RALEIGH, N.C -- As much as the Washington Capitals hope to enjoy the experience of playing outdoors in the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series, they also desperately needed a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday to boost their sagging hopes in the Stanley Cup Playoff race.
Capitals 'running out of room' in playoff race after Stadium Series loss
Skid hits 4 against Hurricanes in outdoor game
So, they were understandably perplexed after a 4-1 loss at Carter-Finley Stadium pushed their losing streak to four games.
"We're kind of running out of room here," Washington forward T.J. Oshie said. "… I don't think concern is the right word. I think our playoff hockey probably starts in this next week here. Otherwise, we're going to be outside looking in. More just a realization that we need everyone playing a playoff style for us to climb back into this thing."
The Capitals (28-24-6) have been outscored 17-7 and have not led during their past four games to fall one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders for the two wild cards into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. With 24 regular-season games left, including one against the hard-charging Detroit Red Wings at home Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, NBCSWA, BSDET, ESPN+, SN NOW) Washington knows it is running out of time to pull out of its tailspin.
"We've got to reset and regroup and stop this losing streak now before it's too late," Capitals forward Dylan Strome said. "So, obviously, a big game on Tuesday and we've got to put this one behind us before Tuesday. They were the better team tonight and the scoreboard showed that."
It hasn't helped that Washington has been without captain Alex Ovechkin for the past three games because he went home to Russia following the death of his father, Mikhail. The 37-year-old forward leads the Capitals with 32 goals this season and is second in NHL history with 812 goals.
The Capitals have also been missing defenseman John Carlson, who remains out indefinitely since being struck in the head with a shot against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23.
"We need to play a playoff-style hockey with the lineup we have to start winning games," Oshie said. "Play a little more simpler and then maybe once we start feeling it, you know we can we can make some of the higher-end plays. Things have to be simple, and everyone's got to get on the same page."
Washington was 3-0-0 in its previous three outdoor games but was overwhelmed at times by Carolina (37-10-8), which leads the Metropolitan Division and is 12-1-1 its past 14 games. The Hurricanes grabbed a 1-0 lead on Jesperi Kotkaniemi's goal 2:11 into the game, scored three more goals in second period to expand their lead to 4-0 and coasted from there.
"They were the better team," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "They were faster. We couldn't get breakaway speed out of our end, couldn't get through the neutral zone. They were quick to defend. We couldn't get off the wall and get to the front of the net. So, they played at a different gear, and they won most of the battles as well."
Washington had trouble containing Carolina's speed and were pinned for stretches in the defensive zone, particularly in the second period. The Hurricanes outshot the Capitals 12-8 in the second, but their 31-10 advantage in shot attempts in the period was more telling.
"I think as a team, we all see how we feel out there, how our game is being played," center Nicklas Backstrom said. "It doesn't look good, that's for sure."
Forward Tom Wilson, who played for the first time since blocking a shot off his right ankle against the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 24, prevented the Capitals from being shut out by scoring at 10:32 of the third period. But there was little else for Washington to feel positive about.
"I think we've got to get our confidence back," Wilson said. "We've got to get our swagger back a little bit. It's tough when you lose a couple in a row, but we're going to regroup here and try to get the team together and build on it because there's no time to waste. It's an important time of year and every point matters. This isn't good enough, obviously. We've got to get going here and get back to work."
