PITTSBURGH -- In a game the Capitals desperately needed, Washington captain Alex Ovechkin managed just two shots on goal. He took two penalties. He was held off the scoreboard for the fourth time in five playoff games.
Now, his Capitals are on the verge of elimination following their 3-2 loss in Game 4 of their series against the Penguins and he's putting it on his shoulders.
"I didn't play my game tonight. Me personally, I have to play much better," Ovechkin said. "I didn't control the puck well. I make stupid decisions. Unfortunately, it happened."
Asked about his play, Ovechkin's coach, Barry Trotz, didn't necessarily disagree.
"Our top players didn't play as well as they needed to," Trotz said.
While Ovechkin put the loss on his shoulders, his teammates were quick to jump to his defense. Most supportive was fellow Russian Evgeny Kuznetsov, who predicted a bounce-back for Ovechkin in Game 5.
"He did a lot of good things," Kuznetsov said. "He working hard like everybody. Sometimes you can't score. He will score next game for sure. I will trust him. He's big man, he will score for sure."