Photo: @StLouisBlues
The Washington Capitals lost to the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2 at Capital One Arena on Thursday to fall to 39-12-8 (.712 points percentage) this season. Washington has lost two straight games after earning points in eight in a row (5-0-3). Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 14 saves against his former team.
Washington’s Lines
Ovechkin — Dylan Strome — Aliaksei Protas
Connor McMichael — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Taylor Raddysh
Andrew Mangiapane – Lars Eller — Ethen Frank
Brandon Duhaime — Nic Dowd — Jakub Vrana
Rasmus Sandin — John Carlson
Martin Fehervary — Matt Roy
Jakob Chychrun — Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Lindgren
Logan Thompson
- Scratched
- D Dylan McIlrath
- D Alexander Alexeyev
- Injured
- LW Sonny Milano (upper-body)
- C Nicklas Backstrom (hip)
- RW T.J. Oshie (back)
- RW Tom Wilson (illness)
With Wilson out, Raddysh took his place in the lineup while Vrana drew in for the first time since January 6 against his former team.
St. Louis’ Lines
Jake Neighbours — Robert Thomas — Pavel Buchnevich
Dylan Holloway — Brayden Schenn — Jordan Kyrou
Mathieu Joseph — Oskar Sundqvist — Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko — Radek Faksa — Nathan Walker
Cam Fowler — Colton Parayko
Philip Broberg — Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter — Nick Leddy
Joel Hofer
Jordan Binnington
- Scratched
- Injured
- D Tyler Tucker (upper-body)
- D Torey Krug (ankle)
Schenn, St. Louis’ captain, appeared in his 1000th career NHL game.
First Period
Scoring
- 11:14, 1-0 St. Louis: Broberg one-timed a cross-ice pass by Joseph into an open cage from low right dot after Joseph circled around to fade away from the Capitals’ defense.
What an INCREDIBLE pass by Mathieu Joseph and finish by Philip Broberg for his 5th of the year to get the Blues on the board first! #stlblues
— BluesMuse (@STLBluesMuse) February 28, 2025
- 15:04, 1-1: Dubois deked and buried the puck into a yawning net to finish a three-way passing play with Raddysh and McMichael, who fed him from the right half-wall to the front. Dubois has recorded seven points (five assists) in his last five games. Raddysh has recorded nine assists in 12 career games against St. Louis, marking the most assists he has collected against a single opponent. McMichael has five points (two goals) in his last six games.
Washington goal!
Scored by Pierre-Luc Dubois with 04:56 remaining in the 1st period.
Assisted by Taylor Raddysh and Connor McMichael.
Washington: 1
St. Louis: 1#STLvsWSH #ALLCAPS #stlblues pic.twitter.com/HoX443Wrsb— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 28, 2025
- 17:45, 2-1 St. Louis: After Neighbors banked a pass from the neutral zone off of the half-wall, Broberg flew into the offensive zone, deked, and buried a shot on the backhand while falling on a breakaway.
2nd goal of the PERIOD for Philip Broberg and this one was a BEAUTY 🙌 pic.twitter.com/UaiUzC0pzH
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) February 28, 2025
Stats
- 8-5 St. Louis in shots
- .6 St. Louis on faceoffs
- Washington did not score on the only power play of the period
- 8-3 St. Louis in hits
- 6-3 St. Louis in blocked shots
- 5-2 Washington in giveaways
Charts: Natural StatTrick
Second Period
Scoring
- 16:55, 2-2: McMichael stepped in and fired a wrist shot over the glove of Hofer from the left dot after getting past Sundqvist along the half-wall. McMichael has scored three goals in two games against St. Louis this season.
Washington goal!
Scored by Connor McMichael with 03:05 remaining in the 2nd period.
Washington: 2
St. Louis: 2#STLvsWSH #ALLCAPS #stlblues pic.twitter.com/Zzdm7CtJuR— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 28, 2025
- 17:24, 3-2 St. Louis: Suter walked the blueline and Holloway, who was in the middle of a maze of four players, tipped Suter’s wrister in over the blocker of Lindgren.
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Dylan Holloway with 02:37 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Ryan Suter and Brayden Schenn.
Washington: 2
St. Louis: 3#STLvsWSH #ALLCAPS #stlblues pic.twitter.com/ANVOrqHTzN— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 28, 2025
- 17:59, 4-2: With a scramble at the goal mouth, Parayko swooped in, curled and dragged the puck, and wristed a shot over Lindgren’s pad and in after Lindgren shut down Buchnevich.
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Colton Parayko with 02:02 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich.
Washington: 2
St. Louis: 4#STLvsWSH #ALLCAPS #stlblues pic.twitter.com/xkYvT8hAUy— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 28, 2025
Stats
- 15-13 St. Louis in shots
- 8-7 Washington in the second
- .636 Washington on faceoffs
- Each team failed to capitalize on their only man advantage opportunity of the period
- 14-7 St. Louis in hits
- 11-5 St. Louis in blocked shots
- 9-6 Washington in giveaways
Third Period
Scoring
- 18:05, 5-2 (ENG): Neighbors twirled around with Carlson on him and wristed one into an empty net from the right half-wall after Schenn chipped the puck up to him.
Empty net goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Jake Neighbours with 01:55 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Brayden Schenn and Philip Broberg.
Washington: 2
St. Louis: 5#STLvsWSH #ALLCAPS #stlblues pic.twitter.com/JvfChhIwZU— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 28, 2025
Stats
- 19-18 St. Louis in shots
- 5-4 Washington in third period
- .623 St. Louis on faceoffs
- 20-18 St. Louis in hits
- 17-10 St. Louis in blocked shots
- 12-8 Washington in giveaways
Washington had their lead for first place in the Metropolitan Division cut to 12 points over the Carolina Hurricanes (with both teams down to 23 games left). They also stayed 14 clear of the New Jersey Devils with a game in hand. The Capitals lead the Toronto Maple Leafs (who have a game in hand) by 10 for first in the Eastern Conference.
Next game: Saturday vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (12:30 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network in-market, ESPN+ out-of-market)
By Harrison Brown
