Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Injuries, lack of scoring leave Caps lagging Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 15:33:28 EST Message-ID: \SE D;SPORTS;NEWS ANALYSIS \HD Injuries, lack of scoring leave Caps lagging \BY David Elfin \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Six months ago, the Washington Capitals, the NHL's second-best team during the regular season, had the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 30 minutes from playoff elimination. The Caps ultimately lost the first-round series, but they gave the Penguins a tougher time than any of Pittsburgh's three subsequent opponents. Washington had fine goaltending, a talented defense, excellent special teams and an offense that produced a club-record 330 goals. So who are these current impostors in red, white and blue who can't stop pucks, don't throw checks and couldn't find the net if it were a mile wide? Wednesday's 4-3 loss in Vancouver was the Caps' fourth straight, their longest slide in almost two seasons and dropped their record to 3-7. They'll try again tonight in Calgary, where they have won in just five of 30 visits and not at all since 1987. Goalie Don Beaupre, an all-star last season, is 2-6 with a 4.11 goals-against average. Top defensemen Kevin Hatcher, Al Iafrate, Calle Johansson and Rod Langway are a combined minus-22. Only lowly San Jose has generated fewer power plays than Washington's 51. The Caps' average goal output has dropped from 4.1 to 3.1. Only San Jose, awful Edmonton and expansion Ottawa score less often. Right wing Peter Bondra has nine goals, the rest of the Caps just 22. Checking specialists Paul MacDermid and Alan May have four goals to just three for Pat Elynuik, Bob Carpenter and Kevin Miller, offseason acquisitions who combined for 70 last season. Then there are the injuries. The Caps were virtually injury-free last season until all-star left wing Randy Burridge went down with a torn knee ligament March 1. After just 10 games, the Caps have lost Burridge for the season, top returning goal-scorer Dimitri Khristich for as long as two months,and top returning scorer Michal Pivonka and regulars Sylvain Cote and Jason Woolley for six games each. Most ominous for the Caps, they are 0-5 in the NHL's toughest division, the Patrick. Last season they won their first nine Patrick games and finished with the NHL's best divisional record, 22-12-1. "It's not just one thing; there's a bunch of things that we have to start cleaning up," coach Terry Murray said after the Vancouver loss. "We missed the net a lot. We're getting too fine. Everybody's trying to score and be the guy that's going to get the team turned around." The most frustrating aspect of their slump is that the Caps, despite the injuries and the widely criticized trade of top scoring threat Dino Ciccarelli, are still very talented. Only the New York Rangers (twice) have really beaten Washington at its best. The Caps played horrible first periods in New Jersey and Vancouver when they wouldn't hit an opposing skater if he had insulted their mothers, an awful third period against Philadelphia when they took just seven shots, terrible second and third periods in Winnipeg when backup goalie Jim Hrivnak gave up more rebounds than the Bullets' front line, and lethargically for the whole game against the Islanders. Traditionally one of the NHL's best defensive teams, the Caps went to a more uptempo style last season and are having a hard time switching back. Yet Kelly Miller and Mike Ridley are among the NHL's best defensive forwards and Beaupre, Hatcher, Iafrate and Johansson are all of all-star caliber. Langway has lost another step at 35, but he and Dale Hunter are the only Caps over 30. This team's time shouldn't have come and gone last April. It's way too early to be writing the Caps off with 74 games left, but Iafrate, Carpenter and the Miller brothers have to start scoring, everyone has to start hitting and Beaupre has to snap back into form. Don't forget that Washington got off to 3-7-2 starts in 1988 and 1989 but finished atop the Patrick the first season and in the Wales Conference finals the second. Notes - With right wing Mark Hunter's status questionable after suffering a concussion on Wednesday, the Caps recalled center Steve Konowalchuk and right wing Keith Jones from Baltimore. The rookies might stick with the Caps after Hunter's return because center Michal Pivonka reaggravated his pulled groin while skating with the Baltimore Skipperjacks on Tuesday. ***** CAPS (3-7) VS. FLAMES (7-3) Tonight, 9:35 p.m., Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta., Ch. 20, AM-630. ****BOX WASHINGTON CAPITALS UPDATE TONIGHT: Calgary Flames * When: 9:35 p.m. * Where: Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta. * TV/Radio: Ch. 20, AM-630. * Series: First of two meetings. The Caps took last season's series 2-0-1, tying 4-4 in Calgary, but Washington is 0-4-3 in Calgary since 1987. The Flames lead the all-time series 33-20-8. * Injuries: Caps - C Michal Pivonka (groin), LW Dimitri Khristich (foot), D Jason Woolley (wrist) and LW Randy Burridge (knee) are out. Flames - RW Ron Stern (back) and G Mike Vernon (forehead) are possible. D Michel Petit (shoulder) and D Trent Yawney (chest) are out. * Notes: Caps - Have lost four straight for the first time since Dec. 22-29. Have scored just eight goals in those losses to fall to 3-7. RW Peter Bondra has nine of their 31 goals. Washington has scored on 12 of 51 power plays and killed 54 of 64 penalties. Flames - Have won four of their last five to move to 7-3 under first-year coach Dave King after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 1975. Calgary has scored on 57 of 70 power plays and killed 64 of 70 penalties. Five Flames have between 10-13 points. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM