WASHINGTON — Coming off one in every of their most uplifting wins of the season, the Capitals didn’t construct on their momentum Friday as a sequence of odd-man rushes and breakaways allowed the St. Louis Blues to safe a 5-2 victory at Capital One Area.

The Capitals (33-30-7) have confronted lengthy odds for a playoff spot during the last two months. They appeared to breathe some life into their postseason probabilities Wednesday with a comeback win over the Buffalo Sabres that goaltender Charlie Lindgren described as “the best-feeling win all 12 months.”

Sadly for Washington, these good emotions didn’t carry over into Friday’s recreation. The Blues (30-33-5) grabbed the lead lower than two minutes into the competition and by no means trailed. They saved discovering methods to get behind the Capitals’ protection, scoring every of their first three targets with none opposing skaters standing between netminder Darcy Kuemper and the goal-scorer.

What did carry over was the Capitals’ turnover downside. After recording 18 giveaways in opposition to Buffalo, they dedicated one other 17 with St. Louis taking the turnover margin 26-20 total. The Capitals entered play Friday tied for the twelfth highest charge of giveaways per recreation within the NHL at 9.16, although that quantity has risen to 12.06 since Feb. 1 — thirty first within the league over that span.

The Capitals scored a pair of targets within the third interval off the sticks of Martin Fehervary and Nicklas Backstrom, nevertheless it was too late of a push to show the end result round earlier than a Blues empty-netter iced the sport. Backstrom’s tally got here on a 6-on-4 scenario with Kuemper pulled, the second time in as many video games the Capitals scored with the two-man benefit.

Twelve video games stay on the Capitals’ schedule and it’s going to take a historic run down the stretch for them to make the playoffs. They’ll look to get such a streak began Sunday once they journey to tackle the Minnesota Wild, who’re taking part in with out injured star left wing Kirill Kaprizov.