Caps Flip Fortune, Win In OT

Preseason
Capitals 5, Penguins 4

It’s another preseason game that could not be decided in regulation. The Capitals take the Penguins into overtime. Instead of a loss, the Capitals win this one on a Matt Bradley goal at 2:59 in OT.

The Capitals gave this night to the prospects. No surprise, the Penguins did the same. No Alex Ovechkin, no Sid “the Kid” Crosby, no Evgeni Malkin. In fact on the Capitals side there were only two players with single digit numbers on their back, John Erskine (4) and Olaf Kolzig’s backup Brent Johnson (1).

It was not a pretty game. Special teams again caused the Caps fits. Allowing two power play goals, an even strength goal, and a shorthanded goal. It is clear the Caps need to button down both with and without an extra man. The Caps had to kill 14 penalties on the night including an interference call in OT.

Caps again couldn’t keep themselves out of the penalty box. Donald Brashear found himself unable to keep himself from being sent to sit next to the timekeeper 3 times in the third after being able to stay away from the box in the previous preseason game. Erskin couldn’t keep himself in good standing either with 4 PIMs.

It will be crucial that the Caps do not allow themselves get into bad situations by being in the penalty box all night. Brashear and Erskin may be the two that get the Caps in a hole that they may not get out of night after night.

Scoring goals for the Caps were Quintin Laing, Matt Pettinger (two straight games with goals), Bradley (game winner),Thomas Fleischmann and Jakub Klepis (who was the #1 star of this game). Players with assists were Boyd Gordon, Klepis (2), Steve Eminger (2), Mike Green, Brashear, Laing and Fleischmann.

Caps will face the Devils in a couple of days (Sept. 22nd to be exact). The game will be played at the Giant Center in Hershey. The Caps then return to DC after a preseason game against the Flyers on the 26th.