin Sourdif returned from injury and produced two points (1g, 1a).
Read at RMNB
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