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Capitals 4, Penguins 0

Dave Molinari 9 years ago

Some news and notes, numbers and quotes from the Penguins’ 4-0 loss to Washington at the Verizon Center Wednesday night:

*** Washington goalie Braden Holtby stopped 27 shots to earn the shutout, but rarely was tested over the course of the game. “We had a few opportunities,” Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. “But we need to create more if we want to win a game.”

*** Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin scored Washington’s first two goals, pushing his league-leading total to 29. His second came on a blur of a slap shot during a power play late in the second period. “You just can’t give him the shot from there,” Penguins coach Mike Johnston said.

*** Ovechkin’s first goal was his first point in three-plus games against the Penguins, and his first home-ice goal against them since Feb. 7, 2010. Ovechkin’s previous eight goals against them had been scored in Pittsburgh.

*** Former Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik logged a team-high 22:55 of ice time and assisted on the Capitals’ third goal. Washington is 9-0 this season when he gets a point.

*** The Penguins, who had won eight consecutive games against Washington before a 3-0 loss at Consol Energy Center Dec. 27, now have lost two in a row to the Capitals – and failed to manufacture a goal in the process. “I don’t think we’ve done enough to get to the front of the net,” Crosby said. “We’ve been a little too [willing to spend time on the] perimeter and they do a good job of boxing out.”

*** This defeat snapped a run of three victories in a row for the Penguins at the Verizon Center and dropped their record to 27-13-8. They are three points behind the first-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division.

*** Penguins center Evgeni Malkin missed his third consecutive game because of an undisclosed injury. The Penguins are 64-34-9 in the 107 games he has missed over the course of his career.

*** Crosby returned to the Penguins’ lineup after sitting out their 5-3 victory against Winnipeg the previous evening because of an undisclosed injury. He logged 19 minutes and 42 seconds of ice time while playing played between Chris Kunitz and David Perron and said after the game that he felt “not bad.”

*** The Penguins had won their previous three games at the Verizon Center.

*** Center Maxim Lapierre, acquired from St. Louis for Marcel Goc Tuesday, made his Penguins debut and played 14 minutes, 15 seconds. He was used primarily between Nick Spaling and Steve Downie and got some work killing penalties.

*** Matt Niskanen, another Penguins alum, did not get a point, but logged 22 minutes and 16 seconds of ice time.

*** Washington has earned a point in 10 consecutive home games (8-0-2).

*** The Penguins scratched defenseman Scott Harrington and forward Mark Arcobello.