Capitals have lost nine of last 10 that have gone into OT or shootout
There is no rhyme or reason for it. The Capitals have lost nine of their last 10 games that have gone past regulation. Four of those have been in the skills competition better known as the shootout. The other five were during four-on-four play in overtime. It happened again when Washington dropped a 2-1 shootout decision to the New York Rangers on Monday night.
In all, that’s nine extra points the Caps have left on the table. No NHL team will win every time a game goes past regulation, of course. But in a tight race for the Southeast Division title — and a No. 3 seed in the Stanley Cup playoffs at the least — every standings point matters. Washington won its first five overtime and shootout games of the season, but hasn’t done so since Nov. 28. The Caps have lost four times after regulation in the last 10 games alone.
“I think we need to get back to going for it,” Washington defenseman Mike Green said. “We’re playing not to get scored on and with that mindframe you might not create as many chances as you would if you were read-and-reacting offensively, especially with four guys on the ice. We have so much skill we should be able to create some plays.”
Tampa Bay entered Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a two-point lead over the Caps in the Southeast Division and is just getting started on a 12-game homestand, which should help the Lightning keep the pressure on Washington.
| Caps notes |
| » Forwards Matt Bradley (broken finger) and Alex Semin (lower-body injury) participated in practice for the second day in a row. Both players remain on injured reserve, though coach Bruce Boudreau didn’t rule them out for Wednesday. |
| » Defenseman Tom Poti and goalie Michal Neuvirth — both out with lower-body injuries — again did not skate on Tuesday. |
| » Forwards Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson did not participate in practice. Boudreau called it a day off for all three. |
The Caps, meanwhile, are in Atlanta on Wednesday for their sixth and final game of the season against the Thrashers. That is their last game before the NHL All-Star break. Washington doesn’t play again until Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens. The Thrashers are 3-1-1 against the Caps already this season and have outscored them 8-1 in the last two meetings. But Atlanta is 4-8-4 in its last 16 as it struggles to hold onto the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“[The Thrashers] are coming off a 7-1 loss and it’s their last game before the [All-Star] break, too,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. “So they’re as determined as we are. But we have our own reasons — being 10 points ahead of Atlanta if we win and at the most two points back of Tampa. All of these things are vital.”
