Alex Ovechkin snapped out of his slump, scoring at an opportune time for the Capitals. The fans erupted; the game was tied; back-to-back wins over an elite team remained alive.
Life was good.
Until 35 seconds later when Brian Pothier was called for tripping, a call his teammates disputed.
And 16 seconds after that it got worse when Jamie Langenbrunner scored the go-ahead goal for visiting New Jersey (39-18-6). Illustrating the Capitals’ luck, Langenbrunner’s shot rolled over the shoulder of goalie Brent Johnson and down his back into the net.
“It was deflating,” Johnson said after the 3-2 loss Sunday.
But deflating has become somewhat the norm for the struggling Capitals (24-29-10), dealing with injuries and losses. Sunday also could have been the last home game for a few Capitals, with the trade deadline looming Tuesday afternoon.
“It crosses your mind,” said right winger Dainius Zubrus, among those rumored on the trading block. “You have to be realistic. There’s a good possibility that I did [play his last home game].”
Ovechkin certainly hasn’t played his last home game here. But he did end his five-game goal-less streak with a third-period score that tied the game at 2. Then came Pothier’s penalty.
“He got all puck,” Johnson said, disagreeing with the call.
Meanwhile, Capitals winger Alexander Semin, Washington’s second leading scorer, did not skate for most of the third period. His ice time of 14:57 was his lowest in the last 20 games.
“I just didn’t feel that [Semin] was going to score a goal at the end,” Caps coach Glen Hanlon said.
