The Capitals picked up three of four possible points in Alberta and head to Seattle with some more confidence.
The Washington Capitals may not have left Edmonton with the result they were hoping for, but a two-game stop in Alberta proved to be the wake-up call that the group needed.
Washington put up a good battle against Connor McDavid and the Oilers, taking the lead on three different occasions before falling 6-5 in overtime on Saturday.
Despite the defeat, the Capitals got a spark at 5-on-5 scoring and on the power play, and the penalty kill was also strong while the defense did what it could shorthanded after Rasmus Sandin's early injury. They were also playing on little sleep, having arrived in Edmonton at 4 a.m. on Saturday following their win over the Calgary Flames.
"I thought our guys fought like hell," coach Spencer Carbery said, adding, "I'm just real proud of the way that we played."
Washington is still looking for back-to-back wins for the first time in over six weeks, though it captured three of four possible points in Alberta as a whole and took steps in the right direction.
Over the last two games, the Capitals offense has just looked more lively and more in sync, getting back to basics, playing simple and showing more urgency and drive, especially around the net.
"We gave ourselves the best chance to win. This is how it's going to have to look," Anthony Beauvillier noted. "We took a good step in the right direction here."
It was also a breakthrough for the bottom-6, with Hendrix Lapierre ending a 90-game goal drought in Calgary and then extending his point streak with an assist against Edmonton on Saturday.
That said, the team still struggled in different areas and was overpowered by the Oilers' star-studded lineup, and couldn't shut things down in the final minute of regulation while ultimately falling in overtime off a rough turnover.
Still, as Washington heads to Seattle, there's more visible confidence in the group, which will look to finish the road trip strong with two games left before returning home. The Capitals sit two points behind the New York Islanders, who have games in hand, for third in an ever-tight Metropolitan Division, and overall, are five points out of Wild Card position.
It's not an ideal spot to be in before the Olympic break, but Washington has faith that it'll be able to stay in the thick of things going forward.
"If there's one thing I know about this group, it's that we bounce back," Connor McMichael, who has 11 points over his last 14 games, said.
Category: General Sports
