Out of a Stanley Cup playoff position and facing five road games over the next two weeks, the Capitals are trying to keep away from any mounting frustrations.
But in the wake of a pair of losses to the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks this week, two key players expressed unhappiness with their current roles. Washington goalie Michal Neuvirth expected to play Monday against San Jose only to be passed over for AHL recall Braden Holtby. Meanwhile, veteran winger Mike Knuble has been a healthy scratch each of the last three games.
“It is tough. But what can I do?” Neuvirth said Tuesday after an optional team practice. “At least if I knew [Holtby] was going to get the start, but no one told me. So I was getting prepared for the game and when I showed up and found out I was not playing it was tough to swallow.”
Neuvirth was the starter for a team-high 45 games last season. He also played in all nine playoff games. But this year he’s taken a back seat to veteran Tomas Vokoun, who signed as a free agent over the summer.
Once that happened, Neuvirth, 23, knew his role with the organization — for one year at least — would change. But when Vokoun was sidelined with the flu this week, Neuvirth figured he’d get the chance for back-to-back starts for the first time since Dec. 23 and Dec. 26. In his last four starts, his goals-against average is 2.50 and his save percentage is .918. That’s about average production for a goalie. But according to the coaching staff, it’s not good enough.
“It’s one of those things where if [Neuvirth] was standing on his head every night, would Braden be playing? No,” coach Dale Hunter said. “So it’s always judged by how you play.”
Knuble has scored 21 goals or more in eight consecutive seasons. This year he has just three goals and eight assists and has appeared to slow at age 39. Playing on a one-year contract extension signed last April worth $2 million, Knuble’s benching has raised questions about his immediate future with the organization. The NHL trade deadline is at 3 ?p.m. on Feb. 27. Knuble emphasized that he hasn’t asked Washington to trade him. But he also made it clear the status quo isn’t tenable, either.
“No, no, but that’s something that you’ve got to face reality,” Knuble said. “You can handle it a number of ways. You can be content and just sit there and let things happen as they may or you can force an issue. You have to kind of decide that. There are two weeks before the trade deadline. If a player is not going to be used or in the near future, if you don’t have plans, then that player probably wouldn’t want to be there.”
The Caps (28-23-5, 61 standings points) are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They do not play again until Friday at Florida, which is four points ahead in the Southeast Division.
