Devils End Caps' One Game Winning Streak

Capitals 2, Devils 3
Scoresheet – Wash Post

Alex Ovechkin’s shot not only hit Devils’ goaltender Scott Clemmensen’s mask bending it, but it also landed in the net. It tied the game at two, but the Caps couldn’t pull this win out. In a rather yawnish game, the Capitals drop another game as their season slowly slips away.

“I've been hit in the mask a lot. The cage will bend, it takes the velocity off the puck and it will drop in front of you,” Clemmensen said. “I can't believe it hit me, bent my cage and went in. It had to have been a really hard shot.” Indeed.

Ovechkin, who had only scored once in the last ten games, was obviously relieved. “I got it in, finally,” he said. Ovie goal was not enough for the Caps to win. They have struggled since the All Star break.

Caps played an okay game today against the Devils, but just couldn’t find that lucky bounce. The Caps have to create their opportunities themselves, but more and more it’s seems they would rather sit back on their heels and wait for something to happen. When the Capitals play an aggressive style, they score. That style however takes confidence that the Caps seem to lack.

Brent Johnson has been doing a good job in net, even getting the third star in this game. With more games under his belt, the better he will get. Brent stopped 26 out of 29 including a few acrobatic saves that wowed the skinny crowd. Not many showed up for the game due to a bad winter storm (and by bad I mean the fact that there is a presence of snow, DC commuters become the world’s worst drivers).

Caps face the Panthers next, and need a win badly against the team that right in front of them in the standings in the southeast division. A loss and the risk ending this season dead last in their division for a third straight season.

Also via the Washington Post:
“McPhee has expressed interest in signing [Dainius] Zubrus and [Richard] Zednik to extensions, but time is running out, he acknowledged. The contract talks with Zubrus's agent, in fact, have slowed to a standstill.” It doesn’t sound very good for Zubie.