That ringing in players’ ears? It’s shots pinging off metal
Capitals have had 30 shots so far ricochet off crossbar or post
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals sat side by side on the bench at Madison Square Garden and heard the same pinging noise over and over. To Chandler Stephenson, it seemed as if every Capitals shot caused the same familiar ring.
The noise also was heard Saturday in the team’s 2-1 shootout loss to Vancouver. Washington hit two posts in the second period, first Michael Sgarbossa, who was sent down to Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, then Evgeny Kuznetsov, who scored the team’s lone goal in its 4-1 loss to the Rangers.
“In the Rangers game it [was] like, ‘What is going on?’ ” Stephenson said. “It’s really all you heard every time we shot the puck it seemed: ‘Ping,’ shoot it, ‘ping.’ But if it happens two or three times, I don’t think you’re like, ‘This is the end of the world. We can’t buy a goal.’
“If we only have one goal and we hit five-plus, it’s like, OK, one has to go in somehow.”
The Capitals hit four posts in the loss to the Rangers and through 25 games lead the league in shots off the post (24) and crossbar (6), according to NHL data.
The actual number itself isn’t a signal of anything good or bad, according to the players. It’s more being lucky and unlucky. But Washington has seen its scoring production dwindle over its past few outings.
From Oct. 25 to Nov. 9, the Capitals scored at least four goals in all six of their games. The Capitals have scored two goals in their past two outings, both losses.
“We’ve hit our fair share of posts recently,” coach Todd Reirden said. “If you get to high danger area and you create an opportunity then we are right where we were before. And if you don’t, then we are down a little bit. But we worked at it a little bit today, making sure we are in the interior a little bit more.”
Forward T.J. Oshie said hitting the post or crossbar would frustrate anyone going through a scoring drought, but in a player’s mind that counts as a scoring chance.
“You are close,” he said. “When you get a scoring chance, it usually means you are playing pretty good hockey.”
Stephenson said he sees hitting the post or crossbar as a sign that players are close to breaking a bad streak, but it’s mostly luck. For example, if a player is just trying to put a shot on net and it hits the post, then that’s “a little lucky.” If a defenseman is walking in, has a full lane and he picks his spot and shoots and still hits the post, that’s “a little unlucky.”
“Every goal in the NHL, there is a little bit of luck involved,” Tom Wilson said. “Like someone screwed up or the goalie made a mistake or you made a really good play, and if it hits the post and goes in or goes out, there’s a little bit of luck involved. But it’s also the shot usually.
“It’s a weird thing. If it goes in then it goes in, and if not then you just keep playing.”
Wilson said players rarely keep track of how many crossbars or posts they hit, but they do talk about it if the number starts to get significant. Wilson wasn’t aware the Capitals were leading the league until they saw a stat.
“Yeah, it’s just one of those things you grow up playing the game,” he said. “It’s just part of it.”