Golden Knights stonewalled by Capitals in 3-0 loss

By Casey Harrison (contact)

Published Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 | 6:44 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 | 8:51 p.m.

WASHINGTON — The scoring chances were there.   

But the reigning Stanley Cup champions were simply unable to overcome a stellar performance from reserve goaltender Charlie Lindgren as the Vegas Golden Knights dropped their second away game on the season in their first shutout loss as they fell to the Washington Capitals 3-0 Tuesday at Capital One Arena.   

“He certainly made timely saves,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said of Lindgren. “I can’t sit here and say we didn’t generate some good looks. We had at least four or five breakaways, but then you go past that and you know he’s playing well. The ones he’s seeing, he’s stopping.”   

Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson was nearly just as outstanding, stopping 21-of-23 shots from the Capitals. Thompson’s first blemish came at the 16:39 mark in the first period, after center Dylan Strome beat two-on-one coverage on a wrist shot from the near edge of the left circle.  The goal marks Strome’s seventh of the season and fifth in his career against the Golden Knights, which ties him with star winger Alex Ovechkin for the most in franchise history.   

The other came in desperation time for Vegas. The Caps made it 2-0 with an empty-netter from center Connor McMichael for his fourth goal of the year with 49 seconds left in regulation. Thompson went back in after the goal, and Washington capitalized on a takeaway score in front of the net by Beck Malenstyn 16 seconds later. 

“We had some great chances,” Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “Their goalie played really good, so good for him. It’s a matter of bearing down when we have our chances, and tonight wasn’t our night where they were going in.”

It was just the fourth game of the season for Lindgren (3-1-0), who stopped all 35 shots on net and was 1-0-1 previously against Las Vegas. Along with the 4-1 series win over the Golden Knights in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, the Capitals (8-4-2) now improve to 3-9-0 overall against the Golden Knights in the regular season and 7-1-1 over their past nine games.  

“He was the win,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said postgame. “Just fantastic, all of it. Just go down the list of all the breakaways, all the different saves in tight, screen-and-tips, rebound stuff, he had it all.” 

Washington held a one-man advantage for nine minutes, but were 0-for-3 on the power play opportunities, while the Golden Knights were called for four total penalties — two of which were against defenseman Paul Cotter. Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar and Washington defenseman Dylan McIlrath were also each called for five-minute roughing penalties after a brief fight that was broken up by refs after Kolesar fell to the ice.   

After an official review, Cotter was called for a second penalty — this one a five-minute major — 5:18 into the second after shoulder-checking forward Evgeny Kuznetsov in the head near Washington’s goal. Cotter was ejected form the game after the play, though Cassidy noted he didn’t believe the hit was dirty. 

“I think his intention was to finish his check,” Cassidy said. 

But Vegas successfully killed the penalty, in part because of Thompson stopping four shots on goal and a few costly Capitals turnovers.   

“When you kill nine minutes before the game is half over like that, that’s where your power play has to pick you up,” Cassidy said. “And that’s where I was disappointed.”  

The Golden Knights resume their four-game Eastern Conference road swing on Thursday with a visit to Montreal to play the Canadiens (7-6-2), followed by games at Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Puck drop is for Thursday’s game in Montreal is scheduled for 4 p.m. PST.   

We won’t dwell on it — I don’t think that we’re that type of group,” Cassidy said of the loss. “You have to give the other guy credit sometimes when he’s better than your shooters. If it snowballs, then it’s a problem.”