After a long road trip ends with a win against bitter rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals looked to get another win at home at the Verizon Center against the New York Rangers on Feb. 25.  Unfortunately, the Capitals put on an embarrassing performance with a loss of 6-0, unable to score a single goal against their opponents.

To make matters worse, the Caps top defensemen Mike Green was injured only 5 minutes into the game after taking a hard hit to the head.  The hit was clearly an interference, but the referees did not make the call. To make matters worse, as Green laid on the ice in pain, the Rangers were able to put their 1st goal of game.  Green retired to the locker room and did not return the rest of the game.  He had already suffered from a concussion earlier this month after taking a slap shot to the head on Feb. 6, so another head injury could make matters much more serious for him.

The frustrated Caps began taking penalties in the 2nd period to give the Rangers an opportunity to put in a pair of powerplay goals, giving them a 4-0 lead going into the 3rd period.  Another goal mid-way through the 3rd period gave the Rangers a 5 goal lead, and to add insult to injury, the Rangers put in their final tally with only 34 seconds remaining, sealing up the win.

The Caps have been unable to put together a winning streak greater than 2 since early December, and with the quickly approaching trade deadline and their lack of success, it may force General Manager George McPhee to make some last minute moves.  McPhee is known for being very secretive and making moves at the very last moments.  The Caps 2nd line center position is up for grabs.  McPhee may decide to keep what he has and hope the young guns such as Marcus Johansson or Mathieu Perreault can step up, or he may elect to acquire a veteran who is used the pressures of playoff hockey.  The status of Mike Green’s injury may also affect his decisions. Let’s hope the Caps can step it up in their upcoming games.