3 least impressive Washington Capitals players in 3-1 loss to Dallas Stars feat. John Carlson

The Washington Capitals boasted an impressive record coming into Monday night's clash against the Dallas Stars, winning 21 of their first 29 games and putting any rumors of their impending demise on hold.

Even more impressive is that they haven't missed a beat despite the absence of captain Alex Ovechkin, who was on pace to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record of 894 before suffering a leg injury late last month.

While Ovechkin will be back before long, the Capitals had no choice but to continue their schedule without him. One of Washington's key contributors broke the ice in the first period, as Dylan Strome notched up his 11th goal of the season to give Washington the lead.

However, the Stars eventually prevented the Washington Capitals from finding the back of the net again as they prevailed 3-1. Dallas got goals in the second period from Roope Hintz and Lian Bichsel, followed by a second goal by Hintz past the midway point of the third period.

Despite a late push by the Capitals with goaltender Charlie Lindgren pulled for an extra attacker, Washington was unable to close the gap. Lindgren finished with 21 saves in the loss, while Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger was strong with 25 saves.

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Three least impressive Washington Capitals players in 3-1 loss to Dallas Stars

#1 John Carlson

The usually reliable Capitals blue-liner committed a critical error in the second period when he high-sticked Stars captain Jamie Benn and was promptly sent to the penalty box.

The Stars made Carlson pay for the carelessness with his stick, striking on the power-play to knot the score and begin what were three straight unanswered goals; Carlson also finished with a -2 rating and no shots on goal.

Carlson's performance has been positive for the Washington Capitals this season, but he will want to forget Monday's game against the Stars.

#2 Jakub Vrana

Back with the Capitals for his second stint with the franchise he helped win the Stanley Cup in 2018, the former high-scoring winger was mostly invisible on Monday night, skating in less than 10 minutes of ice time with no shots.

Vrana is getting a second chance in the NHL after having been ditched by the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues, and after a stay in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

#3 Lars Eller

Another Washington Capitals forward in his second stint with the club, Eller was re-acquired by Washington in a trade with the Penguins earlier this season.

However, he was a complete non-factor on Monday night, regstering zero shots in 14:10 of ice time while also committing a giveaway. It wasn't a deal-breaking performance, but the Capitals will ideally like to see more from Eller - especially as they reacquired him for additional valuable depth in their roster in the absence of Ovechkin.