The stat sheet told one story about the Capitals’ disappointing 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night at Verizon Center. Washington fired 46 shots on goalie Ondrej Pavelec. It earned five power-play opportunities and could have had another call or two go its way. It also went down a man just twice. All part of a winning recipe on a normal night.
Unfortunately, a kneeing penalty to forward David Steckel early in the third period unnerved the Caps. Still grumbling about the call they momentarily forgot about actually killing the penalty and keeping it a one-goal game. Instead, it took the Thrashers just eight seconds to cash in a decisive power-play tally by forward Andrew Ladd at 2 minutes, 27 seconds of the third.
“It was a deflating goal,” said Washington coach Bruce Boudreau. “I think we lost our focus. They were still talking about the supposed penalty on the bench and then the next thing you know the [puck] is in the net.”
Steckel was whistled for kneeing Atlanta defenseman Tobias Enstrom, who writhed on the ice in pain after the open-ice collision. Teammate Jim Slater could have been called for an instigator penalty after jumping Steckel. Instead, both players earned five-minute fighting majors with the Caps winger getting the extra two.
Even after falling behind 3-1, Washington had two more power-play chances in the third period yet couldn’t take advantage. The Caps managed 15 shots on goal during their 5-on-4 opportunities. Alex Semin even hit the post late in the game and Eric Fehr flubbed a breakaway attempt. It was that kind of night as Pavelec finished with 45 saves.
“It was a very busy night,” Pavelec said. “They move the puck well, especially on the power play. They spent all the time in our zone. But we blocked 20 shots and that’s a pretty good job by the guys.”
Boudreau didn’t deny that Pavelec played well. This is the same goalie, after all, who shut out Washington on Nov. 19 in Atlanta and has stopped 89 of the last 91 shots the Caps have fired at him over his last three games against them since Nov. 14.
“But I don’t think it was one of those games where [Pavelec] had to make a tremendous amount of second saves on the same play,” Boudreau said. “And that’s what scores goals. If you look at the way [Atlanta was] playing they might not have had the quality chances, but when they did they had three guys going to the net and it’s bang, bang, bang.”
After dominating the Thrashers last season, the Caps (18-7-2, 38 points) are now 2-3 against them in 2010-11. And one of those victories was in overtime, meaning Atlanta (14-10-3, 31 points) has earned seven points in these five games. The Thrashers have won seven of their last eight games overall and remain in third place in the Southeast Division.
“It happens to every team and every player,” said Caps rookie defenseman John Carlson. “You just have to work though it, battle through it. There are no excuses. We’re a good enough team that we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”
