After a bad experience as coach of the U.S. Olympic team, it didn't get any better for Ron Wilson when he returned to the NHL with the Washington Capitals.
After his team's unexpected early exit from the Olympics at Nagano, Wilson's February nightmare continued at the MCI Center on Wednesday night with a 4-3 loss to the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning. Wilson has just two victories in his last 11 games combined with Team USA and the Capitals."For a couple of periods, we did some lazy things," Wilson said after the Capitals were beaten by the NHL's worst team.
It was the Capitals' second straight loss to the Lightning, which has only 11 victories and had a 16-game winless streak before beating Washington 4-3 before the Olympic break.
Alexander Selivanov scored with 7.4 seconds left to give Tampa Bay the victory. Selivanov scored after the puck bounced over Syl-vain Cote's stick as he tried to clear following a face-off at the Capitals' end.
"It actually surprised me the puck was sitting right there," said Selivanov, who scored two goals in his first game at left wing. "With 11 seconds left (at the faceoff) in a hockey game, you never know what's going to happen. You can score a goal in one second."
Wilson was surprised, too.
"On the last goal, we just got a bad bounce," he said. "It's sort of incredible that we couldn't get a break in the third and they got it."
MAPLE LEAFS 2, SABRES 2: Math-ieu Schneider's goal with 4.1 seconds remaining in regulation lifted Toronto to a tie at Buffalo in a game played brilliantly by Olympic star Dominik Hasek. Hasek was nearly flawless for the first 59-plus minutes before mishandling Schneider's high slap shot.
STARS 4, ISLANDERS 1: Ed Belfour stopped 21 shots as Dallas won at Uniondale, N.Y. Belfour made his best save at 9:38 of the final period when, while skating back into his net, he got his right pad on Bryan Smolinski's wrist shot.
DEVILS, 3, PANTHERS 2: Denis Pederson's power-play goal keyed a three-goal second period as New Jersey won at Florida.
KINGS 1, RED WINGS 1: Los Angeles goalie Stephane Fiset stopped 28 shots as Los Angeles and the Red Wings skated to a tie at Detroit.
PENGUINS 6, CANADIENS 2: Jaromir Jagr and Stu Barnes scored two goals each as Pittsburgh won at Montreal.
AVALANCHE 4, COYOTES 2: Uwe Krupp scored his first goal in two months to lift Colorado to victory.
OILERS 5, SENATORS 2: At Edmonton, Tony Hrkac scored twice as the Oilers extended their winning streak against the Senators to six games.
CANUCKS 5, MIGHTY DUCKS 2: Peter Zezel had a goal and two assists, giving him six points in three games since joining Vancouver, to lead the Canucks over injury-riddled Anaheim.