Caps Blow Lead, Fall in Shootout Again

Caps Are Now 1-8 on the Season in Shootouts As Cheechoo Nets Game Winner
San Jose Sharks 3, Washington Capitals 2 F/SO
Boxscore
(Photo Courtesy of Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

It was another heartbreaking loss as for the second consecutive night the Capitals failed to take advantage of a team that was struggling heading into the matchup. San Jose had lost three straight and, like the Caps, were having trouble scoring as of late. But the Sharks were able to overcome a strong start by Washington and, despite falling behind 2-0, were able to overcome the deficit to defeat the Capitals 3-2 in the shootout.

Even though Washington had played just 24 hours earlier in Montreal, while San Jose was relaxing in DC waiting for them, the Caps were able to get the jump on the Sharks. After a 10 minute feeling out period where neither team recorded a shot on goal, Shaone Morrisonn was able to tally the first goal of the game. He retrieved the rebound off of a right pad save by Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov following a Matt Bradley shot from the right boards. With Jonathan Cheechoo screening his own goalie while attempting to block his shot, Morrisonn fired a slap shot over Nabokov's blocker for his 2nd goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.

The Caps would make it 2-0 just 49 seconds later as Brian Sutherby deposited a loose puck in front of the net for his 5th goal of the season and his second in as many nights.

San Jose would cut the lead in half before the end of the period as Patrick Rissmiller finished off a 2 on 1 break and a nice feed from former Capital Mike Grier. It was Rissmiller's first goal in his last 10 games and his 5th of the season.

The second period was pretty much a stalemate as neither team produced any quality scoring chances until the end of the period, when the Caps had a little bit of a flurry while on the power play.

The Sharks would use their potent power play, which is ranked second in the NHL in goals behind only the Pittsburgh Penguins, to pull even in the third following a hooking penalty to Eric Fehr. A Joe Pavelski shot from the left circle caused a free for all in front that saw Matthew Carle finally stuff the puck home after hitting the post on a his first stuff attempt. The goal would send the game to overtime as neither team could tally the rest of the way.

The extra frame saw Nabokov deny Richard Zednik on a semi-breakaway opportunity and Matt Pettinger as well after he made a nice curl and drag move around a defenseman. So once again the Caps found themselves in a shootout situation.

It started out well this time as a successful try by Matt Pettinger on a nice snap shot gave Caps fans hope that maybe they could finally pull one of these games out. But that would not be the case again as consecutive goals by Joe Pavelski and Jonathan Cheechoo would seal their fate and send the Capitals home frustrated with another shootout loss.

Ron Wilson returned to Washington and remained undefeated against his former club, improving his record to 4-0 since his departure from the Capitals organization. It was also the 10th straight win for the Sharks over the Capitals who have not beaten San Jose since February 20th, 1999. The streak is the longest losing streak against any NHL team for the Caps.

Game Notes:

Kris Beech dressed for the first time in 10 games as he took Brooks Laich spot on the second line. Laich joined Ben Clymer and Steve Eminger as the healthy scratches.... Brian Pothier led the team in ice time with 28:44 and blocked shots with 4.... Brent Johnson had another solid game stopping 33 of 35 shots on the night.... Alex Ovechkin was kept off the scoreboard again, including a shootout attempt, and now has just 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 9 games.... Chris Clark left the game in the third period after a shoulder on shoulder hit in the offensive zone. You have to wonder how bad the injury is considering how he finished his shift after breaking his jaw and losing half of his teeth earlier in the year.... The Hershey Bears also blew a 2-0 lead in their game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. However they were able to respond and win their shootout thanks to goals from Mike Green and Alexandre Giroux to go along with a clean sheet by goaltender Maxime Daigneault.... The Sharks had to play without Patrick Marleau who was a late scratch due to food poisoning.

Capitals Practice Recap

As I arrived to the Kettler Capitals Iceplex around 10:40 am, about 20 minutes before practice was scheduled to begin, Brian Pothier, Brian Muir, and John Erskine were on the ice participating in conditioning drills. They looked as though they were moving around fairly well. Muir and Erskine would stay out for half of the team practice, while Pothier returned to the locker room before practice began.

(Photo by Allen Popels/www.CapitalFanatic.com)

The lines for today remained as usual:

Red - Ovechkin, Zubrus, Clark, plus Beech
Teal - Pettinger, Gordon, Zednik
Black - Semin, Laich, Fehr, plus Bradley
Yellow - Brashear, Sutherby, Clymer, plus Muir and Erskine
White - Green, Jurcina, Nycholat, Schultz, Eminger, and Heward
Goaltenders - Kolzig, Johnson

Shaone Morrisonn was the only regular not at practice today. No word as to why.

Frederic Cassivi was also missing from practice, meaning he was probably sent down to Hershey for their home game tonight against the Portland Pirates. He could always be recalled again before Thursday's game with the Kings.

Practice started today with a simple dump and chase defensive drill where the object was to collect the loose puck and clear the zone. This was followed by an off the boards outlet drill that led to breakaway opportunities on goal. There were a couple variations to this drill that included cross ice outlet passes. The emphasis of the beginning of the practice seemed to be speed, as players were skating at full tempo.

Three on ones followed and the ice was divided in half to limit the breakout to only half the ice. During this drill Matt Bradley had a nice goal beating Brent Johnson with a glove side shot that rang off the post and in.

A three on two drill was next that involved a quick counter attack by the forward line following a turnover at center ice. The drill really was a five on two situation as a defensive pair backed up the forward line.

The last team drill of the practice involved a two on one drill that started from the offensive corner. Quick moves and passes were the key here to beat the one defenseman and get a shot away. The drill seemed to end on a little 22 on 0 as the entire team bunched around the net. The guys looked as though they were having a good time there.

As some players started to leave the ice, Johnson and Kolzig got in some work. On one side of the ice there was a rapid fire drill where each player shot five pucks consecutively on Johnson. And on the other side, Kolzig was involved in a drill where there was a shot from the slot while about four other players crowded around the net. The play would continue until either they scored or Kolzig secured the puck.

Brent Johnson seemed to be getting through practice okay until these extra drills. He really looked like he was hurting and would spent lots of time keeled over and shaking his head. We all know the Caps unwillingness to disclose injuries as they described Johnson's current injury as a "body" injury. From the way he was laboring though, my guess would be that it's a groin problem.

That's all from today. Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post was on hand as was Capitals General Manager George McPhee.

Offense is Offensive

Improved Defensive Performance Spoiled as Caps are Shutout for the Third Time This Season
Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Washington Capitals 0
Boxscore
(Photo courtesy of Keith Srakocic/AP)


Whether it was the presence of a newly acquired defenseman in Milan Jurcina, or a determination to refocus on playing traditional Capitals' hockey, the Caps played their most complete game of the season defensively. They shut down the NHL's leading point scorer in Sidney Crosby and the leading Calder Trophy favorite in Evgeni Malkin, keeping them both off the scoreboard and denying them any significant opportunities.

Jurcina made his debut with the Washington Capitals today and made himself right at home, pairing up with former Providence Bruins teammate Shaone Morrisson. He wasted no time making an impact stopping Sidney Crosby as he attempted to go coast to coast just four minutes in. Crosby maneuvered his way around three Capitals players, but a Jurcina pokecheck stopped him from moving in on Kolzig.

Unlike previous games where the team has struggled out of the gate, the Capitals controlled the action early on recording 8 of the games first 9 shots. Six minutes in, Chris Clark had the best scoring chance with two point blank shots in front of Fleury on the power play. During the same man advantage, Alex Ovechkin served the Penguins notice that the Caps were here to play when he drilled Maxime Talbot in the open ice as he had his head down while trying to clear the puck out of his defensive zone. After taking a moment to regain his senses, Talbot headed off to the locker room for repairs. He did return later in the game.

The middle of the second period set the tone for the remainder of the game. Moments after a Steve Eminger shot rang off the post, Ronald Petrovicky beat Kolzig on a weak shot as he entered the offensive zone on a 2 on 2 situation. He faked a slap shot then squeezed a wrist shot between Kolzig's glove and right pad. The goal was an unassisted marker for Petrovicky's 2nd of the season.

That goal would be all Pittsburgh would need as despite the Caps outshooting the Penguins 30-20, they were unable to penetrate goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He stopped all 30 of those shots for his 4th shutout of the season, improving his record to 24-12-6. The key to Fleury's success was his ability to control the first shot from the Capitals and prevent any rebounds.

Rookie Jordan Staal put the game away with 37 seconds to go as he scored an empty net goal to make it 2-0.

The shutout meant an end to Alex Ovechkin's career high point scoring streak at 13 games. It was an uncharacteristic game for Ovechkin who did not record his first shot of the game until the 7 and a half minute mark of the third period.

The loss was the Caps fifth out of their last six games overall and tenth of their last eleven on the road, dropping their record to 21-25-7. The Penguins extended their winning streak to six games and improved to 25-17-8.

Game Notes:

Milan Jurcina's debut meant Lawrence Nycholat was a healthy scratch for the first time since his recall from Hershey on December 23rd. He had been slumping as of late, recording a -7 defensive rating in his last five games.... Daren Machesney backed up Kolzig for the second consecutive game as Brent Johnson remained out with a "body" injury(?).... The loss means the Caps are now 3-17-1 in the last 21 regular season games at Pittsburgh.... The Caps were shut out for the first time since a 5-0 loss at Carolina November 9th.... The 20 shots allowed by Washington was their fewest of the season.... A Boston win at Carolina tonight would drop the Caps to 14th in the conference.

Caps/Penguins Preview

Washington Capitals (21-24-7, 49 points)
at
Pittsburgh Penguins (25-17-8, 58 points)

Television: Comcast Sportsnet
Radio: Sportstalk 980-AM
Gametime: 1:00 PM ET


Following their embarrassing performance in Florida on Thursday night, the Capitals travel to Pittsburgh for a Saturday afternoon matinée with the Penguins at the Mellon Arena. The Caps head into the game having lost three straight and nine of their last ten games on the road. On the other hand, the Penguins have been on a roll as of late riding a five game winning streak entering today's contest.

One of the problems that has plagued the Caps all year, and especially as of late with injuries, has been the play of their defensemen. They hope to get a big boost today from Milan Jurcina, who is expected to make his debut with the team after being acquired from Boston Thursday afternoon for a 4th round pick in 2008. He took Brian Pothier's spot on the active roster after Pothier was placed on the injured reserve list yesterday with a concussion. He could see action on a defensive pairing with his former AHL Providence Bruins teammate Shaone Morrisonn. His hard slap shot could also give him some time on the second team power-play.

While the Capitals were struggling in Florida, the Penguins were busy blowing a 4-2 lead at home against the Montreal Canadians. They were able to regroup and come away with two points after Evgeni Malkin won the game for them in the shootout. The win moved the Penguins into a three-way tie for six place in the Eastern Conference.

It's a tale of two teams going in opposite directions as the Penguins have posted a 9-2-2 record during the new year, while the Caps have gone 5-8-0 for 2007.

Alex Ovechkin enters the game looking to extend his career high 13 game point scoring streak. After his goal against the Panthers he now has 33 on the year to go along with 37 assists for 70 points on the season, putting him in a tie for second in the NHL with the Lightning's Martin St. Louis, 12 points behind the Penguins' Sidney Crosby.

The game will mark the end of a three game road trip for the Caps, which up to now has been winless. They will return home with another matinée on Super Bowl Sunday against the New York Islanders at 1:00 PM ET at the Verizon Center. To purchase tickets visit Ticketmaster.com.