Washington Capitals: Frustration Reaching a Boiling Point For Star Players

After dropping their last six games, the Washington Capitals have endured their longest losing streak since the 2006-07 season, the last time the squad failed to make the playoffs.  Additionally, many of the team's best players are in the midst of deep slumps personally, and tempers have been reaching a boiling point frequently over the last couple of games.  

What makes the losing streak even more troubling for Capitals management and fans is the manner in which they have been losing.  Usually an offensive juggernaut, the team has been held off the score-sheet four times in their last 13 games, and has only scored more than two goals once during their six game skid.  

Only one of the six teams they've lost to during the losing streak was a playoff team in 2010, and they saved their worst performance since 2006 for Sunday night against the New York Rangers.  After going down by a goal near the end of the first period of play, the team proceeded to allow six over the next two periods to fall 7-0 at Madison Square Garden.

During the second period, captain Alexander Ovechkin dropped the gloves with the Rangers' Brandon Dubinsky, and showed his frustration while shouting furiously on his way off the ice.  

After the game, Ovechkin expressed his disappointment with both his own performance and that of the team.  While he said he was "mad" about the game, he was more concerned that the team "group together", as they try to right the ship.  

A game earlier, Alexander Semin received a game misconduct for a cross check, ultimately costing the team the game as Colorado scored on their extended power-play. Semin, who hasn't tallied a goal in six games, has a history of disappearing into long slumps, and it couldn't come at a worse time.  

After five straight losses, many of which to teams the Capitals are not accustomed to losing to, one would assume they would show up to play on Sunday night.  

The only way to go now, is up.  This team is far too talented to continue to lose games like this, and its up to the Capitals stars like Ovechkin and Semin to lead them out of this slump.