Washington Beats Islanders 4-1 as Another Anemic Offensive Showing Dooms Islanders.
Washington beat the Islanders 4-1 on Monday night. A poor offensive showing for the Islanders doomed them in an important Metropolitan Division Game.
Because this was a Division game, the Islanders’ loss was a four-point swing. Washington is now only two points behind the Islanders. Their anemic offense is hurting them in the Playoff push in the National Hockey League.
Washington and Islanders Scoring Summary
Washington came into this game having won their last two games. Make it three now. Washington beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime in their last game. The Islanders, who outplayed the Capitals in this game, were coming off a costly 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Nashville scored with just 1:14 left in the third period. Here is a scoring summary from this game.
In the first period, the Islanders took a 1-0 lead on Mat Barzal’s pretty goal. That was the only score of the first period, and it ended 1-0 for the Islanders. In the second period, Washington had two goals to take a 2-1 lead. Martin Fehrevery and former Islander Anthony Beauvillier both scored as the game got away from the Islanders.
In the third period, Washington also scored two goals. The third goal from Jim Dowd won the game. There was no way the Islanders were going to score four goals. John Carlson then scored an empty net for Washington to make it 4-1, which was the final score of the game.
Rittich Starts
David Rittich started in goal for the Islanders. He is 12-7-3 for the Islanders. He came into the game with a .901 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average and two shutouts. Rittich has been a capable backup goaltender this season. However, he needed to be perfect in this game with the Islanders not scoring, and he was not. He allowed three goals on only twenty-three shots against.
Player of the Game
The player of the game was Washington Goaltender Clay Stevenson. He is a backup, so this was a good performance. The anemic Islanders made Stevenson look like a world beater. He is a third-string goaltender and belongs in the American Hockey League.
Turning Point of the Game
The turning point of the game was Washington’s Dowd goal. The goal came in the third period, and there was not enough time left in the game for the Islanders to score four goals. That may be the turning point of the season. If the Islanders do not make the playoffs, the Dowd goal should be remembered at the point the Islander’s season ended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Washington won this game 4-1. It was a disappointing loss for the Islanders, as it was a Divisional game for them. Clay Stevenson, the goaltender for the Washington Capitals, was the player of the game. The turning point of the game was the goal by Jim Dowd in the third period to make it 3-1 Washington. The islanders play on Tuesday at 7:30 pm. The Washington Capitals will play next on Tuesday night in Philadelphia at 7 pm.
Parting Shots
The game pitting the New York Islanders against the Washington Capitals was a disaster for the Islanders. They are not eliminated from the playoffs, but this loss was a four-point swing. Instead of leading the Capitals by six points, they now lead by just two.
The standings in the Metropolitan Division are jammed, so any team could make the playoffs, but the Islanders need to string some wins together starting tonight at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Islanders also need to hit the net with their shots.
