Capitals Vs Senators January 29, 2013 Game Review

Senators' Anderson makes save on Capitals' Backstrom - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada January 29, 2013.
Photo © Sean Kilpatrick / AP Photo / The Canadian Press.

Washington Capitals 2 Vs Ottawa Senators 3 = Road Game Loss

Tuesday night's game sent the Washington Capitals back to the losing column, when they were beaten by the Ottawa Senators, after finally winning one in the previous game. Well that didn't take long, did it?

The aggressive style of play from the last time they skated on the ice carried over, at least for the first half or so. The good forecheckjng, hustle, driving to the net, territorial control, it was all still there. But, by the time of second intermission, those things went away.

This was one of those games full of questionable officiating. Several of the penalty calls left fans and players bewildered. Most of those bad calls seemed to go against the Capitals during the first period, yet that's when they scored their two goals. So, can't use that as an excuse then, can they?

Things looked good for the Caps, after Troy Brouwer (RW) and Matt Hendricks (F) put them ahead 2 - 0 in the first period. Both goals were scored on Sens goalie Craig Anderson from down low, at the edge of the crease. Wojtek Wolski (LW) and Nicklas Backstrom (C) assisted on Brouwer's goal, while John Erskine (D) and Jay Beagle (F) supplied the helpers for Hendricks.

In the second period, both teams battled more evenly. After Washington leading 15 - 9 in shots for the first frame, the gap then narrowed in both directions. Eventually, the Senators gained some moxie and Jim O'Brien (C) drove to the net, launching a wrister that made it's way past Caps netminder Michal Neuvirth. This seemed to dampen the spirits of the Capitals, setting up a change in command for the third period.

The last 20 minutes belonged to Ottawa. Washington wilted, and just laid back. Two minutes elapsed before the Capitals presented them with a gift. Backstrom essentially won a draw in the Caps end, but our guys were off in a daze. While the Caps were puck watching, Sens' Milan Michalek (LW) grabbed the biscuit and swatted it on through, to tie things up. Late in the game, after a follow-through was wrongly called high-sticking, offensive defenseman Sergei Gonchar (D) sent a long range slap shot past everybody for a power-play goal, finishing off the Caps.

Michal Neuvirth's 30 save effort completely went to waste. He now has a 1 - 2 - 1 record on the -2012--2013 NHL Hockey season (his other stats took a hit too), though Michal performed well enough to win all four.

I'm sure none of the players, staff or owners feel satisfied at this moment. With 12 1/2% of the season gone, we fans are starting to feel a bit upset as well.

Game Highlights: Washington Capitals At Ottawa Senators January 29, 2013

Caps Postgame Locker Room 01/29/13: Caps players Joel Ward, Troy Brouwer, Alex Ovechkin, Matt Hendricks, Michal Neuvirth and Mike Ribeiro address the media after a 3-2 loss against the Senators.

Adam Oates Postgame 01/29/13: Caps head coach Adam Oates addresses the media after a 3-2 loss against the Ottawa Senators.