Blue Jackets top Caps in OT, 5-4; Ovechkin injured
By: Brian McNally
Examiner Staff Writer
November 2, 2009
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| Columbus Blue Jackets' RJ Umberger scores a goal as Capitals defenseman Milan Jurcina (23) and goalie Jose Theodore, left, defend during the second period Sunday evening at Verizon Center. The Caps lost, 5-4, in OT. (AP) |
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Around the NHL, top stars are dropping like flies thanks to a rash of injuries. Sunday afternoon, it was the Capitals’ turn to experience that dreaded feeling.
Star left wing Alex Ovechkin – who leads the NHL in goals (14) and points (23) - left the ice at 13 minutes, 50 seconds of the second period, minutes after a physical confrontation with Columbus forward Jason Chimera. His absence overshadowed a wild, 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets at Verizon Center.
Washington (8-2-4, 20 points) lost leads of both 3-2 and 4-3 in the third period. Columbus forward Raffi Torres scored with an extra attacker on the ice with just 22.4 seconds left to tie the game at 4. R.J. Umberger then added the game winner in overtime during a 4-on-3 power play. It was his second goal of the night.
But the big story was Ovechkin’s status. The sparring session with Chimera stemmed from a big hit he laid on the Columbus forward during the first period. The two traded words and blows in front of the Blue Jackets bench and Ovechkin appeared to favor his left shoulder while sitting in the penalty box. On his next shift, Ovechkin was knocked to the ice during a collision with Torres and immediately skated to the team’s dressing room after a whistle at 6:10. He did not return.
“It was just a game play,” said Ovechkin, who refused to disclose when he was hurt – during the Chimera scrum or the collision with Torres - or how long he could be out. He also claimed he was adjusting his shoulder pads while in the box and not testing an injured joint. Washington next practices Tuesday morning and team officials said there would be no update until then.
The Caps played hard without their star. Brooks Laich had a pair of goals in the third period. Forward Quintin Laing – just back from a case of swine flu – popped home his second career NHL goal at 16:34 to give Washington a 4-3 lead.
“You have a player like [Ovechkin] in your lineup and it’s easy to try to look to him all the time at critical times,” said Caps forward Mike Knuble. “If he’s going to go down, it’s a chance for other guys to step up and try to pull their weight. You see teams lose [their] best player – whether it’s one game or multiple games – they feel sorry for themselves. And that’s the last thing we need to do.”
In recent weeks, the injury bug has bitten numerous NHL stars. Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (shoulder strain), Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (concussion), Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo (rib) and Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk (broken foot) are among a legion of wounded players. But in the end, it wasn’t an injury that cost Washington. It was a couple of penalties – late in regulation to Mike Knuble and in overtime to defenseman Brian Pothier.
“In regulation we’ve lost just two out of 14 games so I have seen it a lot,” said Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. “But it was rallying around [Ovechkin]” getting hurt. In the third period, we outworked them and we probably deserved a better fate. But we shoot ourselves in the feet with penalties.”
