Caps' Scoring Woes Continue As They Falter Against Flyers
Flyers 3, Capitals 2

By Tarik El-Bashir
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 3, 2007

With each shot they bury into an opposing goaltender's pads, every attempt they misfire from point-blank range, the level of concern inside the Washington Capitals' locker room about their inability to score is growing.

The important thing is preventing that concern from escalating to full-blown frustration, veteran goaltender Olie Kolzig said in a hushed voice following last night's 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Verizon Center.

"It's what we have to keep from happening. It's easy to get frustrated," said Kolzig, who made 26 saves. "It's up to us to keep it from becoming frustration."

The loss was the injury-depleted Capitals' second in 48 hours and eighth in the past 10 games after opening the season with three consecutive victories.

Considering their problems scoring, the Capitals' seven-goal performance in Toronto on Monday has started to look like an aberration. Because since that season-best offensive outburst, they've accounted for only two goals in 133 minutes 43 seconds, dating from the third period of the blowout at Air Canada Centre. For the season, they are averaging 2.53 goals per game.

And that's not nearly enough.

"You sort of thought we put it to bed with the Toronto game," Capitals Coach Glen Hanlon said. "Everything seemed to be bouncing in off sticks [against the Maple Leafs]. You sort of get lost for words on scoring, but we'll just keep on doing what we need to do."

Last night, the Capitals came out fast, outshooting the Flyers 14-6 in the opening 20 minutes and taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on a goal by Tomas Fleischmann.

But Philadelphia, much improved from the club the Capitals swept last season, seized control from the Capitals in the second period and held on in the third.

Daniel Briere, Mike Richards and R.J. Umberger scored the game's next three goals as the Capitals started taking unnecessary penalties. Philadelphia's backup goaltender, Antero Niittymaki, made sure the visitors' lead stood up, making 24 saves.

Alex Ovechkin, though, made the Flyers sweat it out. He extended his scoring streak against the Flyers to eight games with 4:08 remaining when he fired a power-play slap shot over Niittymaki's shoulder.

But despite having six attackers for the final minute, the Capitals weren't able to get the equalizer past Niittymaki.

"It's the same thing we've been dealing with for a few weeks now," Capitals defenseman Brian Pothier said. "It's just untimely penalties, not capitalizing on our opportunities and them taking advantage of a mistake."

Part of the problem is a roster that was again missing Chris Clark, Alexander Semin and Tom Poti, all out with injuries. Unlike deeper teams, the Capitals cannot withstand injuries to significant players. Those three accounted for 74 goals last season.

Yet Hanlon and his players have steadfastly refused to use injuries as an excuse, even after being shut out for the first time this season, 2-0, in New York on Thursday. But, Hanlon cautioned, it could become a problem if the injuries turn out to be long-term ailments.

It remains unclear how much more time the three will miss.

The Capitals will take today off and return to the ice for practice tomorrow, at which time the injured players will be reevaluated. But Hanlon said he was not hopeful to have any of them back for the start of the three-game road trip that begins Monday at Carolina.

The first period last night might have been the most entertaining period played at Verizon Center this season. And that was before Richards and Brooks Laich began trading haymakers.

Washington seemed to feed off the intensity and eventually took a 1-0 lead on Fleischmann's goal.

The play began with Michael Nylander (two assists) feeding a pass through the crease. Fleischmann swooped in from the doorstep and whacked a deflected puck out of midair past Niittymaki at 7:29.

But the Capitals couldn't keep pace in the second period and found themselves in a familiar position: taking unneeded penalties. In all, they took 10 penalties to the Flyers' six.

Briere's goal at 8:03 tied the score at 1 and Richards scored the go-ahead goal at 15:52 on a play that began at the opposite end with an outstanding save by Niittymaki, whose pad save sent a long rebound onto the stick of teammate Joffrey Lupul. Lupul sent the puck ahead to Richards, who beat Kolzig's glove hand with a wrist shot.

Umberger's third-period power-play goal turned out to be the winner. The powerful forward fired a low, hard shot from the circle past Kolzig.

"Everybody, to a man, has to look in the mirror and ask, 'What could I have done better, did I give everything I could tonight?" Kolzig said. "If the answer is no, you figure out what you need to do extra to get us over the hump."