As Alex Ovechkin’s wrist shot slithered past Jaroslav Halak to give the Washington Capitals a 2-0 lead late in the first period, Halak, the Islanders’ goaltender, shook his head in frustration as he hunched in front of his net.
The same vexed reaction would be appropriate by his teammates after the Capitals blitzed the Islanders, 4-1, on Thursday at Barclays Center.
The Islanders, who were eliminated by the Capitals last year in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, dropped their seventh game in regulation in 22 contests at home.
The Capitals reached the 30-win mark and extended their Metropolitan Division lead to 14 points over the second-place Islanders.