16 Jan 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, Can; Washington Capital’s goalkeeper Logan Thompson (48) relaxes during the first period against the Ottawa senators at the Canadian Tire Center. Mandatory Credit: Marc Desrosiers-Imagn Pictures As disappointing as it was to lose in the regulation time for the first time since the calendar flipped by 2025, Washington Capitals is not Fritting as they continue their road trip Tuesday towards the Calgary flames.
The eastern leading capitals arrive in Calgary after a 2-1 loss to Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, which snapped a six-match winning line.
It was a loss, but hardly one to hang on your head.
“We played well enough to win,” said forward Dylan Strome. “One of these games and we just have to move on.”
The defeat snapped a 12-match run to earn at least one point (9-0-3), the league’s longest score this season. It came despite Washington surpassing Canucks 33-25 and checked the last two periods, just to be denied by a prominent performance by Vancouver goalkeeper Kevin Lankinen.
That said, Capital’s coach Spencer Carbery believes that the loss reinforced an element key to his team’s success.
“When you play against a validity that you will need to work on the inside of screens, tips,” said Carbery. “It was one of those games where we didn’t do a good job to get in on the inside, and they did on two games, and that’s the difference.”
On Monday, the capitals announced that goalkeeper Logan Thompson, who comes from Calgary, signed a six -year contract extension worth $ 35.1 million.
“Logan has shown that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the NHL this season and since he joined the league,” said Director General Chris Patrick via statement. “With its size and exceptional athletics, we are convinced that this signing will improve one of the most critical positions in our team, especially as he enters the main years of his career.”
The capitals could turn back to Thompson (22-2-3, 2.09 goals-for average) in his hometown after Charlie Lindgren started the last two games.
The flames are back in action on the heel of a 5-2 road loss to Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, which snapped a winning line with three games.
Winnipeg, which sits on top of the Western conference, led the competition 2-1 on the way into the last minute of the second period and pulled away from the flames thanks to a late set in the center frame and a couple of third period power play goals.
“I don’t think it was as bad as what the point said,” said Flame’s defender Mackenzie Weegar. “It was obvious that there were some degradations at important moments. The one with one minute left in the second period was tough, and then the penalty death was a bit of a dagger during the third period, but five-to-five, I thought we were playing a patient game. ”
With consecutive matches against the league’s two best clubs, Flames really has a chance to see how they stack up. The Winnipeg collision provided a good lesson.
“When we made some mistakes, they could take advantage of,” coach Ryan Huska said. “For our team, I thought our effort was where it needed to be, and there were distances of the game where I thought we were doing many good things. We just couldn’t keep them away from our network when we needed to.”
Calgary will play seven of the next eight matches at home, and Flames-which sits on the Western Conference’s second Wild-Card-site-TROR that this is a golden chance to strengthen its position.
“Our team, it has a lot of character, and we have had that identity all year where we work hard, we work hard for each other no matter what the point is,” Weegar said.
-Field level media
