A Disgusting Loss

Capitals 3, Penguins 4 OT
Scoresheet - Wash Post

Um, wow... okay. That sucked. The Capitals give one away after such a gritty performance. The Caps took a lead into the third period and looked as if they had control of the game only to see it slip away in the final seconds of a penalty kill, then a overtime killer by former Capital Sergei Gonchar. Not to mention the Capitals lost two men to injuries, Brent Johnson and Alex Ovechkin.

It was the second game in two nights for the Caps, while the Penguins first game since the holiday break. The Caps just ran out of gas. Donald Brashear got the Capitals' first goal and Brian Potheir continued his scoring ways. Both tallies tied the game up early in the second. Alex Ovechkin on a give away gave them the lead for his 26th of the season. Then everything fell apart in the third.

On the Penguins second goal late in the first, Brent Johnson scrambled for the puck and twisted what looked to be his right knee, but reports claim his left knee was sprained. Bring in Olie Kolzig. Then early in the third Ovie got a cut on his leg and did not return. Although Ovechkin needed stitches, the injury is not serious.

The Penguins had legs in the third and you could see that. The Capitals didn't. While they held Sid "the Kid" Crosby with out a goal, they gave him a little too much attention in the overtime frame, leaving Gonchar a wide open net.

What puzzles me the most about this loss was the Caps were so close to winning it in regulation. But they took a bad penalty. The Penguins looked like they weren't going to be able to convert it until a face off late in the man advantage. If the Capitals won that face off, game over, but Brooks Laich lost it. Where was David Steckel to take the draw, or Nick Backstrom who was 68% on his draws in this game?

The Caps gain a point for at least making it to overtime. That ties them with Tampa Bay for last in the Eastern Conference. The Caps don't have much time to dwell on this loss with a game coming up on Saturday night in Ottawa. The Senators will be looking for some revenge after the Caps slowed down the bunch with a 4-1 win in early November. The Caps better find their legs and stay healthy if they want a repeat preformance.