Pathetic

Capitals 2, Hurricanes 5
Scoresheet - Post - Times

The Carolina Hurricanes played like a team desperate to make the playoffs, the Washington Capitals played like they could care less. Four goals including two short handed goals in the second decimated the Caps at home and they drop yet another disappointing loss at the phone booth to a team they should beat.

Alex Semin and Sergei Fedorov saved face for the Caps.

!Warning, a Mike Green rant!

If you are the only defenseman on the power play and their team is coming down the ice with the puck shorthanded, PLAY DEFENSE! Both goals Mike Green looked like he wanted no part of the play, backing off the penalty killer and watching rather than getting into the play. Mike, if you want to be a winger, just ask. I am sure Bruce Boudreau would accommodate you. But if you want to play defense, the play the damn position.

Put your body on him, get a stick on him, get in the play, DO SOMETHING! Anything. Take a damn penalty. But don't just stand there and watch like it's not your responsibility to play defense. Both shorthanded tallies by the Hurricanes were a direct result in Green just not engaging in the play. It would have been a different story if there was a off winger breaking and you needed to cover him, but Matt Cullen was all alone on the first one and Green just skated backwards and stopped in the slot. Get in there and play defense doof.

End rant, thank you.

The Washington Capitals just did not play well and as a result there was a steady stream of fickle Caps fans heading for the doors. Can you blame them? They wanted to see the Caps put up a better effort than this.

One would think on the eve of the trade deadline, one would want to have a really good game as to show your general manager that you worth keeping. No one in red got the memo. The Caps were guilty of standing around, watching the 'Canes as they skated hard for the puck, won the battles on the boards and just outplayed their counterparts.

If you play your hardest and still get beat, then I can chalked it up as the hockey gods just were not on your side in this game. But that was not the case, the Caps did not work for their supper and instead we payed them to have the best seats in the house for 60 minutes.

The Capitals' system they play depends on the score remaining close. If it is not, and the other team as the lead, they can sit back and play defense and frustrate the Capitals. The Caps depend on their team to stretch their forwards and defense to open lanes and score on quick transitions. That can not happen if the other team can build up a nice lead.

Puckhead player of the game, the horn guy. God bless him, he was still trying to get the fans going as they headed for the exits.

Tom Poti was the one that was sitting out with a re-aggravated groin pull. John Erskine got some playing time after all. Micheal Nylander sat out as well for the fourth straight games as the Caps try to shop the forward.