The Washington Capitals had the start they wanted Tuesday night. They jumped in front, looked composed, and had the Los Angeles Kings on their heels.
Then the final minute of the first period arrived, and everything flipped.
Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson scored to put Washington ahead 2-0, but the Kings answered with three straight goals, including two in the closing seconds of the opening frame, and rolled to a 5-2 win for their first victory of the season.
Leonard kept his strong run going by giving the Capitals the first spark. He carried the puck into the zone, cut toward the middle and snapped a wicked wrister past Darcy Kuemper.
It was Leonard’s fourth goal of the season, his second in as many games, and it pushed him to eight points in nine games. He now has points in six of the last seven.
Hutson followed with another highlight-reel finish late in the period. With the Capitals working on the power play, he took the puck, entered the zone and drove to the slot before beating Kuemper for his second goal of the season. The goal gave him five points in nine games, tying him for third in scoring among NHL rookies.
Washington’s lead didn’t last long.
With 33 seconds left in the first, the Capitals gave the puck away after Hutson tried to push up ice for one more rush. The turnover turned into a 2-on-1 for Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe, and Kempe finished the play to make it 2-1.
Less than two seconds remained when the Kings struck again. Jonny Brodzinski forced another turnover along the boards and beat Logan Thompson to tie the game, handing Los Angeles all the momentum heading into the second period.
From there, the Kings dictated the game. Washington had stretches where it pushed, but it couldn’t turn those moments into enough pressure or enough finished chances against Kuemper.
Special teams also mattered. The Capitals went 1-for-4 on the power play after the first, and a key chance while the game was still tied came and went without a breakthrough. In the third, Vincent Desharnais took a hooking penalty, and Erik Gustafsson punished the Kings by breaking in alone and beating Thompson one-on-one to put Los Angeles ahead.
The Kings weren’t done. Kempe struck again when he was left unchecked in front and buried a quick pass from behind the net, and Scott Laughton sealed it with an empty-net goal as Washington’s late push fell short.
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Capitals Just Sent A Clear Message About Jonny Brodzinski
Jonny Brodzinskis time with the Capitals at this stage will be brief, at least for now, after Washington loaned the forward back to the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League. It is the kind of roster move that says plenty about where things stand for a depth player trying to carve out a spot, especially one who joined the Capitals as a free agent after spending six seasons in the New York Rangers organization.
Brodzinski had been recalled by Washington on Oct. 17, and his latest stint with the big club gave him a couple of chances to show what he could do at the NHL level. In Hershey, he has been productive early, which only adds to the sense that the Capitals still see him as an option worth keeping close, even if the immediate path runs through the AHL for the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Suddenly Have A Goalie Problem Fans Need To Watch
A sudden crease concern has landed on Washingtons doorstep after Logan Thompson left the game against the Kings with a left leg injury and then missed Wednesdays practice. For a team that had been leaning on him as its starter, the timing is less than ideal, especially with the Capitals still sorting out their roster health in the middle of the season.
Charlie Lindgren is now the only healthy goalie on the NHL roster, which leaves Washington in a precarious spot if Thompson cannot answer the bell by Saturday. The club could turn to Mitchell Gibson for insurance, while a separate move sent Jonny Brodzinski to the AHLs Hershey Bears, a transaction that may be tied to Pierre-Luc Dubois edging closer to a return after missing five games with an illness. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Suddenly Have A Goalie Concern They Cant Ignore
Logan Thompsons health has become a suddenly important subplot for the Capitals after Spencer Carbery said the goaltender is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Thompson did not practice and the team has a few days before its next game, which at least gives Washington a little breathing room while it waits to see how he responds.
The concern traces back to the recent game against the Kings, when Thompson appeared to get shaken up late but stayed in and finished the night. For now, the severity of the injury is still unknown, and the Capitals will be watching closely to see whether this turns into a brief pause or something more disruptive for a team that cant afford much uncertainty in goal. [Read more 🡒]