by A.J. PerezFiled under: Capitals, Rangers
Alex Ovechkin threw off the gloves for only the second time of his career, not that it did much to spark the slumping Washington Capitals.
The Caps' slide reached six games -- the longest since March 2007 -- as the New York Rangers eased to a 7-0 victory behind a 31-save effort by Henrik Lundqvist at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. The Caps already surpassed the longest streak since Bruce Boudreau's tenure behind the bench, a stint that could be soon nearing its end if the defending Presidents' Trophy winners fail to show signs of life.
Ovechkin dropped the gloves midway through the second period with his team already down 4-0 after he delivered a hip check to Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi. Ovechkin skated to center ice where he found an unsuspecting Brandon Dubinsky, and the Great 8's first -- and only -- regular-season fight since he went up against the Sabres' Paul Gaustad in Dec. 2006 ensued.
"It (was) just a moment in the game," Ovechkin told reporters after the game. "Nothing special happened."
No fire, however, was lit as Rangers defenseman Marc Staal scored a shorthanded goal seconds later. Ovechkin, who fought to a draw with Dubinsky, eventually left in the middle of the third period after teammate Alexander Semin sent a wrist shot off his right leg, although he would have returned had the game been close.
It's not clear how the most lopsided loss of the season affects Boudreau's standing with the team. Of course, Boudreau can't make saves -- Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth can't seem to do that either -- and what was the league's most high-powered offense can't get shut out like the Caps have been twice during this consecutive loss streak.
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