Recap 2/12 vs. NY Rangers: Road Apple

Anyone else starting to think the Washington Capitals can't even buy a win on the road?  Because that's what it's starting to look like.  I guess we shouldn't have expected much, I mean after all it was the Conference leaders and they are on a hot streak.  Still, it was the Rangers and the Caps have played them well recently.  If last week's game against the Panthers was a statement game, this one would have been a confidence booster.  Alas, it was not to be.

Apparently Michal Neuvirth was not supposed to be the starter and only did so because Tomas Vokoun wasn't feeling well.  I read Katie Carrera's article this morning--according to Neuvy, Vokoun texted him and told him as much.  But the he ends up taking warmups anyway.  All those confused? Needless to say it threw off Neuvy who came in almost totally cold. Might have made the difference, but we'll never know until the end of the season.

So the Rangers get the first goal, no surprise there.  OK, no problem, we're used to it.  The Caps are still capable of coming from behind.  That they did.  Alexander Semin took a nice drop pass from Jason Chimera on the right wing boards and launched a drive past Henrik Lundquist for the equalizer.

Jumping ahead to the game winner--a shorthanded goal by Brandon Prust, it was yet another breakdown of a Washington power play.  Hmm, that could be taken any number of ways.  In any case it turned out to be the back breaker even after John Carlson score to pull within one.  But it was too little, too late.

Some other ob-servations....

Alex Ovechkin got a point on the last goal.  Is there something wrong with getting excited that Alex Ovechkin registers a point even in a loss? There's trying to find the good and then there's just plain hoping against hope. Things are rapidly deteriorating towards the latter.

Dmitri Orlov didn't exactly have his best game out there--something Pierre McGuire felt a need to point out at least a few times. Unfortunately for once he was right.

Alex Semin gets another goal.  If he can come up with a few more of those between now and the 27th we just might get something for him. Or not.

Lest we forget the goal that wasn't....and the whistle that was. Unfortunately, thus endeth the play whenever the whistle bloweth.  And that be straight from the NHL bible, er rulebook.

Ryan McDonagh's second period goal looked like one Neuvy might like to have back.  You would think he would have shaken off the rust by then. Otherwise, he was pretty good, coming up with 25 stops.

It's Monday and so that's pretty much all I've got.  Besides, there's the Sharks tonight, but at least we're at  home.  Just hope that makes a difference.