Takeaways: Capitals Pushed To ...

The Washington Capitals found the life they were looking for against the Carolina Hurricanes, but it came too late, and ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

Jakob Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin struck in the third to pull Washington within one, but a slow start and no gas left in the tank led to a 5-2 loss in Game 4.

Here are the takeaways as the Capitals return to D.C. facing elimination.

Capitals Get Off To Another Slow Start

It was another ugly start for the Capitals, who were bogged down early and failed to get much momentum going.

Shayne Gostisbehere got the Hurricanes going halfway through the first, and despite Washington getting a handful of chances and an extended look on the power play in the first, the team was unable to convert or find offense.

Early in the second, Seth Jarvis struck to give Carolina a two-goal lead as the Hurricanes continued to pile on the offense. And ultimately, it proved too much for D.C. to come back from, though it tried in the third.

Comeback Effort Too Little, Too Late, Tough Breaks Costly

Finally, in the third period, the Capitals got a spark. Matt Roy showed excellent patience and found Jakob Chychrun wide open for a layup to pull his team within one.

Though Taylor Hall scored on a breakaway minutes later to put Washington back down two, Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome finally sparked the struggling power play, with Ovechkin firing home a one-timer to pull D.C. back in it.

Although the Capitals weren’t out of it, a late penalty on Pierre-Luc Dubois would sway the momentum back in Carolina’s favor.

It was a successful kill, but then, a tough break led to the nail in the coffin. After the penalty expired and Washington went on the attack, Rasmus Sandin’s stick got caught in the boards, leading to a turnover. Sean Walker would score on the resulting play down ice to make it 4-2.

Andrei Svechnikov iced the game late with an empty-net goal.

Capitals Need New Game Plan

As the series shifts back to the District, the Capitals need to find a new game plan. The offense isn’t consistent and hasn’t been generating nearly enough, and Washington is spending too much time in its own end.

While it can be tough to make changes this late in the postseason, it’s the only option left with the Capitals’ season now on the line.