Their owner called it an unacceptable performance and the worst game of the season. Several players said it was an embarrassment. Meanwhile, their general manager is deciding if his club is worth saving or if it is time to make trades with an eye toward next season.
The Capitals lost 5-0 at Carolina on Monday and in the process obliterated the progress they thought they'd made after winning at first-place Florida three days earlier. And yet, a win at Ottawa on Wednesday night and Washington could be back in first place in the Southeast Division. But is there any reason to believe they can shake off such an ugly night?
"With effort like we [had Monday], we have no chance no matter who we play or what the standings say," goalie Tomas Vokoun told reporters in Raleigh, N.C. on Tuesday. "Just a terrible game. It's hard to explain."
The Senators (31-22-8, 70 points) are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and have put distance between themselves and Washington in recent days. The Caps (29-25-5, 63 points) have dropped all the way to 10th and trail both Winnipeg and Florida in the Southeast Division standings. About the only positive is they have beaten Ottawa three times already this season, including a Dec. 7 win there.
"You have to learn from it. We did the video today," Washington coach Dale Hunter said. "We made mistakes and now you correct your mistakes and learn from them and now we've got another game. You can't pout about losing and sacrifice another game. So we have to come out ready to work."
Both center Brooks Laich and left wing Alex Ovechkin missed significant time in the third period against Carolina. Ovechkin was seen by reporters limping afterwards, though Hunter said he is fine and will play against the Senators. Laich made it through a full practice on Tuesday and said he, too, is OK.
Defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who missed the Carolina game with an illness, is also expected to be healthy enough to play. As for general manager George McPhee, he has just over five days left to decide what to do with his roster before the NHL's Feb. 27 trade deadline. Given the absence of star center Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), the decision to buy or sell is a difficult one. The turnaround may have to come from the players currently inside that locker room.
"We dropped a very important one [Monday], but the next one against Ottawa is also important," forward Troy Brouwer said. "So we can't dwell on [Monday's] game and feel sorry for ourselves. We've got to pick it up, find a way to get our spirits back and go into Ottawa and be excited to play."
