Troy Brouwer went into this game with no points and a minus-two rating in the Washington Capitals’ second round series against the New York Rangers. Brouwer finally managed to have a standout game on Monday with two assists, a plus-one rating, and two blocked shots.
The Capitals had a 2-1 lead when Joel Ward took a double-minor high-sticking penalty with just 22 seconds remaining in regulation time. The New York Rangers pounced on the opportunity, tying the game and then winning it on overtime while Ward sat in the sin bin.
Just like that, Brouwer’s good game was wasted, but he’s not pointing a finger at Ward.
“No one feels lower than [Ward] right now, but it’s not his fault,” Brouwer said. “It’s a tough break.”
We’ll see how Ward will respond in Game 6 on Wednesday. We shouldn’t forget that Ward played a big role in getting the Capitals to the second round in the first place. Maybe he’s got another heroic act in him. The Capitals could certainly use one right now.