It's not often that a team's best player will be the initiator in a fight. Especially not when he's also a perennial MVP candidate. But that's what happened tonight as Alex Ovechkin tried to inspire his team.
The Capitals were down 4-0 when Ovechkin hit Dan Girardi of the Rangers with a hip-check that was slightly behind the play and entirely unnecessary. That got Brandon Dubinsky riled up to challenge Ovechkin, and the captain obliged.
Ovechkin's intent in starting the fight was to inspire his troops. Obviously it didn't really work, as the Capitals went on to give up three more goals to fall to the Rangers 7-0 in embarassing fashion. It was the Capitals' sixth loss in six games, their largest losing streak ever under head coach Bruce Boudreau, and a surprising twist to a season in which the Capitals should be expected to compete for the Stanley Cup.