01-14-2020, 06:49 AM
WASHINGTON -- The left half of the net was wide open for Troy Brouwer. When he missed badly, putting his shot wide, he was so exasperated that he slumped his shoulders and looked to the rafters as play continued. It was that kind of game for both the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, who seemingly tried to top each other in trying to find the best way to waste a scoring chance. Players whiffed on open one-timers, several shots hit the goal frame, and all 11 power plays had fruitless outcomes. Andrew MacDonald was the only player to find the target, scoring early in the third period Tuesday night as the last-place Islanders broke a five-game losing streak with a 1-0 win. "Were a desperate team," New York coach Jack Capuano said. "I thought our guys really worked hard right from the start. ... Weve been playing hard; we havent been getting results." MacDonalds slap shot from the point went past screened goalie Michal Neuvirth and just under the crossbar with 17:44 to play. Evgeni Nabokov, making his third start since returning from a groin injury, stopped 22 shots for his 57th career shutout. The Islanders scored only one goal for the third straight game -- but at least this time it was enough to win. "There was a lot of special teams. It was kind of a weird one," McDonald said. "You dont really want to play with fire too much against these guys and give them too many power plays, but fortunately we were able to draw a couple while they were on the power play and negate them." Neuvirth made 27 saves for the Capitals, who have lost 10 of 13 to tumble toward the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, only seven points ahead of the Islanders. Washington has been shut out four times this season, all at home. "Its not acceptable, the way we played tonight. Thats for sure," Capitals centre Nicklas Backstrom said. Washingtons Eric Fehr hit the right post in the first period, not long before teammate Brouwers frustrating misfire. New Yorks Cal Clutterbuck hit the intersection of the crossbar and right post on a short-handed attempt midway through the second, and teammate Kyle Okposo put one off the right post later in the period. The Islanders were granted a rare short-handed penalty shot in the third period, but Michael Grabners attempt was saved by Neuvirth. Most significantly, the Capitals talented power play went 0 for 6. Alex Ovechkin had three shots on goal for the game, with four other attempts blocked. Washington coach Adam Oates said perhaps his team had "a little fatigue" and that veteran players need to stop taking unnecessary penalties. He also noted it wasnt the greatest performance by the Islanders. "I dont think they executed, either," Oates said. "Both power plays were pretty ineffective." NOTES: Capitals D John Carlson played in his 271st consecutive game, tying Calle Johansson for the longest streak by a defenceman in franchise history. ... Washington D Mike Green missed his third consecutive game with a concussion, and LW Aaron Volpatti sat out with an upper-body injury. Mike Nott Jersey Store . The 24-year-old Raley was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA for Chicago in his first two career starts after being called up from Iowa on Aug. 7. He was optioned to Iowa on Monday after losing 3-0 to Cincinnati in Chicago on Sunday. Tom Greene Jersey Store . Cox started the season with San Francisco, but was released by the team on Nov. 12 before being signed by Seattle, where he appeared in two games and tallied three tackles before being released on Dec. https://www.chinacheapjerseys.net/larry-...sey-store/. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are disappointed, though not discouraged. Dennis McKinnon Jersey Store . First-half goals by Will Bruin and Oscar Boniek Garcia sucked the life out of the Impact as the Houston Dynamo bounced them from Major League Soccers post-season with a 3-0 victory on Thursday. Cosmo Iacavazzi Jersey Store .C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes used a strong third period to extend their winning streak to three games.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Josh Smith saved his only 3-pointers for when the Detroit Pistons needed them most. His first started a 12-0 run midway through the fourth quarter that gave the Pistons the lead for good and the next gave Detroit breathing room in its 116-111 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. Greg Monroe matched his season-best with 28 points and had 14 rebounds to help Detroit end a three-game skid in a matchup of the NBA Central Divisions worst two teams. Smith scored eight of his 26 during the decisive run. "It kind of was a relief," Smith said of his first 3-pointer, which got the Pistons within 98-95 with 5:2 left in the game. "I knew if I just stepped into it and shot it with confidence we could make a push." He had a 3-point play later in the run and added his second 3-pointer and a subsequent dunk with a minute to play to put the game away. Smith finished the fourth with 15 points and was 11 for 19 from the floor overall. "It seemed like every shot he made in the fourth quarter was a big shot," Monroe said. "We obviously needed him to kind of pull away." Brandon Knight had 25 points and Ramon Sessions added 20 and 11 assists for Milwaukee, which lost its 10th consecutive road game and dropped the season series with the Pistons 3-1. The Bucks outscored the Pistons 13-6 in the final four minutes of the first half and took a 61-52 lead to intermission. Detroit trailed by as many as 11 points early in the third but took the lead with a 12-0 run before heading into the final period trailing 82-81.dddddddddddd Andre Drummond had 10 points and 16 boards and Brandon Jennings added 20 points and 13 assists for Detroit, which won despite going to the line 21 times to Milwaukees 36. "We just stopped doing the things that we did for three-and-a-half quarters," Milwaukee coach Larry Drew said. "We took some tough shots. We rushed a lot of quick shots around the basket and missed a lot of easy ones." Drew was content with his teams job on Smith, who entered the game making 42 per cent of his field-goal tries. "I thought we did a good job from a game strategy standpoint," Drew said. "We did what we were supposed to do. He just started making shots." The Bucks got 12 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best three blocks from centre Zaza Pachulia. They went almost five minutes without a field goal late in the fourth quarter while Detroit made the decisive run. Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo each added 14 points. Pistons coach John Loyer was whistled for a technical foul midway through the third quarter. Two nights earlier he was ejected from the Pistons 123-98 loss at Philadelphia. NOTES: Drummond and Pachulia each were assessed technical fouls in the first half for arguing calls. . The Bucks finished March 0-9 on the road. Their last win away from home was Feb. 24 at Philadelphia. . Drummond had his Eastern Conference-best 49th double-double. . Bucks G O.J. Mayo (right ankle) was in uniform Monday but did not play for the third straight game. ' ' '