Ugly night at Verizon Center after the Capitals’ 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Caps said all the right things afterwards about not being distracted by the Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina trade. I just don’t believe it. It doesn’t make them unprofessional – just human. Any time two friends leave a work environment a natural depression sets in. That will pass over time. But there was little chance the Caps were going to start this game with the energy level they needed. But they are pros and they can’t – and didn’t – claim it as an excuse.
Mike Knuble
“Some guys didn’t find out until they got to the rink. It’s always kind of a strange day, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that we knew we would have a team that would come out quick against us. We try to be ready for that, but they were able to take advantage of us early….With that said, I don’t want to use a trade as an excuse. But we sort of came out flat.”
Alex Ovechkin
“It’s a hard situation for us because we lost our captain and a great guy. They’re both good players, but it’s a business and you can do nothing about it.”
Brooks Laich
“We’re professionals and we understand it’s a business. I don’t think the trade had anything to do with the hockey game. Obviously, they’re very good friends and a huge part of our locker room those two guys. But as far as it taking away or distracting us during the game that’s not an excuse at all.”
Bruce Boudreau
“To me, if I say it was then I am just looking at an excuse. I don’t know if it did or it didn’t. Usually, we’re a lot better in the first period. But I think Carolina played really good in the first period. I think probably our lowest shot total of the year at home was in the first period as well. So, I don’t want to use it as an excuse, even thought I’ve been in that situation. I know it can bother some people, but I don’t know if it did with any of our guys even though it was two great guys leaving.”
Meanwhile, Jose Theodore struggled with his rebound control and his defensemen didn’t provide much help. He stopped only 25 of 30 Carolina shots and Washington was down 3-0 just 14 minutes, 30 seconds into the game. Theodore wants to play. But will Caps coach Bruce Boudreau go right back to him on Wednesday night in San Jose? That’s complicated by the status of rookie goalie Semyon Varlamov (groin injury). Still not sure if all three goalies will be on the team plane when it heads west. Caps have a practice set for 5 p.m. EST at the Shark Tank on Tuesday. Boudreau’s impressions on Theodore:
“I thought [Theodore’s] rebound control could have been better. I thought he was going to be a little defiant and I thought he really wanted it. But he fought the puck a little bit at the end. Once the first two goals went by him I thought his confidence was [down] a little bit. But at no time was I thinking about pulling him. It was one of those where he had to fight it through and battle it through himself.”
As for new forward Jason Chimera: He didn’t make it in time from Columbus to talk with the media. He has to pass a physical first and then fly out to San Jose as the Caps start a tough – albeit brief – western road trip at the Sharks on Wednesday and at Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. Bouncing back from this loss won’t be easy. The Caps lost in both buildings last winter and were embarrassed in San Jose, 7-2.
Eric Staal was dominant with two goals and three assists for Carolina after moving to the wing from his natural center position. Alex Ovechkin notched goal No. 26 just 82 seconds into the third period. That cut the Carolina lead to 4-3 and gave the Caps all the momentum – until Sergei Samsonov put the game away with his goal at the 10-minute mark.
“I think that was the game. I think we kill that off and got eight minutes to go they’re not used to winning and they’re tightening up,” Boudreau said. “I think we get the momentum and I think we tie it up and hopefully send it to overtime. But it didn’t happen and I think it deflated us. I thought we had worked really hard at making a comeback and it takes a lot of emotion out of you. And when that [goal] happens you get deflated and you just don’t have enough in you to come back.”
Boudreau told everyone who would listen on Sunday and Monday that Carolina was a dangerous team still. And while the Hurricanes are hopelessly out of the Eastern Conference playoff chase, they still have a road win over Pittsburgh. Okay, who are we kidding? They’re 2-13-4 away from RBC Center. But still…
“You look at their standings, and you look at how hard they played, I find it hard to believe they are where they are [in the standings],” Boudreau said of the Hurricanes. “We know them as the divisional opponent that plays hard against us all the time and tonight was no exception.”
Caps Notes
» Washington fell to 24-9-6 with 54 standings points. Carolina is now 10-22-7 with 27 points.
» The Caps lost to a Southeast Division opponent for the first time this season. They are now 8-1 overall. Washington was the last NHL team to have a perfect division record.
» Also only the third time this season the Caps have allowed an opponent six goals. They had never done so at Verizon Center. Last time that happened at home was last March 1 – a 6-2 clunker against the Florida Panthers.
» It was also just the second time the Caps gave up three first-period goals. That last happened on Nov. 11 against the New York Islanders.
» Washington’s four shots in the first period were also a season-low for any game this season. They did manage to outshoot the Hurricanes 31-26 overall. Against Montreal on Nov. 28 they also registered just four shots.
» Caps forward Eric Fehr scored his ninth goal of the season at 12:56 of the second period. It was his first goal in nine games. He and defenseman Mike Green are one goal each away from double figures. They would be Caps No. 7 and 8 to do so.
Notable Quotable
Carolina forward Eric Staal
“Obviously [Washington’s] power play scored some goals for them and they’ve got some pretty good skill and some offensive guys that can hurt you there. But we stuck with it and got a big power-play goal by [Sergei] Samsonov there at the end to put us ahead by two and finish it off. They’ve got those weapons that can score at any time. They bring it to one goal at home and the building has that energy and then we get a power play and take advantage. It was a huge goal and a nice win for our team.”
Carolina head coach Paul Maurice
“The only way we you’re going to play against [the Caps] is if you’re going to skate. If you give them an extra foot-and-a-half of ice to play on, they’re going to beat you and make you look bad doing it. So I thought our team was prepared to skate.”
