3 least impressive Washington Capitals players from 3-1 loss to New York Islanders ft. Alexander Ovechkin

The Washington Capitals dropped a tight, 3-1 decision at the hands of the New York Islanders on Friday night at the Capital One Center.

The Capitals did not get a treat on Halloween, as goals by JG Pageau (SHG), Bo Horvat, and Mathew Barzal (EN) scored for the Islanders. Meanwhile, Tom Wilson opened the scoring for the Washington Capitals early in the second period.

Logan Thompson made 20 saves in the losing effort.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive Washington Capitals players from their loss to the New York Islanders on Friday night.

3 least impressive Washington Capitals players from loss to New York Islanders

#3 John Carlson

The Washington Capitals' top blueliner skated over 25 minutes on Friday night across 27 shifts. While he notched two shots on goal, he failed to generate many dangerous offensive opportunities.

Most importantly, Carlson’s weak defensive play allowed the Islanders to get a crucial shorthanded goal to tie the game.

Here’s a look:

Carlson failed to engage Simon Holmstrom, who was streaking up the left side. Carlson did not hinder Holmstrom as he passed the puck across the ice to Pageau, who was crashing the net. Pageau tapped the puck in the net for the goal.

#2 Hendrix Lapierre

Hendrix Lapierre played a major role in facilitating the Islanders’ go-ahead goal early in the third period. Lapierre led a rush into the New York zone, turning the puck over in the slot. The Isles took advantage of the disarrayed Washington Capitals group, leading a 2-on-1 back the other way.

Here’s a look at the goal:

Emil Heineman waited out a diving Jakob Chychurn, who attempted to take the pass away. Instead, Heineman slid the puck over to Horvat, who did not miss.

The goal put the Islanders up 2-1 and gave the New York club the win.

#1 Alexander Ovechkin

The Capitals captain was essentially a non-factor on Friday night. He hit the ice for over 18 minutes across 18 shifts. He registered two shots on goal, but failed the generate legit high-danger opportunities.

He ended the night a minus-3, showing a lack of defensive effort on his part. Ovechkin has been held pointless over his last three games, racking up a minus-5 rating over those contests.

The Capitals will be looking to get back in the win column as they take on the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center on Saturday night.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan