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Alzner on Washington’s woes: ‘The killer instinct isn’t there right now’

Braden Holtby

Washington Capitals’ Braden Holtby (70) loses his mask in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Boston, Saturday, March 1, 2014. The Capitals won 4-2. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

AP

The Washington Capitals made some fairly substantial moves at the trade deadline, but so far, their struggles continue. They lost their third game in a row as the Boston Bruins blanked them 3-0 on Thursday.

After the game, Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner expressed concern about the team’s aggressiveness.

If it makes the Caps feel any better, the Bruins expressed some glee regarding their defensive work in this contest.

It seems as if the issue boils down to a combination of the Capitals’ offensive inefficiency and Boston’s stingy defense, as Rask only needed to make 16 saves. Still, the Bruins have made strong attacks look faint before (see: the 2013 Eastern Conference finals), yet there might be a larger concern.

Washington currently finds itself out of the East’s top eight in a congested playoff picture, so the Capitals need to find answers. As Alzner might note, those answers need to come quickly, too.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins