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Former Capitals head coach Barry Trotz led the New York Islanders to a 2-0 shutout victory over the Capitals after two scoreless periods gave way to a decisive third.
This is the fourth straight loss for the Capitals, who struggled in Nashville on Tuesday with starting goalie Braden Holtby out due to lingering issues after a high-stick to the face.
But goaltending wasn’t the culprit in Nashville, nor on Friday. Holtby stopped 23 of 25 shots, and his focus through the first two periods was arguably the best element of the Caps’ play.
The Caps continue to struggle offensively despite a revitalized power play, posting only four goals through their last four games.
With Trotz and Reirden’s knowledge of each others’ coaching styles, there wasn’t much space in the neutral zone. For the Caps, who found themselves pinned against the boards for most of the game, their recent strategy of few high-risk scoring attempts fell apart.
Washington generated less than 20 shots throughout the course of the game, the first time their offense has lagged below that mark all season.
Forward Josh Bailey finally opened scoring in the game almost halfway into the third period, and Cal Clutterbuck followed with another goal less than three minutes later. After tonight’s loss, the Islanders sit atop the Metropolitan division.
To best the Isles and Blue Jackets and regain first, the Caps need to find their groove, be it through increased production by the top six or just a come-to-Jesus team meeting.
The Caps will have a shot to turn things around versus the Blackhawks in Sunday’s matinee. Coverage of Capitals-Blackhawks begins Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on NBC Sports Washington and streaming on the MyTeams app.
