The NHL-leading Washington Capitals were dismantled at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, and it did not sit well with head coach Barry Trotz.
The Penguins pulverized the Capitals 6-2 thanks to three third-period goals, but despite the team's 17-point cushion in the President's Trophy race, Trotz isn't giving his team a pass.
"I'm not going to let guys off the hook," Trotz said, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post. "There's no excuse for the sloppy play, the lack of execution."
The Capitals missed their chance to clinch top spot in the Eastern Conference - which would have been achieved with a win in any fashion- a fate Trotz felt his team deserved.
"They're in playoff mode," said Trotz, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "They wanted it more and we got exactly what we deserved tonight.
"They're probably the hottest team right now."
So, to be clear, Trotz complimented the #Pens and heavily criticized the #Caps repeatedly.
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) March 21, 2016
The Capitals shouldn't fret too much as they have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and Sunday's loss marked the first time all season that the team has conceded six or more goals.
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