Hurricanes 3, Caps 2 (Shootout)
Not exactly a vintage performance for the Caps. And Bruce Boudreau was worried about that. It was the first game after a long stretch away from home. Alex Ovechkin and Jason Arnott returned after injury layoffs and hadn’t had much practice time. Still, Washington took control of the game in the second period and had a one-goal lead entering the third. That’s usually money in the bank for this group, which was 27-0-2 when ahead with 20 minutes left. Well, make that 27-0-3. The Caps gain a point, but lose ground to most of the Eastern Conference playoff candidates.
Washington (44-22-11, 99 points) is now three points behind top seed Philadelphia (46-20-10, 102 points) and the Flyers have a game in hand. No. 3 Boston (43-23-10, 96 points) is just three points behind the Caps – also with a game in hand. Even Tampa Bay (41-24-11, 93 points) trimmed the Southeast Division lead to six points with a game in hand. Still likely too late for the Lightning with just six games remaining in the regular season. All three of those team won on Tuesday as did No. 6 Montreal (41-29-7, 89 points) as things tighten a bit in the chase for Stanley Cup playoff position.
“We still have a lot to play for,” Boudreau said. “Now we are three points back of Philly. We’re just clinging to being ahead of Boston. Tampa [won] so we haven’t done them yet. So we’re not by any stretch of the means taking a vacation until the playoffs. We want to play hard and win every game.”
Boudreau defended goalie Semyon Varlamov after the young Russian gave up a soft goal to Carolina’s Jeff Skinner early in the third period. His point is taken. A team has to pick up its goalie in that spot and certainly all three of Washington’s kids have played well this season. But Varlamov wants to be the No. 1 guy in the playoffs and those are the kinds of goals that are just a killer. Have to make the other team earn it. Michal Neuvirth is probably the favorite to start anyway. That kind of goal just gives him a bigger opening.
“I was just trying to get it on net,” Skinner said. “[Our line] had been on for a while in our end, it was a great block by [Canes defenseman Bryan] Allen there to sort of break up a minute in our end. I was just going to dump it in [but] there was just a little bit of space there so I just took it in and just tried to put it on net and luckily it went in.”
Washington can’t afford to lose defenseman Dennis Wideman for long. He went down hard on an odd hit by Carolina’s Jussi Jokinen. Looked like Wideman was falling anyway when he took a shot to the midsection. He remained on the ice for a few moments, apparently dazed, but then hobbled to the dressing room on a gimpy right ankle. Officially listed as “day-to-day”, but who knows what that means this time of year. Boudreau claimed Wideman – who has been doing his best Mike Green impersonation pretty much since he was acquired at the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 28 – is “okay”.
The whole game had an odd feel. Boudreau admitted Ovechkin’s timing was off as he returned from an undisclosed injury. Jason Arnott’s game is less dependent on that, but even he took a penalty and was on the ice for a goal against. Arnott hadn’t played since March 13. The Caps looked great for stretches in the second period, but just couldn’t sustain it.
“I don’t know. Just coming home from a long road trip, a couple new guys on the ice, I just think everyone was kind of trying to feel each other out for a while there,” said Washington defenseman John Carlson. “And some chances we got, we didn’t bear down on and bury [them] and then they get a lucky goal and tie the game up.”
Boudreau also defended his players’ effort. They did post 40 shots on goal, after all and allowed just 26 despite five Carolina power plays. But Alex Semin’s late penalty with 3:19 left in regulation? Yeah – that didn’t get much of a defense.
“[Semin] was our best offensive player, but at the same time he did the same thing he’s been doing for five years – taking a dumb penalty with four minutes to go in the game,” Boudreau said. “The refs didn’t want to call any penalties, but you have to call that one. It’s a bad hook in the neutral zone.”
Huge win for the Hurricanes (36-30-10, 82 points), who clawed within three points of No. 8 Buffalo (38-29-9, 85 points). The Sabres lost at Toronto on Tuesday to give Carolina life. The Hurricanes turn into massive Caps fans now. Buffalo visits Verizon Center on Saturday.
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