Washington Capitals vs. Buffalo Sabres: Powerplay Comes Through Neuvirth Doesn't

The Washington Capitals have for the moment, climbed into the top spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Alex Ovechkin scored at 3:19 into the Caps' third straight overtime game, lifting his team to a 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

The game was one in which the Capitals lost a lead and then came from behind twice to win. Washington's Jason Arnott notched his 400th career goal forcing the extra session by tying the game with just .52 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Capitals lead the Philadelphia Flyers by one point atop the NHL's Eastern Conference but the Flyers were idle last evening and play the Rangers today. After today's game both the Flyers and Caps, have three games remaining.

Last night's game between the Capitals and Sabres was touted as a possible preview to a first round match-up but I am not sure last night's game was able to adequately give a picture of what is to come should these teams meet. 

Both teams are currently battling the injury bug and many of the players who were absent last evening could be ready to play in next 10-12 days when the playoffs begin. For starters, the Sabres were without last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, Ryan Miller.

Miller, who has played in 64 of the Sabres 77 games this season did not make the trip-forcing rookie Jhonas Enroth into consecutive starts for the first time since November. Things did not start well for the Swedish net minder as the Caps jumped ahead scoring two goals in the games first five minutes. 

Mike Knuble notched his second two-goal game in 17 days, scoring just .37 seconds into the contest. Alex Ovechkin hit Caps rookie defenseman John Carlson with a zone breakout pass and Carlson took off with Knuble in a two-on-one odd man rush towards the Sabres rookie net minder.

Enroth stopped the initial shot from Carlson but did not control the rebound. Knuble backhanded the rebound out of mid air and into the net for his 22nd of the year. With the Caps hurting at the blue line due to injuries, Carlson has been asked to step up and play a bigger role in the Caps offense and he has responded.

Carlson had two assists last evening and now has five points in three games. He is tied for third with Montreal's PK Suban in rookie scoring for defenseman. Mike Green has been out since February 25 with a head injury and now Dennis Wideman may be lost for the season with a leg contusion, so Carlson will need to continue to play well.

To make matters worse foe the Caps at the blue line, Tyler Sloan left last night's game in the second period and did not return. The Caps were forced to play with five- defenseman in the third period for the third straight game.

Enroth's failure to again control a loose puck led to Washington’s second goal. Standing almost exactly, where Knuble stood when he scored, Alexander Semin knocked back Nicklas Backstrom's shot that hit the post.

Semin’s 28th goal of the season came just four minutes after Knuble scored to open the game. Knowing that a loss could damage their standing as the seventh seed and sensing his team needed to calm down, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff called a time-out. 

Lindy Ruff is currently the third longest tenured head coach in the four major professional sports. After 14 seasons behind the bench, Ruff obviously knows his team as the rare first period timeout worked to perfection.

"We didn't get the start we wanted, but I thought after that we worked hard, battled hard and got back in the game," Ruff said. "Once we got by that (opening) segment of hockey, we were good again." (NHL.com)

Buffalo immediately looked played like a different team and scored less than two minutes following Ruffs stoppage of play.

Thomas Vanek deflected a Jason Pominville shot from the point to get the Sabres to within one and then the Caps rookie goalie allowed Buffalo back into the contest to stay.

Drew Stafford took a pass in the neutral zone, skated one stride over the Caps blue line and placed a lazy wrist shot towards Neuvirth. While the puck was a dribbler, I assure you most goalies in Peewee could have handled the shot.

Neuvirth simply lost focus or was never following the puck from the start. It was an embarrassing goal to give up and one that quite honestly makes you question his focus as his head coach has yet to name a playoff starter.

Goalies give up bad goals. It is a part of the game but not like this one and not this time of the year.

Since Bruce Boudreau announced two weeks ago that he has not yet made up his mind as to which of the three young goalies will get the nod once the post season begins, Neuvirth has been inconsistent.

Although Neuvirth won his 26th game of the season last night, he was bailed out of a poor performance.

Neuvirth has allowed three or more goals for the third time in as many games and the fourth time in his last five starts. While it is hard to argue with Neuvirth's numbers over his last 10 starts, (8-1, 2.31 GAA .924 SP) you can argue that the Czech native has been bailed out considerably by his Caps teammates in overtime of his last three starts.

Neuvirth allowed soft goals against the Flyers, Blue Jackets and more than one against the Sabres last evening. The Caps need one of these young goalies to be great if they are going to win a Stanley Cup. While Neuvy has been good at times, he has not been close to great in recent outings.

The teams would combine for 25 shots in the first period and 73 for the game, with just a slight three-shot edge to the Sabres. After combining to score four times in the first period, Buffalo and Washington would play the next 32 minutes without lighting the lamp.

This set the stage for an exciting final eight minutes that would see the Caps overcome two deficits and score two power play goals. Head referee Bill McCreary officiated the final game of his career last evening and had not yet sent either team to the sin bin through the first two periods.

McCreary was only blowing the whistle for obvious infractions. While each team committed just two of them in the third period, three of them would see power play goals follow. The Sabres scored the first go ahead after a Caps neutral zone turnover.

Paul Gaustad snuck in behind Caps defenseman Jeff Schultz and Karl Alzner to beat Neuvirth. Washington's first power play of the third period occurred when Brad Boyes caught Marcus Johansson with a high stick.

Mike Knuble scored his 23rd of the year and second of the game when he converted the Caps first power play goal in five games. Knuble again showed great hand-eye coordination by deflecting another shot past the goalie out of mid air. The shot originated from the stick of Brooks Laich who was operating the point with Alex Ovechkin in a new look (personnel wise) for the Caps power play.

Joining Knuble, Laich, and Ovechkin with the extra man was Nicklas Backstrom and fellow center, rookie Marcus Johansson. The goal by Knuble continued his recent hot streak of offensive output. He now has eight goals and 12 points in his last 11 games

The Sabres would again score the go-ahead goal with only 3:21 remaining in the game. Caps defenseman John Carlson could only watch as a lazy shot from Drew Stafford hit Neuvirth softly on his pads and then bounced off Carlson and into the Caps net.

Stafford would get credit for his second of the night and 30th of the year. Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau was extremely upset following the goal. The Caps were caught trying to create offense in their own zone instead of killing the penalty. A mistake the Caps made frequently last season.

Speaking to reporters following the game Boudreau said of his team’s effort, "I’m more concerned with the process of how we played and I thought we were way too close to looking like last year. We’ve got to buckle down a little bit.” (WashingtonCapitals.com)

With Neuvirth pulled from his net in favor of the extra forward, the Sabres committed another obvious high sticking infraction that allowed the Caps a six-on-four advantage. Jason Arnott patiently collected a rebound from an Alex Ovechkin shot and backhanded the tying goal over the pads of the outstretched Sabres goalie.

The 400th career goal was the second career milestone the 16-year veteran has hit since joining the Caps at the trading deadline. Arnott notched his 900th career point back on March 9 against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Caps began their third straight overtime playing defense as the Sabres recorded the first three shots of the extra session. Alex Ovechkin scored on the Caps only shot as he beautifully stick handled his way out of the corner and off the sideboards into his comfortable high left circle area.

From there, Ovechkin gently fired a shot that lightly bounced off the skate of Buffalo defenseman Andrej Seker and slid past goaltender Jhonas Enroth. The goal was Ovechkin’s NHL leading 11th game winner of the year as well as his 30th of the season.

“It’s always nice when you score the overtime goal,” Ovechkin told reporters. “I had a pretty good chance today to score goal, but I missed the net and the goalie played well, but it’s nice to score," (NHL.com)

The Caps have now won nine of their last 11 one-goal games. Washington has played 44 one-goal games this season, third most in the NHL. Only Florida (48) and Carolina (47) have played more one-goal games than the Capitals.

Washington is now 25-8-11 in one goal games this season they trail only Anaheim who has 28 one -goal victories.

The Caps are off until Tuesday when they travel to play the Toronto Maple Leafs. With a win on Tuesday, the Capital can clinch their fourth straight Southeast division title.

It does appear that Neuvirth could be the man in net once the second season begins. Following last night’s victory Boudreau said to all the reporters, “Three of the goals we put in our own net. I thought Neuvy did a real good job of staying composed and not letting things get to him and just battling the battle.”(washingtoncapitals.com)

In games past after surrendering a two-goal lead with a 30 foot soft goal, Neuvirth would have seen the hook with Varlamov taking over for the rest of the game faster than the you can say first round playoff exit.

Let us hope Boudreau sees something everyone else is missing in Neuvy right now. I do not think Ryan Miller would have allowed four goals against a team that struggles to score like Washington.

The Caps were lucky to win last night and while luck is needed to win a Stanley Cup, so is great goaltending.The Caps may not have that until next year in the postseason but if Boudreau makes the right choice, the phrase "maybe next year" could be this year.

In my opinion, all Boudreau has to do is make a phone call to Hershey, there is still plenty of time.