ROOKIE GOALIE PLAYED EVERY MINUTE IN FIRST ROUND

Plenty has been written -- at least in the D.C. market -- about Washington Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth after his fairly spectacular performance in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals win over the New York Rangers.  But the young goaltender himself isn't paying attention to any of that right now. 

"It's pretty nice, you know, but I'm just focusing on my game and trying to play my best for this team," Neuvirth said after Tuesday morning's spirited practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.  "I'm not trying to look back.  [I'm] just looking forward and just want to be focused and play my best for this team right now."

Neuvirth leads all NHL goalies that have played the majority of minutes for their team in goals against average and save percentage in the first round, allowing just eight goals in five games, and is one of a handful of goalies to play every minute for his team in the cage in the first round.

For example, the Philadelphia Flyers are starting their third different goalie in Game Seven tonight against the Buffalo Sabres.

Neuvirth is now 15-0 in playoff series in North America, including his stints with OHL Plymouth and AHL Hershey, backing the Bears to consecutive Calder Cups in 2008-09 and 2009-10.  And while those minor leagues don't compare talent-wise to the NHL, it's still excelling at the highest competition level for those leagues.

Neuvirth, for one, believes that experience is helping him focus now that he's competing in the playoffs with the big club. 

"Oh yeah, for sure.  Every playoffs is still playoffs so there is a lot of pressure," Neuvirth remarked. "Those weren't easy [games] when we were in Hershey. It was a tough circumstance.  It gave me a lot of experience. [Round two is] not going to be easy but I think I can handle it and I can't wait for next game."

Since the Caps were able to close things out against the Rangers in five games, and with all the other Eastern Conference matchups going past that, Washington has a few days to rest, practice, and get ready for the next opponent.  Neuvirth isn't concerning himself with the games still going on, though he is anxious to get back in the net and get going again.

"We had a tough practice today and had a fun practice yesterday, but obviously we're pretty excited about our next round and it's gonna be another great opportunity for our team.  We're pretty excited to play and I think a lot of the guys can't wait until the games start [again]."

With the extra time, does the clear No. 1 goalie dwell on who the next opponent might be?  Does he care?

"Not thinking about it right now," Neuvy said.  "Just gonna wait to see what happens and we'll find out tonight or tomorrow night who we're gonna face and obviously we're gonna get ready.  It's not gonna be easy, all the teams are very good and it's not going to be easy."

GREEN PRACTICES, WANTS TO TALK ABOUT HOCKEY

Defenseman Mike Green, who was felled by a Matt Gilroy slap shot in the first period of Game Five against the Rangers, participated fully in this morning's practice and afterward reported no ill effects. "I'm fine, other than a bruise,” said Green.

When asked if he was worried about another concussion, after he missed 26 games at the end of the season, he replied, "No, not at all. The first one was a lot different than this one. Right away I knew with the first one; this one I got up right away. Other than it stinging a little bit, I was fine.”

“They make good helmets, and this time it hit me in the helmet. I’m okay, so that’s all that matters,” Green said. “I think that time, it happened so quick that it’s pretty tender and sore when it did happen. But like I said, thank god for those helmets and I’m very fortunate.”

 

He then requested that the reporters change the subject to talk about hockey.  "I feel great," Green said. "I had a good skate today. We worked hard. I feel good."

 

KNUBLE AND WIDEMAN SKATE (POTI TOO)

 

All three injured Capitals skated before the team came out for practice in full pads, but only Knuble stayed out for the regular practice, and even then did not participate fully in line rushes.  Wideman left practice after before most of his teammates were out of the dressing room, suffering from some light-headedness.

 

“His legs are feeling fine,” coach Bruce Boudreau said of his Wideman, recovering from a hematoma to his leg and compartment syndrome. “He was a little dizzy today so we [said] get off -- or lightheaded, not dizzy -- and so just to make sure he’s fine.”

 

Wideman looked to be skating pretty free and easy, but did not do any full out sprints or hard stops during the time he was skating.

 

Knuble said he's feeling good, but does not have a timetable for return.  “I’ve been skating every day, just trying to keep my legs up and stuff,” Knuble said. “I’m encouraged by the way things are going and you just do your best to stay with the group and keep up with the pace of play so when you do come back it’s not a huge adjustment."

 

The veteran forward reitereated that he would indeed play in the second round, though that has not been confirmed -- or refuted -- by the team.

 

SEMIN MISSES PRACTICE WITH FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS

 

Boudreau said winger Alexander Semin was feeling a little under the weather and told him to stay home from practice today, considering the team has several more practice days available this week. 

 

“He’s fine. He had a little bit of the flu so we just said ‘listen, stay at home,’” Boudreau said. “We still got Wednesday, Thursday, minimum -- practices probably Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. We don’t know when we’re starting yet.”

 

Semin had three goals and an assist in the first round against New York.

Tonight at 7:30 pm, Bruce Boudreau faces off against legions of New Yorkers defending their decrepit basketball arena.

Oh, I'm sorry.  There actually is a hockey game to be played.

The Washington Capitals lead the New York Rangers two games to one in their best-of-seven game series, but all anyone is talking about in the media -- both New York and D.C. -- is Boudreau's comments regarding fabled Madison Square Garden and the Rangers targeting Mike Green's head in Game Three.

Whatever Boudreau's motivation for addressing those two particular topics the other day, there's no denying that his team was badly outplayed in Game Three after playing so well in Game Two at Verizon Center.

Reports from this morning's pre-game skate from MSG brought news that Mike Knuble didn't participate, making the third straight day he hasn't skated with the team, which has to be considered a bad omen for his dressing tonight. 

Knuble has been a much bigger part of this offense since the strategy shift with the Caps relying on his presence around the net.  His absence would be a huge factor in this game.  Look for Eric Fehr to dress if Knuble can't go and for Jason Chimera to skate on the first line in Knuble's place.

Here are three more keys for the Caps tonight:

1)  The Caps need to get the jump on the Rangers.  MSG will be rocking tonight after Boudreau's comments, and an early goal would go a long way in settling things down in the arena.

2)  Someone needs to stand up to the Rangers agitators tonight.  Avery and Prust were on top of Neuvirth all of Game Three.  Better yet would be for someone to initiate the contact and get these guys off their game a little bit.  Avery loves to start stuff but doesn't finish.  Look for Matt Hendricks to get into someone's grill.

3)  Shots!  The Rangers top D pairing of Staal and Girardi have done a pretty good job keeping the shot total down against Henrik Lundqvist.  Ovechkin's only SOG in Game Three was his backhanded redirect for the goal.  Ovi needs to fling rubber at King Henry, the earlier the better.

Enjoy Game Four, Caps fans.

There were a lot of factors that contributed to the Washington Capitals losing to the New York Rangers, 3-2, on Sunday before a packed house at Madison Square Garden.

If you're into conspiracy theories, this one was a doozy.  The Capitals were whistled for eight infractions to the Rangers four, including a couple of "Where was the penalty there?" calls.  The game winning goal was scored while the teams skated four-on-four.  Still, a couple of the penalties were earned, including the cross-check by John Carlson that led to New York's only power play goal.

If you're a goalie controversy lover, you could argue that the first goal by the Rangers -- a power play goal -- that snuck past Michal Neuvirth's short side from a ridiculously sharp angle into an even more ridiculously small space STILL should never have happened, and if you look closely enough it might even appear that Neuvirth ducked away from the shot just a bit.  But you'd be reaching.

If you're a Rangers fan, well, you're certainly entitled to simply cite the stats that show the Blueshirts completely dominated their visitors.   The Rangers out-shot the Caps 35 to 25, out-hit them 41 to 29 and dominated in the face-off circle, winning 56 percent of the draws.  That's not just outplaying your opponent, that's a complete statistical shutdown.

But the biggest difference between the first two games of this series and the Game Three loss is that the Capitals allowed the Rangers to get to them.  The Rangers were the hungrier team, and on their ice, they played agitator, drawing the Caps out of their game plan and putting themselves out there for the taking.

The Rangers played "downhill" all game, forcing the Caps to play reactionary instead of pro-actionary.  New York was in Neuvirth's crease all day, instigating contact with the rookie and not only did that result in a ton of reactionary penalties called against, but also drew the Caps defensemen into the physical game instead of playing their positions.

Both penalties against Carlson, the second period cross-check and the double-roughing at 16:45 of the third -- when the game-winner was scored -- were prime examples of the Rangers getting under the skin of the young d-man and taking advantage of his exuberance.

Then, on the play the final tally came on, veteran defenseman Scott Hannan allowed Erik Christiansen to goad him into a shoving contest in the corner instead of tracking the play, allowing Brandon Dubinsky to carry the puck out of the corner and sneak back through the crease to backhand the tie-breaker past Neuvirth (32 saves).

It wasn't all bad for the Caps, as they showed tremendous resiliency, equalizing both time the Rangers took a one goal lead.  Alex Ovechkin redirected a Jason Arnott pass on the backhand past Henrik Lundqvist (23 saves) with exactly one minute left in the second period, and Mike Knuble cashed in a Nicklas Backstrom rebound for a power play goal with 5:12 left in the game.

The Caps even had a bit of fortune on their side, as an apparent New York goal was disallowed at the end of the second period after review when it was evident the puck did not fully cross the goal line before the clock read 0:00.

But that's all the fortune the Caps received during Game Three.  The rest was up to the Rangers making their own fortune.  There's plenty to complain about with the officials, but the bottom line is that the Caps allowed their opponent to dictate the play Sunday afternoon instead of being the aggressors that they were in the first two games of this series.

Which Caps team comes out for Game Four Wednesday night could very well define the rest of this series.

CAPS NOTES:  Referee Chris Rooney broke his leg when he got tangled up on the goal trying to get back into a play up-ice.  The game was delayed about 10 minutes while the injured ref made his way off the ice.  He will miss the rest of the playoffs.

Alexander Semin led the Capitals with six shot on goal.

by Cheryl Nichols

The 2010-2011 Southeast Division Champion Washington Capitals hosted the Florida Panthers for the last regular season game at the Verizon Center.  The Caps wrapped up Fan Appreciation Week with a 5-2 win over the Panthers.

The Caps jumped on Florida early with two power play goals in the first period, and made sure they stayed down, adding two more before garbage time late in the third.  Mike Knuble redirected a Brooks Laich pass for his 24th of the season to start the scoring.  Jason Chimera (10), Sean Collins (1), Matt Hendricks (9) and Alex Ovechkin (32) all tallied for the red.

With the win, the Capitals now have a four-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Caps can clinch the top spot in the East with a Philadelphia loss on Friday in Buffalo or by earning a single point in Saturday’s regular season finale in Florida.

While it wasn't too shocking to see that Alex Semin was scratched again after missing the last game, it was a bit of a surprise to see Jason Arnott and Scott Hannan scratched.  Caps Head Coach Bruce Boudreau did not ask them if they wanted to sit, he just thought that they needed to rest. He said after the game, "We still have to wait to see what’s at stake on Saturday before we start taking anything for granted. We are watching the scoreboards and seeing what’s going on."

The power play finally looks on track. The Caps have scored five power play goals in their last three games. Knuble and Chimera's goals both came on the power play goal in the first period of last night's game, when the Caps really took control against an overmatched Panthers squad playing out the string.

Sean Collins scored his first goal of the season -- his second career goal  -- in the second period assisted by Ovechkin. Collins' previous NHL goal was over two years on Jan. 1, 2009 against Tampa Bay and was also assisted by The Great Eight.  "I always want to be on the ice with him [Ovi]," Collins said.  "When I get the puck usually my first option is to look for Ovi."



All Photos 2011 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/Caps News Network. All Rights Reserved.

Semyon Varlamov made 31 saves and looked great in net, earning first star honors from the media.  Boudreau was asked about his confidence in this year's goalie situation going into the playoffs and he said, “We can put one of three guys in and I know we are going to get a good game. I’m not knocking anyone else, but that is the way I feel.”

In the clubhouse after the game, a couple of players expressed their thoughts about the playoffs.  Brooks Laich explained, “We’re prepared for Saturday’s game and after that, we’ll do a little scoreboard watching to find out who we’re going to play. Monday and Tuesday we’ll have some solid practices and ramp it up for Wednesday or Thursday, whenever it is.”  He went on to say, "“We feel [like] we have a very good hockey team. We’ve shown it in the past few years in the regular season, but now we have to take the next step and that’s playoff success.”

Brooks Laich stretching during pre-game warmups (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Are the Caps ready for the playoffs? Matt Hendricks believes yes. "“I think so. We had a real big hiccup in the first period. We gave up way too many opportunities, but we had Varly [Semyon Varlamov] in net and he did a great job keeping us in the game. After that, I think we took over and controlled it.” 

And about retaining the Eastern Conference title?  “That is definitely one of the long term goals we set out at the beginning of the season and to be this close with 60 minutes of hockey left, it’s worth going for.”

HOME SWEET HOME

Washington closes out the regular season home schedule with the best winning percentage on home ice (25-8-8) and the least home losses (8) in the NHL. The Caps have finished in the top three in home record in each of the past three seasons, pacing the league with a 30-5-6 record last year and finishing third in 2008-09 (29-9-3). Their 84 wins at home in the last three seasons are tops in the league during that span.

GREEN TO RETURN SATURDAY?

Defenseman Mike Green, who has missed 25 of the last 27 games with concussion-like symptoms, could return to the ice for Saturday's game in Florida.  He's cleared all the tests required by the NHL for his return per the league's protocol, but the Caps elected to keep him out of Wednesday's game. 

Getting the playmaker back on the blue line and power play should provide a boost to the team as they enter the playoffs.

CAPS NEWS NETWORKS THREE STARS

3. Semyon Varlamov.  31 saves on 33 shots.  The two goals came late and at extra-strength.  Saved everything he should have.  Looked lke he was moving around fine.

2. Brooks Laich.  Two assists, plus-2.  He had his wheels going tonight and dominated in the dot, winning 9-of-12.  He's a center.

1. Alex Ovechkin. Goal, two assists, plus-2.  His playmaking of late has been beyond superb.  The pass he made to Collins was like he had eyes in the back of his head..

Um, allow me to catch my breath.

When noted antagonist Daniel Briere completed the comeback for the Philadelphia Flyers, taking a 4-3 lead with just 5:45 left in the game after his team trailed 3-0 just into the second period, the collective soul of the Washington Capitals -- and their fan base -- had every right to be crushed, dejected and exhausted.

But a little over two minutes later, a young Swede that's growing up right before our eyes took matters into his own hands, rifling a shot past backup goalie Brian Boucher from the high slot to force overtime.  After a scoreless five minutes, Washington scored on all three of their penalty shots and escaped one of the toughest places to play in the league with two points -- which they were definitely fortunate to earn.

The win puts the Caps just a single point behind the Flyers for first place in the Eastern Conference, six ahead of Boston for second, and seven up on Tampa Bay -- losers at home to the Islanders -- for first in the Southeast Division.

This is a tale of three games rolled into one.  The first game consisted of the Caps beating Flyers starting goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, like a drum.  The Russian rookie was shaky from the get-go, allowing three goals on nine shots, before being replaced by backup Brian Boucher after the third goal at 1:22 of the second period.

Not to take anything away from the effort of the Caps on the scoring plays, but two of the three goals against Bobrovsky were definitely preventable.  Nick Backstrom's snap shot trickled between Bobrovsky's blocker arm and his body for the Caps first tally, and he gave up the near post on Mike Knuble's close range stuff on the second.

Dennis Wideman sent "Bob" to the showers with his shot from the point at the start of the second period.

At that point, the second game commenced, as the Caps were content to sit back and let the Flyers dictate play, as if they were daring them to erase a three goal lead.  Enough said.

Michal Neuvirth had more problems with his own defense backing into him and screening him than he really did with the Flyers offense.  Philly outshot the Caps 11-7 in the second and 11-5 in the third, and completely dominated play to the point that it looked like the home team had a two period power play. 

The goals were inevitable, as Neuvirth had to contend with the screens and physical play from the Flyers up front.  There was a noticable lack of contact from the Caps defense for most of this contest, with the Flyers roughing things up -- and chirping -- with impugnity once they got on the board.

Neuvirth could do little on either of Philly's first two goals, the first bouncing in off defenseman Dennis Wideman's skate; the second came on a botched clear, with Andreas Nodl drawing the defense -- and Neuvirth -- before hitting an unchecked Claude Giroux on the doorstep.

Three Caps defenders were marking center Jeff Carter, leaving Giroux and his lethal shot all alone to fire into the open net.

The emboldened Flyers just picked up the pace even more in the third.  Midway through the frame, on a hard forecheck, Jeff Schultz coughed the puck up into his own slot, where Nodl gathered and buried it past a dazed Neuvrith, and the game was tied.

Later, after Flyers won another yet faceoff (Caps 44 percent for the night) Briere tipped a shot from the point by Kimmo Timmonen that was destined for the back board behind a screened Neuvirth, and things looked bleak for the Caps.

Washington picked up its play a bit after the goal, and at 16:41, Mike Knuble (goal, two assists) dug the puck out of the offensive left wing corner, carried aliong the boards, and found Johansson, who had slipped into the high slot undetected. 

Johansson called for the shot like a veteran and pounded it past Boucher to send it to overtime.

Neither team took any risk in the extra frame, and when it was unsettled after five minutes of four-on-four, the gimmick was invoked to award the extra point.  

Matt Hendricks used his nifty stutter step to get Boucher on the ice and slipped it past him backhanded, Nick Backstrom got a quick snap shot through, and Alexander Semin finished Boucher and Flyers off stick side for the game winner.  Neuvirth tripped up Carter with his stick, keeping the prolific scorer off the board, and the win went to the visitors.

As John Carlson tweeted after the game, a win is a win is a win.  Especially in Philadelphia.  The Caps didn't do themselves any favors retreating into a shell after taking a 3-0 lead.  Despite earning the extra point tonight, the Flyers have to be emboldened by the fact they shredded the Caps now vaunted defense after falling into such a hole.

But the Caps, too, take something away from this one.  First, they took a big lead over one of the East's best in their own building.  They showed resiliency to not quit after allowing the fourth goal.  And they found some toughness late that was missing early, with Scott Hannan putting  himself in harm's way to block a shot with two minutes left, and Carlson FINALLY dumping a Flyers forward in the corner after getting ridden roughshod most of the game.

And the Caps did all this, missing the services of Alex Ovechkin, Jason Arnott, Mike Green, Tom Poti, and Eric Fehr, who mysteriously missed all but one shift in the third period.

All four games in this series this season went to overtime.  Heaven help us all if these teams meet again in the playoffs.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Nicklas Backstrom.  The senior Swede had goal, assist, shootout marker.

2. Marcus Johansson.  Goal and assist, plus-2.  When Arnott gets back, he gives the Caps a dangerous playmaker on the third line. Can't be undersetimated in playoffs to be able to roll three lines with confidence.

1. Mike Knuble.  Pops had a goal and two assists in his old haunt, and really showed his veteran leadership -- on the ice.

There are five elements of goaltending: 

1. Agility.

2. Glove.

3. Technique.

4. Head.

5. Health.

Michal Neuvirth used all of these elements to his advantage Friday night, shutting out the red-hot New Jersey Devils 3-0, giving them their second consecutive loss and just about killing any remaining hope for the team from the swamps to complete their dramatic comeback attempt for a playoff spot.

Neuvirth, who turned away all 33 shots faced last night, did most of the heavy lifting on defense himself, as the Devils were constantly in scoring position.  But it seemed like for every shot New Jersey got on net, they had an equal number that went wide, were deflected harmlessly away, simply misfired, or flat swung on and missed.

On the other end, the Capitals made good on three of 12 shooting; not great numbers if you're a three-point shooter in the NCAA tournament or a Washington National down at spring training, but tremendous for a hockey team.

Though I'm sure coach Bruce Boudreau would have preferred his team made things more difficult on Martin Brodeur (nine saves on 12 shots) overall,  it's hard to argue with the result.

Neuvirth, who looked a little rusty in Wednesday night's loss to Detroit, was anything but tonight.  From the very first shift of the game the Devils peppered him with shots, and he rose to each occasion. 

He made several remarkable catches with his glove hand, including Russian sniper Ilya Kovachuk on a breakaway with just under three minutes remaining, prompting the Devils most prolific scorer to slam his stick into the boards after the whistle in frustration.

As he's generally been all season long for the Caps, Neuvirth was their best player on the ice.

The young Czech netminder is solidifying his case to be the workhorse for Boudreau once the playoffs start in a matter of weeks.  I'm sure Semyon Varlamov is going to have a chance to play down the stretch, but Neuvirth has done everything asked of him and more.  His four shutouts are most for an individual for the Caps since the days of Godzilla and set a team rookie record.

As for the four elements above, Varly may have Neuvy beat on the first element when healthy, but Neuvirth tops all three of the Caps goalies on the depth chart on points two, three and four.  Someday Braden Holtby might enter the argument, but until he's channeled his quirkiness and led an AHL team to a championship, he'll have to be satisfied with being the third man in this trio of young, talented goaltenders.

It's time for Boudreau to hitch his wagon to his horse.

CAPS NOTES:  Mike Knuble had two goals and an assist, finishing a great fake-shot-slap-pass from John Carlson and making a beautiful wrist shot through an impressive clear and screen by Marcus Johansson. 

After the play, lip-readers were treated to Knuble patting the 20-year old rookie in the chest and saying "Good work kid."  The cross-ice pass from Ovechkin to Knuble was lovely, as was the defensive play Carlson (plus-2) made in his own end to shut the Devils' winger down, gather the puck, and spring Ovechkin up the boards.

Johansson was pointless, but finished the night plus-3, and really appears to be stepping up his game each night out.  Though he was only 3-of-11 in the dot.  I think we know what his point of emphasis is going to be over the off-season.

Jeff Schultz (plus-2) opened the scoring with a shot from the point through a screen that avoided Brodeur's glove.  It was his first goal of the season and first overall since Feb 11, 2010, a span of 81 games.

The penalty kill was again outstanding, going 3-for-3.  Particularly noteworthy was the four minute kill of a Matt Hendricks high stick that ended the second period and started the third in a 2-0 game.

Nicklas Backstrom returned from the hand injury that's sidelined him since March 7.  He centered Alexander Semin and Marco Sturm on the second line and went 13-for17 in the faceoff circle.

The Caps drew even with the Philadelphia Flyers, their next opponent next Tuesday, in points for the top seed in the Eastern Conference with 94, though the Flyers have three games in hand, including Saturday's game in Dallas against the Stars.

"For whatever reason, we stopped working.  We got comfortable -- a little too comfortable." -- Karl Alzner

Just over one minute into the game, Alex Ovechkin gave the Washington Capitals a 1-0 lead as he used All-Star defenseman Drew Doughty as a screen at the top of the face-off circle and beat Los Angeles Kings' backup goalie Jonathan Bernier for his 21st goal of the season.

That was the peak of the Caps effort today.  One minute, six seconds.  Oh, and the goal was unassisted.

They spent the rest of the game fumbling passes, turning the puck over, watching each other to see if anyone was going to fight for the puck and squandering power play opportunities, eventually falling to a team in the middle of a ten-game road trip, 4-1, before a very disgruntled sold out crowd at Verizon Center.

If the boos and ugly comments raining down from the 400 sections in front of the press box were any indication of the mood of the typical Caps fan after this lackluster performance, the Caps must be looking forward to heading out on a five-game roadie of their own.

The first two periods were just a continuation of the general malaise that has followed this team around much of the season.  There were sparks of effort, but nothing sustained.  All the jokes about a sluggish 12:30 pm start rang true.

In the third period, however, the Capitals just stopped playing hockey.  Most of the players on the ice looked like they'd have rather been anywhere than where they were.  And the results -- three third period goals for the Kings -- were expected and justified.

As usual after a tough loss, veteran forward Mike Knuble held court for the media in the locker room after the game.

"I don't know what we're waiting for.  There's a lot to play for -- as players, as individuals, as a team.  Every game is important.  Those are huge points we left on the table the last two games."

"[The Kings] were capitalizing on loose pucks and we aren't.  We're coming to a key point in the season.  I'm sure we're all aware of that.  It's time to start throwing the switch toward the playoffs.  It's like we're waiting for something to happen.  We're waiting for something."

Coach Bruce Boudreau seemed surprised that his team was waiting for a switch to be thrown.  "If they're waiting for some switch to magically appear, it's not going to happen." 

"We got outworked in the first, outworked in the second.  All we had to do is outwork them in the third to start a tough road trip, and they looked like they already were thinking about what's going on in the sun."

If Boudreau was looking for this game to build momentum for the five-game west coast road trip, what he got was the complete opposite.  "It's really diappointing.  Hopefully this is as low as we get.  This was something we were counting on -- as a coaching staff at least -- to come in, win this game as a springboard for a tough road trip."

Boudreau talked about the faltering power play, which went 0-for-5 today.  "We've practiced it more in the past month than we did all last year.  It's the same guys.  The number one thing we have to do is win battles.  Every loose puck, [the Kings] got.  Every time there was a one-on-one situation, [the Kings] got it."

Boudreau's right.  His team did not put out the requisite effort needed to compete in the National Hockey League.  It's a script that is all too familiar at this point in the season.

Do changes need to be made?  Has this team tuned out their coach?  Would a change at that level make any difference at this point in the season?

Or, are some of the players on this team even capable of being motivated by anything other than what drives them personally?

What about a change to the roster?  Boudreau said he "tried" to send a message at the end of the game by benching a couple players, and managing minutes that way could be a method to inspire effort.  But he also said that he needs his best players to be his best players and he needs them on the ice.

This team seems to "get up" for marquee games.  Pittsburgh.  New Year's Day.  National television.  When they play motivated, they are one of the most talented teams in the league.

But games like today show that all the talent in the world can't succeed unless you put out the effort.

It's not too late for the Washington Capitals to find that effort and make a push as they head down the homestretch.  It's hard to imagine this team not qualifying for the playoffs at this point. 

But what's the point if they can't find the effort within themselves needed to succeed?

THE RESULT: In the first game back from the All-Star break, the Washington Capitals came out guns blazing, scoring twice in the first period and looking like the team that won the President's Trophy last season as the top team in the league.

The rest of the game however, they fell back into the same uninspired, lackadaisical play that has plagued them since Dec. 1, allowing Brian Gionta and the Montreal Canadiens to tied the game in regulation, and eventually win the shootout to take the extra point in an important Eastern Conference matchup.

The 3-2 final score was gracious, compared to the Caps level of play in the final two frames.

It was a disappointing performance after such a scintillating start.

It would be easy to blame the coaching staff on this one.  The Caps jumped out quickly and took their foot off the gas, allowing a beaten team to come back and take the extra point in their barn.

But that's not the case.  What happened was two defenseman made undisciplined plays at inopportune times trying to go for the throat instead of making fundamentally sound plays. 

On two occasions Gionta, the diminutive Montreal captain, broke free of the defense and beat Semyon Varlamov, left alone to his own defense.  On the first, defenseman John Erskine was caught trying to pinch in on the play and Gionta was sprung for a breakaway.  The Habs second goal came after John Carlson attempted a drop pass, which was stolen and turned around the other way, and once again Gionta took advantage of the mental mistake.

These Capitals have yet to learn how to put away a team on the ropes.  Let's not mince words here, the Montreal Canadiens are not an exceptional team.  Gionta, their 35-year old forward, is still their best offensive player.  Their backend is a mix of older veterans (Hall Gill, Roman Hamrlik) and youth (uneven but talented P.K. Subban) and goalie Carey Price is average at best.

Bottom line:  you have this team down two after one, you have to bury them.  The Caps did not.

The Caps, wearing white throwback jerseys honoring Hall of Famer Dino Ciccarelli, stopped doing the things that made them successful in the first.  They sat back and allowed Montreal to carry the play, defensemen made mistakes in the offensive zone and there were no forwards covering on the plays.

Erskine was out of position, trying to play a game he's not equipped for.  Carlson is a rookie that needs to learn that if he has speed entering the zone he needs to commit, not gain the zone and try a back pass that can only result in no offensive opportunity that puts him -- and his teammates -- out of position.

Coach Bruce Boudreau was more resigned than agitated after the game.  "It wasn’t a letdown as much as it was mistakes. We made two bad mistakes and it’s in our net. We’re playing desperate. We killed off penalties. They took it to us. We battled and we lost in the shootout. I wish we could’ve scored a little bit more.”

Yes, the Capitals were outshot 38-29.  Yes, after the two-goal lead they retreated into a shell.  But on this occasion, the loss can be pinned on two defensemen trying to do too much.

“It’s tough, but the answers are in this room and they aren’t going to come from anywhere else," said forward Matt Hendricks.  "We know that we have the opportunity to change things and we’re working hard at it.”

The Capitals better hurry up.  They only have 30 games left to figure it out.

THE GOOD: Mathieu Perreault, upon his recall from AHL Hershey, had a goal and assist in the Caps two-goal first period.  Stop me if you've heard this one before.

THE BAD: Brooks Laich.  On his first shift, he and his linemates did a great job cycling and keeping the puck deep.  After that...well, lets just say Brooks did not distinguish himself.  Three minor penalties, including one that wiped out a Caps power play.  He has just nine goals through 52 games, and his struggles are symptomatic of the Capitals troubles this season.

Adding injury to insult, Laich limped off the ice late in the game late after being struck in the leg by an Alex Ovechkin line drive.

THE UGLY: Six two minute minors taken, including three of the four calls after the first period.  They killed all the power plays, but that kind of undisciplined hockey just can't be sustained.  Some of these players need to be held accountable for their poor play.

Also:  Tampa beat Philly 4-0, so the lead in the Eastern Conference is now five points.  Oh, the ignominy.

THE STATS: Mathieu Perreault (6) unassisted at 2:29 of 1st.  Mike Knuble (12) from Mike Green (15) and Mathieu Perreault (4) at 7:49 of 2nd (PP).

NEXT GAME: Friday at 7:00 pm at Tampa Bay.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Mike Knuble.  Goal, six shots, two hits.  Nice game from the old man.

2. Semyon Varlamov.  36 saves on 38 shots.  Was huge in the second and third periods.

1. Mathieu Perreault.  Goal, assist.  Maddening that he can't play with this effort every game instead of just when he gets recalled.

Could Andrew Gordon be any happier? (D.Nichols/Caps News Network)

THE RESULT:  You've got to give Washington Capitals fans one thing: They know who's next on the schedule.

Mid-way through the third period, when this one was well beyond doubt, the chant started.

"WE WANT PITTSBURGH!"

It's certainly premature for the fan base of a team just two games removed from an eight-game losing streak to start taunting their fiercest rival, but there it was.  It was heard by a national television audience on the Versus Network.

And you KNOW they heard it in Western PA.

But the Capitals did exactly what they HAD to do tonight:  dominate a completely inferior opponent on home ice.

After the misery that was going through D.C. in recent days, the win was a hopeful sign to the fan base that their Capitals were back.  You'll have to forgive them for their exuberance.

After the Caps put the finishing touches on their second straight win, a 5-1 drubbing of the New Jersey Devils, the locker room as well seemed to have a different feeling.  Not of relief, per se, but of normalcy.

Washington regains first place in the Southeast Division by one point (20-12-4, 44 points) over Atlanta and remains two points behind Pittsburgh for second place in the conference.

The Caps got great contributions from recent call-ups from AHL Hershey in this one, as Andrew Gordon and Jay Beagle both chipped in with goals, and Jason Chimera broke his long scoreless streak with a goal, his 200th career NHL point.

John Carlson added a goal, assist, and was plus-4 on the night.

To say Gordon was excited about his first NHL goal is an understatement.  After tipping in a perfect crossing pass from the boards by Marcus Johansson, he found his Swedish center back on the bench and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, of course caught by the TV cameras.

“It’s a weight off my shoulders," Gordon said. "I came here wanting to contribute and show I could do it up here. I’ve had a couple opportunities the last few games but finally got a nice one to squeak through on a great pass.”

"The boys have been through quite a bit in the last few weeks and to get a couple wins in a row is always a good feeling.”

Video D.Nichols/Caps News Network

For his part on the play, Johansson just needed to beat a cheating defenseman to the puck.  “I was just hoping the puck would bounce over the defenseman’s stick at the redline and it did. I looked to the middle and saw Gordon had more speed than his defenseman so I just tried to hit him and it turned out pretty good.”

Pretty good, indeed.

Chimera's milestone came as a relief as well.  "It's nice.  It seems like I was on it for 85 games.  My three-year old made me goals scoring cookies today, so I think they helped out, so I'll give the credit to him."

"It's nice to get back-to-back wins, especially with all the questions about us, whether we're gonna play good or not.  We played pretty solid tonight."

Coach Bruce Boudreau remarked on the play of the recent call-ups after the game.

“I thought they all played great. They had lots of energy, they followed direction and they played with passion and enthusiasm. When you do that, usually, no matter what league you’re in you’re going to have success.”

And does adding a youthful outlook to the locker room alter the mood?  “I think winning rejuvenates guys too. I mean it’s a much happier locker room the last couple of games, so that’s good.”

The Capitals needed this one.  After squeaking out a 3-2 win over Ottawa Saturday night, they needed to come home and take care of business against one of the worst teams in the NHL, something they could not do two weeks ago against Toronto.

But with the Penguins looming Thursday, then again on New Year's Day, this team needs to find a semblance of efficiency and cohesion.

Perhaps the influx of talent from their very well-prepared minor league affiliate was just what the doctor ordered, starting with Carlson and Karl Alzner, then Johansson and Mathieu Perreault, now continuing with Gordon and Beagle.

Can a team whose best players aren't even at their physical prime yet already be ushering in another wave of "young guns"?

THE GOOD:  Going to the bakery.  Four of the Caps five goals were from close in, including Beagle's stuff from a nice Steckel move and pass and Mike Knuble's redirect of an entry feed by Tom Poti.

THE BAD:  Matt Bradley broke a finger and will miss two-to-four weeks.  He will also miss the Winter Classic.  We'll have more on this from practice Wednesday, but it's a huge blow to the soul of this team.

THE UGLY: Mark Fayne.  The New Jersey defenseman was victimized by Johansson on the first goal at center ice, and Chimera skated right past him on his goal.

THE STATS:

1st Period:  16:41 WSH Andrew Gordon (1) Tip-In - Assists: M. Johansson (3) & J. Erskine (5)

2nd Period:  4:56 NJD PPG - Patrik Elias (7) Tip-In - Assists: J. Langenbrunner (9) & T. Zajac (14)

10:00 WSH Jay Beagle (1) Wrist Shot - Assists: D. Steckel (4) & M. Bradley (6)

12:39 WSH Jason Chimera (5) Wrist Shot - Assists: A. Gordon (1) & J. Carlson (13)

16:31 WSH John Carlson (4) Slap Shot - Assists: A. Ovechkin (27)

3rd Period: 12:01 WSH Mike Knuble (7) Tip-In - Assists: T. Poti (5) & B. Laich (14)

NEXT GAME:  Thursday night at 7:00 pm against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Verizon Center.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Michael Neuvirth.  35 saves on 36 shots.  Kicked pucks to the corners all night long.

2. Andrew Gordon.  First NHL goal and assist.  And the kiss that sealed the deal.

1. John Carlson.  Goal.  Assist.  Plus-4. He's growing up right before our eyes.

PHOTOS (all photos C. Nichols/Caps News Network)



"But once it was 2-0 you could see the shoulders sagging and everything on the bench and they just didn't believe they were going to be able to come back tonight." -- Coach Bruce Boudreau on the third period collapse.

THE RESULTS:  The Washington Capitals pre-holiday slump continued at a stunned, discontented Verizon Center Thursday night, as the Caps were shut out by the Florida Panthers, 3-0.

Despite receiving five power plays and registering 18 shots on goal in the first period, the Caps failed to score.  It took the wind out of Washington's sails, and they were a completely different team after the intermission.

The second period saw more of the same, with the Caps free-lancing instead of sticking with the game plan.  The game stayed scoreless until there was one second left, when Alexander Frolik banged home a third-effort shot between four Caps defender in the low slot.

Deflated, the Caps should have just stayed in the dressing room instead of putting on the debacle that followed in the third, as Florida scored twice more against out-of-position defenders while forwards played individually and failed to back-check at all.

For the game, the Capitals ended up 0-for-8 on the power play, including 1:53 of five-on-three play.

After the game, Coach Bruce Boudreau left in no uncertain terms how he felt about his team's effort, and veteran forward Mike Knuble was no less certain in his assessment of the state of the team.

"Our intentions were good at the beginning," Boudreau said, "Then when you don't score on the power play when you have the opportunity you could see at the end of the first period that we started to try to do things as individuals instead of collectively.  And when that happens, you know, it's tough.  But it's no excuse. 

After the first period, we were talking about how often this happens [when a team drastically outshoots its opponent], then the other team comes out and they're going to get power plays in the second period and it usually turns.  And I thought we did a really good job of holding them off on the five-on-three and the penalty, but you got four guys down there [on the first goal] and nobody touching anybody and they're gonna score."

"Once [Florida] believed that, at the start of the third period, they dug in their heels pretty good.  They were a determined group and we were looking like we were feeling sorry for ourselves."

“My thoughts were our top six forwards weren’t very good. But our bottom six forwards were working their hardest and getting opportunities,” Boudreau said. “So I wanted to put at least one of those guys on with the [top] guys and maybe it would rub off, the energy would rub off.

"But quite frankly, if your best players aren’t your best players – and we’ve been shut out three times in the last 11 games, which has never happened - you’re not going to have success.”

"You have to get production out of your best players and it's not happening right now.  Alex has two goals in eleven games, Semin hasn't scored in seven or eight games, Mike Green hasn't gotten a goal in I don't know how many games, same thing with Nick Backstrom...if they're not gonna score, and the power play's not gonna work, then you better win the game 1-0."

"They aren't playing good enough right now to score goals."

"I came in between periods, second and third, and everybody was hanging their heads and we were down 1-0.  My job at that time is not give them crap, but let them know they're good -- and don't feel sorry for yourselves.  Don't put your head down.  Dig your heels in and come back and it's one shot."

"But once it was 2-0 you could see the shoulders sagging and everything on the bench and they just didn't believe they were going to be able to come back tonight."

Veteran forward Mike Knuble was pointed in his post-game comments. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Mike Knuble had a different take on the situation, insisting that the team can't solely depend on the team's stars to carry them every night.

"You can point the finger in this game a lot of different places.  Fact of the matter is through 40 minutes it's a tied game.  And the power play didn't holdup its end of the bargain at all.  I don't know if we're fragile enough that if things don't go well on the power play that it's gonna creep into our five-on-five play.  I don't.  But we were playing a tight game and it didn't seem like we were comfortable with it."

"We didn't muster a whole lot there in the third, and when we went down two...a lot of nights it's in the cards for us but tonight it wasn't.  Usually we can draw on something and get something going but we couldn't."

"We've been doing teams a lot of favors lately, letting them pull out of slumps and helping teams feel good about themselves and frankly it's getting pretty tiring.  We're supposed to be a top team and we're letting teams come in and feel good about themselves when they leave.  Nobody is more embarrassed than the players today."

"I think some of our players have flown under the radar as far as their play.  Myself included, probably the number one culprit.  We just all have to be better.  It's not all on Ovie, it not on Nick.  And it's not on our top guys all the time.  It other guys that need to help out.  We've all got to be better."

"Usually it comes pretty easy at home.  If we're down a goal, frankly, we've got the horses to come out and win the game, but tonight it wasn't there.  And it can't be on our horses all the time.  It's gotta be on other guys too."

Both men are correct, of course.  When a team that is one of the most prolific scoring teams in the league scores six goals in four games, you can bet they were all losses, as they were.  And the trouble is systemic right now -- top to bottom.

But this team has has losing streaks before.  It's a long season and it's going to happen.  Fans can -- and should -- voice their displeasure, both at the game and on message boards and social media. 

But those calling for heads to roll are both short-sighted and incorrect.  Caps fans have been spoiled lately into thinking this is an easy game; that the 82 game regular season is nothing more than a long tune up for the playoff and the Caps should win games like tonight easily.

And maybe some of the players themselves have let that thinking set in.

But this is the NHL.  Nothing is easy.  And the Caps are one of the most talented and well coached teams in the league.  I needn't remind anyone that's been a fan of this team for more than just a few years what a poorly coached team looks like.

Let's all just step back, take a breath, and remind ourselves that losing streaks will happen over an 82-game schedule.

THE GOOD:  Semyon Varlamov played well for most of the game, though he had very little help.

THE BAD:  Too much to mention.

THE UGLY:  Fans streaming out of Verizon Center, justifiably booing with full lungs, after Florida scored their third goal.  Let's hope it's a long time indeed before we see that again.

THE STATS:  No goals.

NEXT GAME:  Saturday at 7:00 pm against Colorado Avalanche at Verizon Center.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3.  Eric Fehr.  Five shoots on goal in first period.  Fourth line in the third.  Huh?

2.  Scott Hannan.  He knows the right place to go instinctively.

1.  Semyon Varlamov.  Could sue for non-support.

"It's frustrating anytime you give up a 4-1 lead in the third period.  You're gonna be angry.  It doens't happen and it's not supposed to happen."  Coach Bruce Boudreau

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals fairly dominated every minute of the first two periods, skating circles around a vastly inferior team, skill-wise, taking a 4-1 lead into the second intermission.  Beat writers were already writing their stories, just waiting for a final score.

Unfortunately, the National Hockey League still asks both teams to play three 20-minute periods.

As good as the Capitals were in the first two frames, that's as poorly as they played in the third, and allowed the less-talented Toronto Maple Leafs to tie the game in regulation and eventually win in the shootout, 5-4.

"We quit playing in our zone," said Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau.  "We just wanted to play safe.  You can't just allow a team to come into our zone all night long.  When they were in our zone, our positioning -- by both defensemen and forwards -- was really bad."

Washington (18-8-3, 39 points) had problems with Toronto's forechecking all night long, from the first shift of the game until the last.  But the Leafs had trouble moving the puck, connecting on passes, and whiffing on shots -- until the last three minutes of the game when Toronto scored twice in 59 seconds, with the game-tying goal at 18:36 by Clarke MacArthur.

MacArthur was a pain in the Caps' side all night long, and he really appeared to get under their skin.  Early in the first period, the gritty winger took a high shot at Nicklas Backstrom that was not called, and for the rest of the affair different Capitals, including Matt Hendricks, Jason Chimera and Matt Bradley all challenged the winger.

But MacArthur had the last laugh, as his wrist shot beat goalie Michael Neuvirth to even things up with less than two minutes to play.

If the Caps had exerted as much energy in the third period playing defense as they did trying to chase down MacArthur, the final might have been 7-1.

Captain Alex Ovechkin was at a loss for words after the game.

"I don't know what happened the last ten minutes,' he said.  "Four to one lead after two periods is pretty big.  Losing a game like this is pretty bad for us.  It's a lesson and it's good we have another game soon."

To add injury to insult, defenseman Jeff Schultz was injured in the second period and did not return.  After the game, Boudreau revealed Schultz sustained a fractured thumb and will miss four-to-six weeks.

The loss and injury put a pall over the locker room, and detracts from the great game Mathieu Perreault had upon his recall from AHL Hershey.  The diminutive center had two goals and provided much-needed spark in his first game back. 

Perreault has a history of having good first games.  "Every time I get called up it seems like the first game I'm flying," Perreault said.  "Now it's just a matter of doing it every night."

Perreault even got ice time in overtime -- and the second shot in the shootout.  "It shows they have confidence in me and can play me in the big situation."

"I felt good tonight.  It's just unfortunate that we came out with a loss here.  In the third we got away from our game and it cost us."

Boudreau praised Perreault's effort, but used it to take a backhanded shot at the rest of his team.

"He brought great energy tonight, like we thought.  If some of the other forwards had played with as much energy as him, we wouldn't have been in the situation we were in."

THE GOOD:  Mathieu Perreault had a great game, centering Alexander Semin and Brooks Laich.  He displayed the energy and skill the Caps really love from the little guy.  So many times he seems to step in with these games, but then disappears. The Caps could really benefit from him finally clicking and sticking around this time.

THE BAD:  Schultz' injury could be devastating.  It makes the Scott Hannan deal look even bigger now, but puts the Caps right back where they were before the trade -- thin on defense with a bunch of lingering injuries.

THE UGLY:  The comeback started with Mikhail Grabovski's goal from the high slot at 4:15 of the third.  Alex Ovechkin seemed to lose his positioning on the play, looking for a pass instead of back-checking. 

Asked if Grabovski was Ovechkin's man, he replied, "It was exactly where he should have been.  When it went out to the blue line he was going out -- I think he was looking for the redirect and to go, rather than to come to the slot, just in case something like what happened, happened."

On the game-tying goal, MacArthur was all alone at the far post.  The closest Capital to him:  Ovechkin.

THE STATS:  Mathieu Perreault (1) from Tom Poti (2) and Alexander Semin (15) at 2:55 of 1st.  Mike Knuble (5) from Nicklas Backstrom (20) and Tom Poti (3) at 14:58 of 1st (PP). Mathieu Perreault (2) from Brooks Laich (12) at 6:46 of 2nd.  Alex Ovechkin (12) from Tom Poti (4) and Nicklas Backstrom (21) at 13:50 of 2nd.

NEXT GAME:  Thursday at 7:00 pm against Florida Panthers.

CAPS NEW NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Mike Knuble.  Picked up his own rebound on the power play and scored for the second time in three nights. 

2. Tom Poti.  Three assists in the game for the first time since he was patrolling the blue line for the Islanders.

1. Mathieu Perreault. The diminutive center-iceman scored his first two goals of the season and provided a much needed spark in his second stint with the club this season, much like his first call-up.

CAPS NOTES

D.J. King fought Colton Orr in the second period.  It was just King's third fight of the season.

Ovechkin scored his 12th goal of the season, giving him goals in back-toback games after going nine games scoreless.  He has points in six of the last seven games (two goals, seven assists).

The Caps won 57 percent of their face-offs, and have won 50 percent of more in 15 of their last 16 games.

Washington was three-for-four on the penalty kill and are 21-24 (87.5%) in their last six games.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS