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Capitals come back from snow layoff with a 4-3 overtime loss to Flyers Capitals come back from snow layoff with a 4-3 overtime loss to Flyers
(about 2 hours later)
Capitals Coach Barry Trotz knew a game like this would come, so he stayed patient with Andre Burakovsky. When Burakovsky didn’t score for 25 games, Trotz figured he would eventually snap out of it. When Burakovsky worried he would be sent down to the minors, Trotz assured him he wouldn’t.
Despite the breakout two-goal performance the Capitals had been waiting for from Burakovsky, his play on Wednesday was ultimately overshadowed by a sluggish start from which Washington was unable to recover. After digging an early two-goal hole, Washington fell, 4-3 in overtime, to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Washington seemed to follow the arc of Burakovsky’s season during the game, seemingly in a haze before playing up to expectations. In the end, its rally came up short, but the Capitals head into the all-star break with a 35-8-4 record and 74 points, the top team in the league with six games in hand on Chicago (70 points).
“We haven’t been playing a game for a while,” Burakovsky said. “It was a bit rusty in the beginning here, passes and how the gear felt and everything. I think we came out pretty slow and couldn’t really get anything going.”
[Alex Ovechkin will miss All-Star Game with lower-body injury]
The Capitals spent their weekend like most Washingtonians, shoveling driveways and mostly taking cover inside their homes after a blizzard painted the region white. The problem is that unlike most Washingtonians, the Capitals depend on the rhythm of a regimented playing schedule, and two postponements from the weather led to an unusually long break.The Capitals spent their weekend like most Washingtonians, shoveling driveways and mostly taking cover inside their homes after a blizzard painted the region white. The problem is that unlike most Washingtonians, the Capitals depend on the rhythm of a regimented playing schedule, and two postponements from the weather led to an unusually long break.
When the Capitals skipped onto the Verizon Center ice on Wednesday night, eight days had passed since they last played a game, which was twice as long as Washington’s longest break this season. They showed the expected rust, and they were ultimately unable to recover from a sluggish start, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers on a goal by Jakub Voracek. When they skipped onto the Verizon Center ice, eight days had passed since they last played a game, which was twice as long as Washington’s longest break this season. The blizzard caused the Capitals’ games against Anaheim on Friday and Pittsburgh on Sunday to be postponed.
Washington heads into the all-star break with a 35-8-4 record and 74 points, the top team in the league with six games in hand on Chicago (70 points). Trotz had expected a drop in sharpness, hoping he was wrong. To combat that possibility, he put the team through lengthy practices on Monday and Tuesday with scrimmage drills. The intention was to simulate game-like situations, something the Capitals had been without for too long. With a four-day all-star break starting on Thursday, Washington will play just one game in 13 days.
With the Capitals down 3-2 in the third period, center Evgeny Kuznetsov appeared to be tripped but the officials disagreed and no penalty was called. Verizon Center angrily roared, and then Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky changed the crowd’s mood. [Steinberg: Capitals must avoid getting bored with dominance]
About 20 seconds after the no-call, Kuznetsov and Burakovsky crashed the net. Kuznetsov fired a puck across the crease to Burakovsky, who scored with a wrist shot 3 minutes 55 seconds into the third period. That tied the game and got the Capitals to the extra period. Despite a poor start against the Flyers, the Capitals clawed their way back into it, but they were constantly chasing, never quite in command of the game. With the Capitals down 3-2 in the third period, center Evgeny Kuznetsov appeared to be tripped but the officials disagreed and no penalty was called. Verizon Center angrily roared, and then Kuznetsov and Burakovsky changed the crowd’s mood.
It was Burakovsky’s second goal of the game, his third in two games and his ninth point in six games. He had nine points in his first 34 games of the season. About 20 seconds after the no-call, Kuznetsov and Burakovsky crashed the net. Kuznetsov fired a puck across the crease to Burakovsky, who scored with a wrist shot 3 minutes 55 seconds into the third period. It was Burakovsky’s second goal of the game, his third in two games and his ninth point in six games. He had nine points in his first 34 games of the season.
Capitals Coach Barry Trotz knew a game like this would come, so he stayed patient with Burakovsky. When Burakovsky didn’t score for 24 games, Trotz figured he would snap out of it eventually. When Burakovsky worried he would be sent down to the minors, Trotz assured him he wouldn’t. His play Wednesday was only overshadowed by that of Voracek, whose two goals included the game-winner. That tied the game and got the Capitals to the extra period. There, they lost on Jakub Voracek’s second goal of the game 38 seconds into overtime to snap a 12-game home winning streak.
Washington seemed to follow the arc of Burakovsky’s season during the game, seemingly in a haze before playing up to expectations. They showed the expected rust in the first period, when they trailed 2-0. There were long stretches without a shot, passes that were a tick or two off and uncharacteristic turnovers. They started the second period in more spirited fashion, nearly doubling their shot total from the first period (six) in the first 10 minutes after intermission.
The blizzard caused the Capitals’ games against Anaheim on Friday and Pittsburgh on Sunday to be postponed, meaning their last game was in Columbus on Jan. 19. Trotz had expected a drop in sharpness, hoping he was wrong. To combat that possibility, he put the team through lengthy practices on Monday and Tuesday with scrimmage drills. The intention was to simulate game-like situations, something the Capitals had been without for too long. They were rewarded for their increased offensive-zone time when defenseman Nate Schmidt pounced on a loose puck and fed Burakovsky in the slot. Burakovsky’s wrist shot beat Philadelphia goaltender Michal Neuvirth and cut the Flyers’ lead in half 7:39 into the second period.
With a four-day all-star break starting on Thursday, Washington will play just one game in 13 days.
After a sloppy first period, one that featured long stretches without a shot, passes that were a tick or two off and uncharacteristic turnovers, the Capitals entered the second period in a 2-0 hole. They started the second period in more spirited fashion, nearly doubling their shot total from the first period (six) in the first 10 minutes after intermission.
They were rewarded for their increased offensive-zone time when defenseman Nate Schmidt pounced on a loose puck and fed winger Burakovsky in the slot. Burakovsky’s wrist shot beat Philadelphia goaltender Michal Neuvirth and cut the Flyers’ lead in half 7:39 into the second period.
Before Burakovsky’s goal could even be announced, the Capitals tied the game. T.J. Oshie passed to Nicklas Backstrom in the high slot, and Backstrom’s wrister went off Neuvirth’s glove and into the net 55 seconds after the first goal.Before Burakovsky’s goal could even be announced, the Capitals tied the game. T.J. Oshie passed to Nicklas Backstrom in the high slot, and Backstrom’s wrister went off Neuvirth’s glove and into the net 55 seconds after the first goal.
But the momentum didn’t last. Goaltender Braden Holtby made a stunning sequence of stops, at one point diving across the crease after he had lost his stick. But then Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux won a faceoff against Kuznetsov in Washington’s zone, Voracek got the puck and scored. But the momentum didn’t last. Goaltender Braden Holtby made a stunning sequence of stops, at one point diving across the crease after he had lost his stick. But then Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux won a faceoff against Kuznetsov in Washington’s zone, and Voracek got the puck and scored.
Wednesday night’s game marked the return of top defenseman John Carlson, who missed 12 games with a lower-body injury. But third-line center Marcus Johansson went to the locker room around the 13-minute mark of the first period and didn’t return to the game because of an upper-body injury. Wednesday night’s game marked the return of top defenseman John Carlson, who missed 12 games with a lower-body injury. But third-line center Marcus Johansson went to the locker room around the 13-minute mark of the first period and didn’t return to the game because of an upper-body injury. After the game, Trotz said he didn’t know how serious it was.