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Ovechkin goal enough as Capitals beat wounded Pens
Source: Agencies |
February 23, 2011, Wednesday
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ALEX Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals took advantage of the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins with a 1-0 win on Monday to continue their regular-season dominance over their East rivals.
With Crosby out of the lineup since early January with a concussion, the meeting between the two teams lacked much of the excitement that normally surrounds their games.
Ovechkin grabbed the spotlight with a goal in the second period while Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth made 39 saves for his third shutout of the season and second against Pittsburgh in two weeks.
After leading the National Hockey League in goals scored a season ago, the Capitals (32-19-10) have made a recent transition to becoming more defensive oriented.
"I think our new system is something that gives us a chance to play good defensively. Offensively, we have to create it," Ovechkin told reporters in Pittsburgh after scoring his 24th goal of the season. "Every new system takes time. It's time (for us) to play good."
Washington (32-19-10), which moved within one point of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Southeast Division, has won 10 of its last 12 regular-season games against the Penguins.
Pittsburgh (36-20-5) has lost six of its last eight games and fell to 10-8-2 without Crosby, the team's captain and top scorer, in the lineup. The Penguins are also without Evgeni Malkin, their third-leading scorer, after he had season-ending knee surgery in early February.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves but got little support from his offense. The Penguins, losers of two straight, are fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Earlier, the Penguins added some spark to their injury-hit offense by acquiring left wing James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen from the Dallas Stars.
Elsewhere on Monday, it was: Blackhawks 5, Blues 3; and Islanders 5, Panthers 1.
With Crosby out of the lineup since early January with a concussion, the meeting between the two teams lacked much of the excitement that normally surrounds their games.
Ovechkin grabbed the spotlight with a goal in the second period while Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth made 39 saves for his third shutout of the season and second against Pittsburgh in two weeks.
After leading the National Hockey League in goals scored a season ago, the Capitals (32-19-10) have made a recent transition to becoming more defensive oriented.
"I think our new system is something that gives us a chance to play good defensively. Offensively, we have to create it," Ovechkin told reporters in Pittsburgh after scoring his 24th goal of the season. "Every new system takes time. It's time (for us) to play good."
Washington (32-19-10), which moved within one point of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Southeast Division, has won 10 of its last 12 regular-season games against the Penguins.
Pittsburgh (36-20-5) has lost six of its last eight games and fell to 10-8-2 without Crosby, the team's captain and top scorer, in the lineup. The Penguins are also without Evgeni Malkin, their third-leading scorer, after he had season-ending knee surgery in early February.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves but got little support from his offense. The Penguins, losers of two straight, are fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Earlier, the Penguins added some spark to their injury-hit offense by acquiring left wing James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen from the Dallas Stars.
Elsewhere on Monday, it was: Blackhawks 5, Blues 3; and Islanders 5, Panthers 1.
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