TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010
BASEBALL
No end in sight for the Nationals and Cubs at Wrigley Field
wise from D1
balance beam than minding the net. The greatest Canadiens goalies ever, Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy, had to see shades of themselves in Halak. Really, any flammable playoff
goalie that has repelled the power of a superior team and redirected it into the bodies and minds of his reinvigorated teammates — Capitals goaltending coach Arturs Irbe, who stunned the top-seeded Red Wings in 1994 when he was a young star for San Jose, or DominikHasek for 16 seasons — could probably relate. It’s not just the language or the rich food anymore. This man in the net for Montreal who sees everything has made everything feel so strange and foreign. Heading into their fourth
elimination night at Verizon Center in three years under Coach Bruce “Wake Me When It’s Game 7” Boudreau, the Capitals have lost something that was theirs since last fall. The power. Knowing
confidence of a team apparently ready to make the transition from very good to great. It’s gone. Part of the allure of the last three riveting playoff series was how the Caps managed to will their way back into a series, down 3-1 twice and 3-2 against the Penguins before David Steckel deflected in that game-winner that made Pittsburgh go dead quiet. Emerging on home ice with monster momentum after evening the series, now Washington is the team that gave back a three-games-to-one lead in a series the Caps had so many opportunities to put away before things became so critical Monday night in Montreal. Because of Halak, because they
have made the Canadiens pay for their penalties just one measly time in six games — and certainly because Alex Ovechkin and his teammates have not yet learned to play from a position of strength — it’s time to officially envision the likelihood that the current hood ornament for Washington-region pro sports teams could in all likelihood be
KLMNO
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STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
MIKE WISE
Caps are thwarted by a hot goalie
knocked off by a bunch of less talented, but more committed players and their fearless and fabulous goaltender. The defining moment came
early, after the two-goal lead. The Capitals were on a 5-on-3 power play with more than five minutes left in the first period. For the uninitiated, that means Washington’s great hockey players — top seeded in the Stanley Cup playoffs, losers of just 15 games in regulation all season — had two extra men on the ice because the Canadiens committed a pair of two-minute penalties in a blink. Now, it would hold that a team thought to be a superior group of players, believed by everyone who knows this game to be much better at 5-on-5 skating than the Canadiens, would be lethal with Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin, Mike Green and Brooks Laich against three defenders and Halak. Statistically speaking, teams at
5-on-3 strength score more than three times as much than teams on the power play on 5-on-4 strength. That should be an open net for the most talented team in the NHL. Boudreau is even fond of saying, “If you can’t convert 5 on 3, you usually don’t win.” You know what happened.
They couldn’t find the net because Halak kept finding the puck. He was so good, bringing the building to a crescendo and to its feet after stopping a third-period flurry in front of the net that ended with Ovie just dumbfounded that the mere connection of his stick with the puck inches from the net did not result in a score. Halak also robbed Joe Corvo on a point-blank rocket with 14 minutes left in the second period, catching a slingshot of hard rubber in the leather of his glove with the left hand. He flicked his glove high in almost a flourish afterward as the towels came out and tumult of tonsils and sound began anew. This is how good the team with the worst record in the NHL postseason is feeling about itself:
The Canadiens’ goalie is now Manny Ramírez, showboating on the warning track after robbing someone of a home run. Meanwhile, Ovechkin was a symbol of the Caps’ frustration. When he scooted in unmolested and tried to backhand it softly past Halak on the same power play, the unshaken goalie covered up quickly as Ovie veered out of control behind the net on his knees, essentially a hydroplaning car awaiting its fate with a guardrail. Putting this on Semyon
Varlamov would be easy. Putting this on Semin and Green would be easy, because they have become high-paid scapegoats. But it’s on all of them. The
Caps gave this former beaten-down team the belief it needed in the first 10 minutes of Game 5, and now this meek, mild outfit that was supposed to go home last Friday is on the precipice of the biggest upset in the NHL this season. Montreal was supposed to be a tuneup for a wounded-but-game Philadelphia team. The most unruly fans in Canada and the true-grit players were supposed to be preparation for the most unruly fans and true-grit hockey team in America. Now, impossibly, it could be one and done. And if you could hear this unbelievably charged building at this very moment — the symphony of sound, some 20,000 screaming raucously as Halak was announced as the game’s No. 1 star — only one emotion could be felt by an authentic fan who followed the Washington Capitals’ record-setting, ridiculously good season thus far: Panic. It’s time. It’s very much time. George McPhee, resigned to his
fate, slowly walked up the stairs toward the elevator at Bell Centre at the end of the game. “We played great,” Washington’s general manager said. “Their goalie was just greater.” He paused, looked up, and added, “Another [expletive] Game 7.”
wisem@washpost.com
CHARLES REX ARBOGAST/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Nationals staffer looks at Ian Desmond’s eye during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field on Monday against the Chicago Cubs. The game went into extra innings and ended too late for this edition.
Mike Knuble, top, tries to wedge his way into the action as Montreal’s Hal Gill and goalie Jaroslav Halak eye the puck. With Halak constantly finding the puck, the Capitals couldn’t find the net.
D5
THE WASHINGTON POST
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
National Hockey League
FIRST ROUND
All Times EST
(Best-of-7); (x-if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Washington 3, Montreal 3
Game 1: Montreal 3, Washington 2 (OT) Game 2: Washington 6, Montreal 5 (OT) Game 3: Washington 5, Montreal 1 Game 4: Washington 6, Montreal 3 Game 5: Montreal 2, Washington 1 Game 6: Montreal 4, Washington 1 Wednesday: Montreal at Washington, 7
Philadelphia 4, New Jersey 1
Game 1: Philadelphia 2, New Jersey 1 Game 2: New Jersey 5, Philadelphia 3 Game 3: Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 2 (OT) Game 4: Philadelphia 4, New Jersey 1 Game 5: Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 0
Boston 4, Buffalo 2
Game 1: Buffalo 2, Boston 1 Game 2: Boston 5, Buffalo 3 Game 3: Boston 2, Buffalo 1 Game 4: Boston 3, Buffalo 2 (2 OT) Game 5: Buffalo 4, Boston 1 Game 6: Boston 4, Buffalo 3
Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 2
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
In front of a standing-room-only crowd, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi presents President Obama with a Yankees jersey bearing the No. 27 for the number of World Series that New York has won.
President picks up his pinstripes
by Cheryl W. Thompson
Baseball royalty descended on the White House on Monday af- ternoon. The New York Yankees, who won their 27th World Series last year and brought their latest trophy, were feted by President Obama in the East Room. The standing-room-only crowd in- cluded Treasury Secretary Tim- othy F. Geithner, Transportation Secretary
members of Congress and White
House staffers, many of whom brought their kids, clad in Yan- kee pinstripes.
Obama — a no-apologies Chi-
cago White Sox fan — gushed over the Yankees and their star power, including shortstop Der- ek Jeter, who the president said is “always setting an example.” “He epitomizes the best of the
Ray LaHood, and
Yankee tradition,” Obama said. Obama described how painful it is to watch relief pitcher Mari- ano Rivera’s “cutter when it’s against my team.” He praised first baseman
Mark Teixeira and other players for the work they do off the field. “In the end, that’s what makes the Yankees special; the people underneath the pinstripes,” Obama said.
Earlier in the day, the Yankees spent time with soldiers and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. “I think it really puts things in perspec- tive,” Jeter said of the visit at an impromptu news conference af- ter the White House event. “They’re heroes.”
thompsonc@washpost.com
Game 1: Ottawa 5, Pittsburgh 4 Game 2: Pittsburgh 2, Ottawa 1 Game 3: Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 2 Game 4: Pittsburgh 7, Ottawa 4 Game 5: Ottawa 4, Pittsburgh 3 (3 OT) Game 6: Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 3 (OT)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
San Jose 4, Colorado 2
Game 1: Colorado 2, San Jose 1 Game 2: San Jose 6, Colorado 5 (OT) Game 3: Colorado 1, San Jose 0 (OT) Game 4: San Jose 2, Colorado 1 (OT) Game 5: San Jose 5, Colorado 0 Game 6: San Jose 5, Colorado 2
Chicago 3, Nashville 2
Game 1: Nashville 4, Chicago 1 Game 2: Chicago 2, Nashville 0 Game 3: Nashville 4, Chicago 1 Game 4: Chicago 3, Nashville 0 Game 5: Chicago 5, Nashville 4 (OT) Game 6: Chicago at Nashville, Late x-Wednesday: Nashville at Chicago, 9
Vancouver 4, Los Angeles 2
Game 1: Vancouver 3, L.A. Kings 2 (OT) Game 2: L.A. Kings 3, Vancouver 2 (OT) Game 3: L.A. Kings 5, Vancouver 3 Game 4: Vancouver 6, L.A. Kings 4 Game 5: Vancouver 7, L.A. Kings 2 Game 6: Vancouver 4, L.A. Kings 2
Detroit 3, Phoenix 3
Game 1: Phoenix 3, Detroit 2 Game 2: Detroit 7, Phoenix 4 Game 3: Phoenix 4, Detroit 2 Game 4: Detroit 3, Phoenix 0 Game 5: Detroit 4, Phoenix 1 Game 6: Phoenix 5, Detroit 2 Tuesday: Detroit at Phoenix, 9
BRUINS 4, SABRES 3
David Krejci scored two goals and had one assist to lead Boston to a Game 6 win over Buffalo, which put the Bruins into the Eastern Confer- ence semifinals. Tuukka Rask stopped 27 shots for Boston, which will play either Philadel- phia or Pittsburgh in the second round. It’s Boston’s second playoff se- ries victory — and first at home — since 1999. Buffalo, which missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, has not advanced since reaching the con- ference semifinals in 2006 and ’07. Mark Recchi had a goal and an as-
sist, and Miroslav Satan also scored for the Bruins.
Olympic MVP Ryan Miller made 28
saves for Buffalo. Patrick Kaleta and Nathan Gerbe scored for the Sabres, and Thomas Vanek made it 4-3 with 1:13 left after the goalie was pulled for an extra skater. The Sabres pulled Miller with 2:25
left, trailing by two goals, and again af- ter a faceoff at center ice with just over two minutes remaining. Vanek, who missed the previous three games with a sore left ankle, put them within one goal but they couldn’t tie it in the closing minute. Buffalo was 0 for 19 on the power play in the series.
SCORING
Buffalo ...................................... 0 1 2 — 3 Boston ....................................... 1 1 2 — 4
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1, Boston, Krejci 2 (Recchi, Hunwick), 13:39 (pp).
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2, Boston, Recchi 3 (Krejci, Bergeron), 1:01 (pp). 3, Buffalo, Kaleta 1 (Kennedy, Mair), 6:34.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4, Boston, Krejci 3 (Lucic, Satan), 7:18. 5, Buffalo, Gerbe 1, 7:40. 6, Boston, Satan 2 (Lucic, Wideman), 14:49. 7, Buffalo, Vanek 2 (Pominville, Lydman), 18:47.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Buffalo ............................................ 14 5 11 — 30 Boston ............................................ 11 8 13 — 32
Power-play opportunities: Buffalo 0 of 3; Boston 2 of 5. Goalies: Buffalo, Miller 2-4-0 (32 shots-28 saves). Boston, Rask 4-2-0 (30-27). A: 17,565 (17,565). T: 2:28.
Late Sunday
COYOTES 5, RED WINGS 2
Phoenix scored its first three goals on special teams and Ilya Bryzgalov made 31 saves in a win over Detroit that forced Game 7. The Coyotes will host the final game of the first-round series on Tuesday night.
Lauri Korpikoski scored a short- handed goal 4:10 in to spark the win and keep Phoenix alive.
Mathieu Schneider snapped the Coyotes’ 0-for-19 skid on the power play with a goal early in the second for a 2-0 lead, and Radim Vrbata scored with the man advantage midway through the period to restore the two- goal edge. Wojtek Wolski’s even-strength goal
put Phoenix ahead, 4-1, late in the second. Jimmy Howard made 24 saves for
the Red Wings. Howard, a finalist for the Calder Tro- phy — given to the NHL’s top rookie — gave up at least four goals for the third time in the series. Phoenix went ahead 1-0 on its first
shot. The Coyotes netted their fourth goal late in the second period on their 15th shot and a fifth on their 23rd.
SCORING
Phoenix ..................................... 1 3 1 — 5 Detroit ....................................... 0 1 1 — 2
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1, Phoenix, Korpikoski 1, 4:10 (sh).
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2, Phoenix, Schneider 1 (Stempniak, Pyatt), 2:27 (pp). 3, Detroit, Stuart 1 (Datsyuk, Franzen), 2:51. 4, Phoenix, Vrbata 2 (Lang, Yan- dle), 10:09 (pp). 5, Phoenix, Wolski 4 (Prucha, Mi- chalek), 14:01.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6, Phoenix, Pyatt 1 (Yandle, Morris), 5:25 (pp). 7, Detroit, Helm 1 (Kronwall), 16:29.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Phoenix .......................................... 6 15 8 — 29 Detroit ............................................ 14 12 7 — 33
Power-play opportunities: Phoenix 3 of 6; Detroit 0 of 5. Goalies: Phoenix, Bryzgalov 3-3-0 (33 shots-31 saves). Detroit, Howard 3-3-0 (29-24). A: 20,066 (20,066). T: 2:26.
JOHN MCDONNELL/
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