McMichael hot, Lindgren solid, and more: 3 reasons why Washington Capitals won 5-2 against Colorado Avalanche

The Washington Capitals skated away with a 5-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night at Ball Arena.

Connor McMichael tallied two, with Jakub Vrana (PP), Jakob Chychrun and Rasmus Sandin (EN) getting the other markers for the Capitals. Parker Kelly and Nikolai Kovalenko got the Avalanche on the board.

So, here’s a closer look at the three reasons why the Washington Capitals defeated the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Friday night.

3 reasons why Washington Capitals beat Colorado Avalanche

#3 Capitals made the most of their opportunities

The Washington Capitals took advantage of a shaky outing by Colorado netminder Justus Annunen, scoring three goals on six shots, chasing Annunen early in the second. In particular, the Capitals took advantage of costly Colorado turnovers to score.

The best example comes on McMichael’s second of the game, a play in which he intercepted a Sam Girard pass, went back the other way, and easily beat Annunen to make the game 3-1. The Capitals only managed 20 shots but were able to find the back of the net five times for the win.

#2 The Capitals got great goaltending from Lindgren

Charlie Lindgren played a solid game, stopping 17 of 19 shots for the win. While the numbers don’t leap off the screen, Lindgren made several key saves to hold the lead. The two goals scored were mostly the result of defensive miscues.

Specifically, Nikolai Kovalenko’s goal came from a rebound no one cleared in front of Lindgren. As a result, Kovalenko walked in and popped a backhander past Lindgren. The goal made the game 3-2 at the time. Fortunately for Lindgren, the Washington Capitals regained a two-goal lead minutes later.

#1 The Capitals locked the game down in the third

The Capitals blew a 3-1 third-period lead in their last outing against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Washington eventually lost the game 4-3 in overtime. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery called out his team regarding the lack of third-period effort.

However, that was not the case against the Colorado Avalanche. The Capitals locked the game down after going up 4-2. They played solid defense, keeping the Avalanche at arm’s length throughout the second period.

The Caps added an empty-netter to seal the win during a sloppy attack by Colorado late in the game.

The Capitals will continue their Western Conference schedule, meeting the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. For the Capitals, the game marks the second leg of back-to-back affairs and the second of a three-games-in-four-nights stretch.