Five of the six goals against Lindgren and the Capitals came on breakaway or semi-breakaways for Columbus.
Despite a tough loss in a game that was delayed by roughly an hour and 40 minutes, the Washington Capitals did see some bright spots on Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Jakub Vrana scored as he and Andrew Cristall continue to trend in a positive direction, and Alex Ovechkin also got on the board, but a rough night defensively and one too many breakaways led to a 8-4 defeat.
Here are all the takeaways from the loss as Washington drops to 1-3-0 to open the preseason.
Vrana Continues To Trend In Right Direction With Another Strong Showing; Cristall Stands Out
Head coach Spencer Carbery called on his numerous roster hopefuls to make some noise as several fringe players suited up for Friday's contest, and Jakub Vrana and Andrew Cristall ran with that message.
Vrana was a force to be reckoned with from the opening puck drop, and late in the first period, with his team down 2-1, he sped up the wing and picked up a picture-perfect feed from Connor McMichael before putting a rolling puck past Daniil Tarasov to even the score.
The Czech winger was all over the ice throughout the game, making the most of every minute, getting physical and showcasing his speed and shot. He got quite a few good looks.
Not only did Vrana impress, but Andrew Cristall, who's still somewhat of a long shot as he either has to make the NHL or return to juniors for another year because of his age, stayed red-hot.
Cristall stood out again, moving the puck well, winning battles, stealing pucks and playing a smart game. He was fast and able to beat guys to the puck, and despite his small frame, he stayed physical and used his frame to his advantage when it came to protecting the puck.
The 19-year-old picked up a beautiful assist while skating on the top power-play unit, finding a wide-open Dylan Strome crashing the crease. Cristall now has points in all three preseason games he's played, and he earned a promotion to the top-6 in the third, too, while being trusted with minutes on the PK.
Ovechkin's Still Got It, Mangiapane Perfect Fit On Top Trio
From Day 1 of training camp, head coach Spencer Carbery had a clear vision in mind for his top line, putting Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and Andrew Mangiapane together. It's been a perfect match.
Early in the first period, Mangiapane did what he does best, stealing a puck in the corner and never giving up on the play, before feeding a wide-open Alex Ovechkin in the slot. Then, Ovechkin did what he does best: score.
The Capitals captain's still got it, and Mangiapane has proven to be a great fit to complement him and Strome on that top trio. He's tenacious, battles hard and is able to come out with pucks and put them right on the tape.
That line generated several chances and good looks over the course of the game, and Mangiapane also logged key minutes on the penatly kill.
Rybinski Quietly Continues To Impress For Capitals
Center prospect Henrik Rybinski has gone somewhat under the radar throughout training camp and the preseason so far, but he's quietly been one of the team's stronger performers so far.
Rybinski has been sound at center, making some smart plays with the puck and also playing well without the puck. his hockey IQ and ability has been on full display, as he puts himself in the right spots and has great skating and playmaking skill that make him a threat at both ends.
The 23-year-old logged key time on the penalty kill and had some good looks, too. He ultimately finished the night with, and he is a dark horse to continue to keep an eye on down the stretch.
Defense, Lindgren Have Tough Showing, Chychrun Scores In Home Debut
It wasn't the best night on defense for Washington, as the Blue Jackets took full advantage of D.C. being out of position.
Five of Columbus' eight goals (two were empty-netters) came on breakaways or semi-breaks, and Charlie Lindgren was left to dry as he shook off the rust from the summer as the Capitals were caught flat-footed, too far up in the offensive zone or just in the wrong spot.
There were some flashes of good defensive plays from some guys, including a sliding poke check from Ethan Bear, a big hit from Alex Alexeyev and solid movement from Jakob Chychrun and others, but besides that, the pairings truly struggled to keep up with the likes of Adam Fantilli (hat trick) and company, who ran away with the game.
Lindgren finished with saves on shots, and though it wasn't his best outing, the play in front of him wasn't anything to write home about. Despite some good movement, it wasn't the best showing for any of the six guys on the backend, and it didn't help that there were some unfortunate bounces, too.
The defense did get on the board, though, as Chychrun jumped up in the play and gathered an Ethan Bear point blast that went off the boards and stuffed it past Cajan. Chychrun finished the night with a goal and assist.
Sammi's Top Shelf Takes
- Ivan Miroshnichneko took a hard spill in the second period but drew a penalty. He looks fast and has a rocket of a shot, but in my opinion, he'll benefit from actual playing time in the AHL.
- Pierrick Dubé's speed continues to be his greatest asset. The same goes for Ethen Frank, but Frank just still continues to put himself on the radar the way Vrana and Cristall have.
- It truly seems that Dylan Strome only continues to get better with each year. Going into this season, he looks stronger than ever and has three goals in his last two games.
- Connor McMichael looked dstrong in his return to center, as he made some great plays and helped set up Vrana and Frank with some great chances.
- Classy move by the Capitals to start this later game (Columbus had some complications with travel), as they paid tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with a 13-second moment of silence and video tribute.
