The Washington Capitals didn't see things go their way to open their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series against the New York Rangers, falling 4-1 in Game 1. However, the belief hasn't wavered in the room, and the team knows that it's just one game in a best-of-seven showdown.
"Forget about it and move on," captain Alex Ovechkin put it bluntly.
That being said, here's what the Capitals have to do in order to take the momentum back and potentially tie the series at one.
Spark The Offense, Especially The Power Play
The biggest issue for Washington — which also plagued the team down the stretch to close out the regular season — was a lack of offense.
Besides Martin Fehervary's goal, the Capitals were kept to the outside and, more often than not, opted for a pass rather than getting pucks on net, leading to them getting badly outshot and also passing up chances to convert and challenge Igor Shesterkin.
The forecheck needs to do a lot better if D.C. wants to steal a win against the Blueshirts, and that means spreading out, getting to the crease and trying to score dirty goals rather than looking for the perfect play.
Related: Capitals Not Getting Discouraged, Aware Of What Needs To Change After Game 1 Loss To Rangers: 'We Got To Be A Lot Better'
Not only that, but the power play needs to be better. Washington went 0-for-4 on the man advantage, which could have made a major difference, and the Capitals didn't get the chance to set anything up and also struggled with zone entries and sustaining pressure in the offensive zone.
If Washington can take better care of the puck, get more from Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and more standout players and spread out and get to the inside, it should be easier to generate more and, in turn, lead to a better result.
Stay Structured & Composed
The Capitals also need to focus on staying structured and playing within their systems while sticking to their game plan.
Spencer Carbery's group benefits greatly from playing low-event hockey, and when everyone is playing their position and doing their job, they can usually grind out a way to win.
A lot of the goals against in Game 1 came when players missed their assignments or got out of structure, especially on the second goal following Alexis Lafreniere's hit on Vincent Iorio . If Washington can stay in sync, Charlie Lindgren, who again came up with a few big stops in Game 1, will take care of the rest.
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It's also important to stay composed, especially when it comes to calls for or against. The Capitals can't afford to take unnecessary penalties, but also, blaming the officials or arguing non-calls can also take away focus from the game plan, and it plagued the them in Game 1.
So, avoiding that in Game 2 will go a long way.
Get Gritty
While D.C. needs to stay composed, Washington does need to show more physicality and grit. Emotions run high in the postseason, and hits were 33-21 in New York's favor on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Rangers benefitted from some heavy hits and physical plays, as it tilted the ice and led to more momentum. There were also some moments where scrums broke out in the first game, as Tom Wilson and Dylan McIlrath picked up misconducts, along with Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider, in the final minute of regulation.
Related: Capitals Prospect Andrew Cristall Headed To Hershey Bears For Calder Cup Playoffs After Stellar Post-Draft Year In WHL
As Wilson pointed out postgame, the physicality wasn't crazy, but there is room for D.C. to throw more hits, get more engaged in battles and let passion show a bit more. It will spark the team and, ultimately, lead to more buy-in across the board.
The Capitals will also benefit from winning board battles and stealing back pucks if they're not pushed around, and standing up to the likes of Matt Rempe and more and showing some true grit will go a long way in a series like this one.
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