Preds Fall to Capitals in 3-0 Shutout

Just 48 hours after getting their first win of the season at Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Predators were shut out for the first time on home ice with a 3-0 loss to the Washington Capitals. The Preds are now 1-5-1 in their last seven games.

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Three Takeaways

1. Juuse Saros is On Fire
Saros gave the Predators a chance with strong play in net, making 32 saves in a backbreaking effort Saturday night. Washington had several breakaway chances and two one-on-one chances in the first period but couldn't sneak anything past Saros.

2. Preds PP Needs Work
The Preds power play was 0 for 5 on the night, with only three goals in 36 chances this season (8.3%). The Predators had a lot of 5-on-5 chances in Saturday's game, hitting the net on 24 of their 40 shot attempts and firing 10 shots from the slot at even strength. Meanwhile, they managed only six shots on net in 18 attempts on the power play (33%, compared to the league average of 55%) and one shot from the slot on five power play attempts.
When asked about finding improvements on the power play, Head Coach John Hynes said the following:
"We're always looking for solutions, and obviously the power play is one part of it. It's trying to find a way and find solutions where we can get that to be better. I think there's real capable guys on there and they've proven that they can be a dynamic power play unit. But right now, it's not going in for them and I think that's where you got to have some, I think some mental toughness and some stick to itiveness but also a collaboration. You know what needs to change and yield the areas that can be better and then the next step of that - that's the first part. The second part is going out and executing it at a high level."
3. Caps Lose Two More to Injury
The Capitals entered Saturday's game without forwards Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, Carl Hagelin and Connor Brown; additionally forward T.J. Oshie and defenseman John Carlson left the game after sustaining lower-body injuries in the first period and did not return. This meant a significant increase in ice time for a number of Capitals skaters, led by Dmitry Orlov with a TOI of 26:38. Alex Ovechkin, Nick Jensen and Martin Fehervary were also on the ice for more than 21 minutes each.

They Said It

Roman Josi on his assessment of the game:
"I think we didn't play a good first. We turned over too many pucks and they're just a dangerous team off the rush. We gave them way too many chances and I think Juice stood on his head. We were kind of lucky going 0-0 into the first first break. I thought we played better in the second - we had some good looks but then obviously they got that goal and then in the third we just couldn't get anything going. It was only a 1-0 game, so we've got to find a way to get some offense going in the third and score some goals."
Filip Forsberg on getting shut out at home:
"It could have been a different game if we got a goal there in the second. Second period was good. We created chances off our forecheck. I thought that was something that we had been doing well all year, but you've got to score goals to win and zero goals is never going to be acceptable."

Next Up

The Predators will begin a five-game road trip next week with a visit to the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT.