A game that started out fairly even quickly got out of hand, as the Caps fell victim to some quick-strike goals by the Islanders – and not just once, but twice, for double the fun – and ultimately fell 5-1.
How much of that has to do with losing both Charlie Lindgren and Martin Fehervary in the first half of the opening frame is hard to pin down, but the Caps really never got much going after that and saw the Islanders’ 20th-ranked offense take off. They just didn’t have an answer for the Holmtrom-Pageau-Gauthier line (or really any of them, but that trio was particularly productive in this one) and it cost them another lopsided win.