Neuvirth stops 29 shots as Caps blank 'Canes
Michal Neuvirth stopped 29 shots for his first NHL shutout, and the Washington Capitals beat Carolina 3-0 on Wednesday night to spoil the Hurricanes' first game on home ice.
Nicklas Backstrom scored two goals, including an empty-netter, and Matt Hendricks also scored for the Capitals. They began a three-game road swing by winning their second straight.
The 22-year-old Neuvirth made several highlight-reel stops. He snatched a wrist shot out of the air from Eric Staal, and stuffed a nifty wraparound backhander from 18-year-old rookie Jeff Skinner.
Carolina was the last NHL team to play on home ice after opening with seven straight road games, including trips to Russia for an exhibition, Finland for the opener and down the West Coast. By the team's count, they traveled more than 15,000 miles and across 11 time zones.
Cam Ward turned aside 30 shots for the Hurricanes, who have lost two of three.
Ward's most spectacular save came midway through the second period when he slid across the goalmouth and used his stick to stuff Alex Ovechkin, who was streaking in hard from the left side.
That stop helped extend Ovechkin's goal drought to five games, though he did assist on Backstrom's goal with 7:37 left that made it 2-0. Backstrom then flung the puck into an empty net with 1:28 to play.
That goal turned it into something resembling a blowout for the Capitals, whose previous four wins were by one goal apiece. They were scoreless on the power play for the fourth straight game, and they entered averaging roughly one goal per game fewer than they did last season when they led the league.
Those struggles was perhaps best illustrated early when Ward allowed Eric Fehr a wide-open look at the net from point-blank range — and the Washington winger rang the right post.
A pile-up in front of the Carolina net - and what the Hurricanes considered a questionable no-call - wound up leading to the game's first goal. David Steckel collided with Ward as he passed to Hendricks, who flipped in the puck at 9:13 of the first period for his first goal, despite screams from the RBC Center crowd for a goaltender interference penalty.
