Capitals Vs Penguins February 7, 2013 Game Review

Capitals' Holtby stops this shot, but Penguins put game out of reach - Pittsburgh, PA February 7, 2013.
Photo © Keith Srakocic / AP Photo.

Washington Capitals 2 Vs Pittsburgh Penguins 5 = Road Game Loss

The Washington Capitals continued to struggle while visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday - February 7, 2013. They began the game looking very good, but ended up just as bad as ever.

Michal Neuvirth was the starting netminder for Washington, and made some excellent saves in the first period. His mates skated well, and did a lot of things right. The Caps closed off passing and shooting lanes, stayed focused, and defended well overall. They got on the scoreboard first, with a goal by center Mike Ribeiro (4), four minutes into the game. Assisting on the goal, were defenseman Tomas Kundratek (2) and forward Alex Ovechkin (4).

Pittsburgh wanted goaltender interference called, claiming that Wojtek Wolski (LW) knocked Marc-Andre Fleury down, but the fall was actually an over-embellished dive by the goaltender. It was his own man, Brooks Orpick, who knocked his helmet off with the toe end of his stick. Orpick did this by putting his stick between Wolski's legs, and forcibly jamming it so high up into Wojtek's nut-sack that it clipped Fleury's helmet. No call was made either way, and the goal counted.

The second period has not treated Washington very well this season, and it was no different Thursday night. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored a power-play goal about seven minutes in, with a snap shot. Neuvirth couldn't have been expected to stop that one. Six minutes later however, when Pascal Dupuis (RW) bounced one by him while he leaned the other way looking for a pass, he probably should've had that one.

Braden Holtby replaced Michal between the pipes, and made a couple nice saves. Holtby's apparent sharpness only lasted a few minutes. It took only 11 seconds for the Penguins to score goals number three and four. Sidney Crosby (C) added a fifth goal for Pittsburgh less than three minutes after that, a third Pens PPG.

Ovechkin added the only power-play goal for the Capitals toward the middle of the third period. Mike Ribeiro (C) and Mike Green (D) provided the helpers. Washington started playing better in the third, but just didn't have it in them to come back from being so far down.

The Capitals have got to play more disciplined, even if the timing and quantity of the penalties being called is suspect. The only way to do well is to stay focused, and do your best for the whole 60 minutes. Make the other team beat you. Don't beat yourself.

Game Highlights: Washington Capitals At Pittsburgh Penguins February 7, 2013

Caps Postgame Locker Room 02/07/13: Caps players Alex Ovechkin, Karl Alzner, Troy Brouwer, Mike Ribeiro and Michal Neuvirth address the media after a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Adam Oates Postgame 02/07/13: Caps head coach Adam Oates addresses the media after a 5-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Penguins Vs Capitals February 3, 2013 Game Review

Alex Ovechkin and Washington Capitals fall to Pittsburgh Penguins - Washington, DC February 3, 2013.
Photo © Nick Wass / AP Photo.

Pittsburgh Penguins 6 Vs Washington Capitals 3 = Home Game Loss

Super Sunday wasn't so super for the struggling Washington Capitals, whose quality of play dropped, as they dropped a game against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on February 3, 2013.

Braden Holtby, minded the net for Washington, in his second straight start. He clearly wasn't having a good day, but his teammates didn't help him out very well either. They could have done a better job clearing Pittsburgh from the crease area in front of Holtby, and sometimes there were Caps screening him on Pens shots. Other times he was left exposed on wristers coming through wide open spaces.

Penalties usually figure into Capitals losses, and especially against the Penguins, but this time was different. There were a couple cheap calls, but for the first time since I can remember, Pittsburgh actually got penalized more than Washington. Mind you, we're talking 4 - 3, so a difference of one. One might say the only reason for the lack of Caps punishments was because Pittsburgh went ahead and didn't need the help, but "I couldn't possibly comment" on that.

Chris Kunitz (LW) had a good day for the Penguins, as he scored a four goals, with at least one in each period. He was the first to score in the game at three minutes in, and he also got the last goal, with only eight seconds left. Washington's scoring was spread out to three players.

The Capitals' first goal came at even-strength, in the first period. After being knocked down against the end wall, defenseman Mike Green eventually got up, and found himself wide open for a one-timer off a pass from Wojtek Wolski (LW). The play started when Mike Ribeiro (C) sent the puck to Wolski, from a scrum at the side-wall.

Kunitz' first goal was a deflection off of defenseman John Carlson, but he made up for that. Four minutes into the second, Carlson took a pass from Nicklas Backstrom (C) and bounced one in off the glass, while just trying to clear and make time for a line change. Pittsburgh goaltender Tomas Vokoun (former Cap) wasn't half-surprised, as he headed behind the net, where he expected the puck to go.

The last goal for Washington came in the third period, after Alex Ovechkin just barely kept the puck from getting out of the offensive zone, during a Caps' possession. His keep-in sent the puck to Troy Brouwer (RW), who passed it along to Mike Ribeiro. Ribeiro, amongst a huge traffic jam in front of Vokoun, tapped it in.

In the end, it was an ugly game. Made uglier if you watched it on NBC, and were tortured by the patronizing and Capitals hating Doc Emrick, and crew. We really need to get rid of the long radio time-delay, so we can listen to the lovely voice of John Walton, while watching the games only aired on NBC.

Game Highlights: Pittsburgh Penguins At Washington Capitals February 3, 2013

Caps Postgame Locker Room 02/03/13: Caps players Troy Brouwer, John Carlson, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby address the media after a 6-3 loss to the Penguins.

Adam Oates Postgame 02/03/13: Caps head coach Adam Oates addresses the media after a 6-3 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins.