Lucky Bounce Do The Caps In

Capitals 2, Bruins 3 OT
Scoresheet - Wash Post - B Globe

The Capitals held the lead or tie for the entire game, but a bad bounce gave the Boston Bruins the overtime winner 3-2. Shaone Morrisonn, the Capital player in the wrong place at the wrong time, was the defender in front the pass bounced off of and past Jose Theodore. Boston gets the two points, stretching their lead in the East to 11 points over the Caps who only get a single point.

Mike Green scored what really was a power play goal to start the scoring off. Micheal Nylander scored for his fifth goal of the season. Alex Semin extends his point streak to seven games with 4 goals and 4 assists.

Alex Ovechkin had a scare after he was hooked from behind by Zdeno Chara and went hard into the boards. The Bruins were on a mission to hurt the Caps anyway they could by playing physical and sometimes making the hit on a Capital who didn't have the puck.

Nick Backstrom had a quiet night, but was the best skater on the ice for the Caps. It was his hook on Chara in the overtime period that lead to the game winner. The hook was a combination of a tap of the stick by Backstrom and a foot first dive by Chara. Chara crashed into the net and Backstrom got a seat in the sin bin.

Jose Theodore played his best game ever for the Capitals (he continues to impress every game). He made impossible save after impossible save to keep his team in it. I knew he was in the zone when early in the game Theo saw zero shots as the Bruins took a penalty early. The first shot came well after the 16 minute mark and he was swallowing point shots and not allowing rebounds. Theo gave the Bruins only one chance at scoring, not chance after chance by giving up bad rebounds.

Several times during the game the Capitals seemed to be limping or nursing some injury. While the Capitals dominated much of the play, the bruising seemed to tire the Caps out. The Bruins were able to play their system and it finally did the Capitals in. However, this game could have gone either way for most of the third and all of the even strength time in the overtime.

The Caps will get some much needed practice time as their next game is not until a back to back on the weekend. My bet is the first practice back at Kettler will not be fun for the Caps. Bruce Boudreau will be working the boys hard working on the penalty kill and power plays.

AP Photo/Elise Amendola