The Narrative: That 5-on-3, That Third Period and Asphyxiating Canines

Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images1. Up 3-1 after their best start of the still-young series and a little back-and-forth, the Caps were gifted (or earned... it doesn’t matter) a full two-minute 5-on-3 advantage with a chance to essentially put the game away. Instead, they displayed a somewhat stunning lack of urgency and creativity and, perhaps most notably, accuracy - Kevin Shattenkirk was credited with three shots that missed the net (including one that largely lacked a goaltender), Alex Ovechkin missed another, and the Caps registered just two ~40-foot shots on net during the fruitless two minutes:

Was that where the Caps lost the game? Of course not. But it is where they didn’t…