Sports Talk: Caps Need a Spark to Turn Around

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CAPITALS GOALTENDER OLIE KOLZIG sat slumped in his corner of the Verizon Center locker room late Monday night, quiet and discouraged, admitting that he understood the frustration of the fans who booed his team during the second period of a 4-3 loss to Florida. It was the Caps' fourth defeat in a row and 14th in the past 17 games. And it hurt.

"Our play at home is nothing to write home about. They pay good money to come see us play. They have every right," he said.

But Kolzig bristled at the crowd's call for coach Glen Halon's firing, saying a change "is the furthest thing that needs to happen here. How many shocks do you need?"

What's not up for debate is the fact that the 6-13-1 Caps' once-promising season is in a tailspin.

"It's starting to slide away from us. We have to play every game like it's our last right now," center Brooks Laich said. They'll get another chance to get back on track Friday night against visiting Atlanta.

Injuries certainly played a role in the slide. Captain Chris Clark, defenseman Tom Poti and, most importantly, winger Alexander Semin all missed significant time. But each has returned, and while Semin helped out Monday with a third-period goal, the Caps managed to find a way to lose despite outshooting the Panthers and taking fewer penalties.

"There are other guys who can do the same thing," Kolzig said. "We just didn't get it done. He provided a spark late for us, and, hopefully, that carries over to Wednesday."

Other than that, the club can only continue to play hard and hope fortunes change.

"I've never been around a team that just competes and works regardless of the circumstances and the adversity," defenseman Brian Pothier said. "It's going to eventually pay dividends for us. Our mental fortitude and our desire is going to turn it around."

Written by Express contributor Brian Straus
Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post