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With Little to Play For, Capitals Are Lifeless in Loss
Alexei Yashin scores his second goal of the game against goalie Brent Johnson. The Capitals goalie faced 38 shots against the Islanders.
(Jim McIsaac - Getty Images)
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So Ovechkin will have to wait for a chance to join Selanne. He has 48 and 99 points; the Capitals have five games remaining and play next on Monday in Boston.
"He's doing everything he can to help the team to win," Hanlon said of Ovechkin. "If Alex ends up at the last game of the season and he doesn't have 50 goals, he's not going to shed a tear. He's all about team, he's all about winning a Stanley Cup. He plays hard and he wants to score every night."
Johnson, who had earned points in his previous three starts, including wins over the Eastern Conference's top two teams, wasn't as sharp as he was against the Hurricanes and Senators, but at least he gave an honest effort.
Which was more than could be said some of his teammates.
"To let a teammate down like that is embarrassing," Halpern said, referring to Johnson.
Alexei Yashin's first goal, on the power play 3:10 into the game, gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead. He snapped a rolling puck from the slot past Johnson.
Johnson kept his teammates in the game for the next 14 minutes. But he could only do so much.
Trent Hunter struck on the power play at 18:59, firing a slap shot from the middle of the right circle off of Johnson's arm and into the net.
Fifty seconds later, on the power play again, Yashin blew open the game with his second goal. The Islanders' captain blasted past Halpern and lifted the puck over Johnson to make it 3-0.
Jason Blake added a goal in the second period, and Robert Nilsson scored on the power play in the third to provide the final margin. The Capitals took 11 penalties to the Islanders' five.
