Caps understand thin margin of error for remainder of season originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals and New York Islanders put together about as even of a hockey game as imaginable on Wednesday night.
Just two goals — one by each team in a span of fewer than three minutes in the middle period — were scored in regulation. Both squads had multiple great chances in overtime, but netminders Darcy Kuemper and Ilya Sorokin took turns making impressive saves. Sixty-five minutes of hockey weren’t enough to determine a winner.
Yet, it was the Capitals that were on the wrong side of the shootout on Wednesday night, dropping a crucial point as the team tries to make one final push for a ninth consecutive postseason berth.
“It’s tough that we lost a point,” head coach Peter Laviolette said postgame. “A point’s a big thing right now. It’s frustrating. It was tight out there. We knew it was going to be that way.”
With just seven games remaining in the regular season, the Capitals (77 points) need every point they can get. Washington currently trails Pittsburgh, who has one game in hand, by five points for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals are also chasing Florida (81 points). Buffalo and Ottawa, like Washington, also have 77 points.
The tough reality is that if the Capitals are to make the postseason, they’ll likely need to win at least six of their final seven contests while also getting some help along the way.
“We know how it looks. We can do the math,” defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk said postgame. “We know where we stand. It’s going to take a heck of an April here. We’ve done it before.”
The Capitals have been on the wrong end of a pair of tough breaks in their last two contests. On Saturday, the group put together an inspiring three-goal comeback in Pittsburgh, only to allow a go-ahead Penguins goal with 1:20 remaining in the third period. On Wednesday, the Capitals played stout defensive hockey for 65 minutes yet weren’t able to break through in the shootout for two points.
Frustration was evident in the locker room following Wednesday’s contest, but the group remains confident in one another heading into the final seven-game stretch.
“We had a heck of a December where we strung some together,” van Riemsdyk said. “We’re healthy right now, we’ve got everyone back. There’s no reason we can’t do it again. We’re going to focus on what we can control and win the games in front of us. If that’s enough — we hope it is — but that’s all we can control.”
The Capitals have no time to dwell on the past two losses, either. The team flew to Tampa following Wednesday’s game and is set to play the Lightning on Thursday night (7 p.m., NBC Sports Washington).
“We have [an] opportunity to bounce back and get two points,” Nicklas Backstrom said. “That’s what our mindset has gotta be. … To have a chance to play again [Thursday] night, yeah, we’re looking forward to it.”
“We’ve got to win a game,” Laviolette added. “We’re going down there to win a hockey game. We’ll have to get over this one, get down there and get ready for that game.”
