New York. Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins – Two longtime NHL powerhouses about to fall?
Now it seems so.
After losing two of their toughest players on Thursday, the Caps suffered a sixth straight loss last night for the first time in 20 years against fellow Anaheim players — as Edmonton grabbed the Penguins’ feathers at PPG Paints Arena.
– Nothing has changed for us, we are trying to find ways to win, says Washington coach Peter Laviolette without sounding too convincing.
The last time both Washington and Pittsburgh missed the playoffs was in 2006, but this spring, the danger is imminent that it will happen again.
Both clubs – who have since belonged to the league’s superpowers and have won four Stanley Cups – are really bad and last night were in spectacular failure.
The situation is even worse for the Capitals, and before tonight’s home game against Anaheim, they receive an alarming signal that club management has given up on this season and intends to become a seller before the trade deadline in a week.
Team rebuild already now
GM McClellan, who this time of year tends to retool the team, has traded stalwarts Dimitri Orloff and Garnett Hathaway to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Craig Smith, a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, a second-round pick in 2024 and a third-round pick in 2024. 2025.
– It was difficult to receive such a message 40 minutes before the start of the match, it is about two very famous people in this dressing room, but that does not excuse us from losing a match like that night, Trevor van Riemsdyk sighs.
But they lost they did. With 4-2 against Western giants Anaheim – after goals from Jacob Silverberg and Isaac Lundstrom. on home soil.
In doing so, the 2018 champions have won six straight regular-time games for the first time since 2003. They trail five teams in the playoff race — with more games played than most.
– But nothing has changed for us, we are trying to find ways to win, says coach Laviolette in a tone that indicates that he is trying to convince himself that this is true.
The Penguins’ position in the schedule is somewhat brighter, at least they have more games to get things right, but after the effort against Edmonton at home in Pittsburgh last night, it’s hard not to wonder if the capacity is really there.
They played a resounding flat game, were beaten 7-2, booed by their fans and asked afterwards if it wasn’t time for widespread personnel changes.
– I don’t care about that, I care about the people who are with me in this room. We just have each other and we have to push each other,” says veteran running back Chris Letang.
Coach Mike Sullivan agrees.
– We have the team that we have. We try to put together the best possible combinations. Right now, it’s not going well, but we keep trying, he says.