Capitals Reeling After Third Straight Regulation Loss, Outscored 11–2
The Washington Capitals have lost three games in a row by a combined 11-2 score. The team’s latest loss, a 3-1 defeat on Friday night, came against a tired New York Islanders team that had lost three games in a row on their four-game road trip.
Another injury to a key player as well. The boys need to rally for a big win later tonight.
- The overall five-on-five stats flatter the Capitals because of their absurdly dominant first period. Within the first 20 minutes, they collected 25 shot attempts, 19 scoring chances, nine high-danger chances, and 2.11 expected goals. Unfortunately, Pierre-Luc Dubois’ injury disrupted their lineup, and that level did not remain for the remaining 40 minutes. In the final two periods combined, the Capitals managed just 27 shot attempts, 12 scoring chances, five high-danger chances, and 1.24 expected goals.
- Tom Wilson scored the lone goal in the loss, his team-leading sixth of the season. He also leads the Capitals in overall scoring with 12 points (6g, 6a) in 11 games, joining Dylan Strome (10 points in 9 games) as the lone two players on the club scoring at above a point-per-game rate.
- Per MoneyPuck, Ilya Sorokin was tremendous in net for the Islanders, saving 2.43 goals above expected. Logan Thompson also had a good night, stopping 0.05 more than expected. Sorokin definitely stole the game by keeping New York in the game during the first period.
- The power play went 0-for-4 and is now 0-for-9 in the last three games. They managed just three total shots against the Islanders and gave up a controversial shorthanded goal to JG Pageau.
- Dylan Strome’s return is much needed because the current top trio of Alex Ovechkin, Connor McMichael, and Ryan Leonard is really not working. In their five-on-five minutes together, the Capitals have seen just 23.8 percent of shot attempts, 29.7 percent of expected goals, 41.3 percent of scoring chances, and 37.4 percent of high-danger chances. They’ve also done so without seeing any defensive-zone assignments. Leonard, in particular, looked abnormally off and a little slow to me against the Islanders.
- John Carlson played a team-high 25:07 of ice time in the loss. I’d look for a heavy, heavy workload for Jakob Chychrun in Buffalo.
The Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster
The Tampa Bay Lightning (5-4-2) are getting back in their groove, winning four straight games after their 2-1 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars. While the Lightning look to rise to the top of the Atlantic Division their American Hockey League (AHL, Syracuse Crunch) and ECHL teams (Orlando Solar Bears) are heading in opposite directions. The Crunch are cruising, with a 6-1-0-0 record, which leads the North Division, while the Solar Bears own a dreadful 1-4-0-0 record, allowing twice as many goals (20) as they’ve scored.
Even still, there are standouts littered in the minors for Tampa Bay, and in some instances, the Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster.
AHL: Jakob Pelletier, F
The Lightning signed Pelletier to a three-year contract last offseason in the hopes he’d reach his massive upside. At 24 years old, the 2019 first-round pick scored four goals and seven assists with a plus-10 rating in 24 games for the Calgary Flames last season. That’s an average of about 14-24-38 over a full season, and he was usually playing bottom-six minutes.
Unfortunately, the Flames traded the winger to Philadelphia for Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost in late January. Pelletier couldn’t get back his offensive spark in Philadelphia. With the Flyers, he scored just three goals, five assists, and eight points in 25 games, sometimes being healthy scratched. When he was due $840,000 on a qualifying offer on a two-way deal, the Flyers non-tendered him, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Pelletier hasn’t made his debut with the Lightning, but with the Crunch, he’s thriving. Through seven games, Pelletier has notched four goals and five assists, with a plus-1 rating. He currently leads the Crunch in points and goals. In a 5-2 win against the Hershey Bears, Pelletier had two goals and an assist.
If Pelletier keeps this pace up, the Lightning could recall him, and he could be an injection of youth Tampa Bay desperately needs right now.
AHL: Dylan Duke, F
Dylan Duke is another young talent the Lightning hope can evolve into an NHL-caliber forward. He was drafted 121st overall by Tampa Bay after a stellar career with the Michigan Wolverines. In 2023-24, Duke was on a team with NHL draftees Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty, and Seamus Casey. However, Duke led the team in goals (26) and finished third in points (49). Overall, he finished with 54 goals and 46 assists in 123 games.
Duke has just one goal in the NHL level so far, but he is turning a new leaf with the Crunch this season. He’s scored one goal and added six assists for seven points through seven games. He is currently in the top 20 in assists in the AHL level.
It appears Duke could be taking a big jump from his rookie season, when he scored 20 goals, 20 assists, and 40 points through 62 games. Like Pelletier, Duke is another young forward the Lightning are looking to develop into an NHL-caliber player. Unlike Pelletier, Duke is just 22, and he has time to grow and become another late-round NHL contributor for the Lightning.
ECHL: Spencer Kersten, F
It’s hard to find a standout for the Solar Bears this season, but there’s one player who’s been tried and true for them. Spencer Kersten continues to shine for Orlando.
Kersten spent four years with Princeton University and one year at Bowling-Green University before signing with the Solar Bears in 2024. In his rookie season, Kersten shined, recording 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points through 60 games. That earned him a spot on the 2024-25 ECHL All-Rookie team.
This year, Kersten has increased his scoring output, with three goals and three assists for six points through five games. He is on pace to record 86 points this season.
That could earn Kersten a recall to the AHL. His strong play with Orlando earned him brief stints with the Crunch and the Belleville Senators on loan. He scored one goal in nine games with the Crunch, but he could be in line for more opportunities in the AHL if he keeps up this pace.
