Panthers 4, Caps 2
Not exactly the best start to the second half. The Capitals returned from a two-game trip to Florida with one point to show for it and a massive drop in the Eastern Conference standings. From third place to out of the playoff picture shouldn’t be so easy that it takes just 60 minutes to accomplish, but given the nature of the Southeast Division it’s probably what to expect the rest of the season. Just 32 games left now and it’s pretty clear even making the Stanley Cup playoffs will be a struggle. Washington (26-20-4, 56 points) is now 8-14-3 on the road after a 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, who themselves went from ninth to third in those 60 minutes.
“It’s frustrating. This game could have been a catapult to shoot us off in the second half,” forward Brooks Laich said. “Instead we’re back chasing again. The lack of success on the road, it’s not acceptable.”
Did the Caps catch some unlucky bounces in this one? Sure. Michal Neuvirth was fooled by a Mikael Samuelsson shot from the blueline – the ‘ol fake dump in – and the goal that put the Panthers ahead 3-1 in the third period bounced in off Stephen Weiss’ shoulder, was initially waived off and then reversed by replay officials in Toronto. But let’s be honest here – Neuvirth should have stopped Samuelsson’s shot in the first place.
“When was the last time you saw that?” Laich asked reporters afterwards, according to CSN’s Chuck Gormley. “Five years ago? Freak things like that are going to happen in a hockey game.”
With all due respect to Laich, that’s not going to cut it. Neuvirth allowed a similar goal in a Dec. 17 game at Colorado when Cody McLeod beat him with a shot from the blueline near the boards. Both caught him unaware. If this team’s margin for error is going to be this small those just can’t happen. I get that Laich is just defending his goalie. I’d guess a sterner message was delivered behind closed doors. Laich knows all too well that’s not the first time this has happened because he was on the ice for the McLeod goal 2 minutes, 49 seconds into that Colorado game – a brutal 2-1 loss. This time it was 33 seconds into the second period of a scoreless game.
His greater point does stand, however. The Caps had plenty of time to shake off Samuelsson’s goal. It was one play early in the second period and Laich himself did the honors with a sweet score at 11:15 to tie the game at 1-1. But a Matt Hendricks goalie interference penalty – he does seem to take a lot of those in the name of generating traffic in front – led to Samuelsson’s second goal of the game at 4:57 of the third period. That power-play tally made it 2-1. Later, a little over two minutes after the Panthers killed a goalie interference penalty of their own, Tomas Kopecky jammed at a loose puck in front of Neuvirth and it bounced off up into the air and off Weiss and in.
Absolutely a rough bounce. But earlier mistakes allowed that to be the deciding goal. For a stretch of play lasting 17:07 and bridging the first and second periods, Washington managed just three shots on net. For the most part, I thought the Caps had pretty good energy despite playing an overtime game in Tampa Bay on Tuesday. But they didn’t do enough to gain the lead after a solid start. And once they fell behind on that ugly goal and later failed to take advantage of a power-play opportunity in the second period it was an uphill battle. Best way to avoid worrying about bad breaks is to be up two goals when they happen.
“It seems to be something different every night,” Laich said. “Whether it’s one night the power play doesn’t score, one night the penalty kill gives one up, or a mistake, a missed assignment. We’re just not getting it done. It has nothing to do with game plan or structure. It’s just a mistake here or there changes the game and we’re fighting from behind. We just have to be better. I’m sick and tired of losing on the road.”
Some other news and notes:
The Hendricks-Laich-Troy Brouwer line had another stellar game with 11 shots on goal, including Laich’s tally.
Meanwhile, defenseman Jeff Schultz – playing in just his seventh game since Thanksgiving – saw 9:48 of ice time. That’s about what you’d expect for a guy in his unenviable position. He was not on for any goals for or against.
Hey everybody – John Carlson scored for the first time since Dec. 7. His goal with 2:21 left to play cut the lead to 3-2 and gave Washington a chance. Thought I detected a Mike Green-level sigh-of-relief from Carlson when that one hit the back of the net. He had just one point in January.
Can we talk about a power play that is now 1-for-21 in its last eight games? No? Okay then.
Though Alex Semin (three shots) had a second straight solid game. He generated some chances and seemed strong on the puck. But that top line of Semin, Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault, which had moments of brilliance over the last three games, is about to be broken into kindling. Why?
Because Alex Ovechkin makes his return from a three-game suspension on Saturday afternoon at Montreal. He’ll be back at his familiar left wing spot as coach Dale Hunter figures a way to juggle the rest of the lineup. After the Canadiens game, the Caps scramble back to the District for a 12:30 p.m. game Sunday afternoon against Boston.
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