PK And Holtby Shine In Game One

Capitals 3, Rangers 1 
Scoresheet - Event Summary

Washington leads series 1-0

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

The Washington Capitals exploded for a three goal second period and Braden Holtby made a magical save in the third to help the home team take game one over the New York Rangers. It had looked like the Broadway Blueshirts were going to rope-a-dope the Caps as they practiced bending but not breaking through the first 16:00 minutes of the game at Verizon Center. The Caps would open up the scoring spurred on by their league leading power play in the second period to take game one 3-1.

Alex Ovechkin scored his first of the playoffs on a power play in the second period. Marcus Johansson scored his first off of a beauty of a pass by Steve Oleksy to break out the speedy forward. And Jason Chimera netted the insurance goal under a minute later for his 34th birthday.

The Capitals had an ideal start, getting an early power play in the first minute of the game when the Rangers were whistled for too many men on the ice. While the Caps did not convert, their aggressive forecheck kept New York on their heels as the Caps rolled out a 10-0 shot advantage through the first ten minutes of play.

But a late goal in the first by the Rangers' Carl Hagelin settled the onslaught and put the Capitals down by one goal. It had looked as if the away team weathered the storm and took advantage of a miscue by the Capitals to take the early advantage.

That is when the league's best power play reared it's head six minutes into the second period. Arron Asham was called for an "Illegal check to the head" and on the ensuing power play, the Caps worked the puck around to Mike Green. Green shot it wide, whether on purpose to avoid the sliding blocker or just missed the net, the puck bounced back to the front where a charging Ovechkin back handed it past Henrick Lunqvist.

The Capitals would run into some penalty trouble after that. Martin Erat took a boarding call when he slammed Mats Zuccarello into the dashers from behind. A short time later, Eric Fehr took an interference call on the PK when the Rangers stormed the net. The Rangers, however, where not able to convert on the 5 on 3 power play. 

Nearly seven and a half minutes after Ovi's power play goal, Oleksy would make a phenomenal pass to a streaking Johansson behind the Ranger defense. MoJo scored just under Lundqvist's glove and above the leg pad to give the Capitals their first lead of the night, and ended up being the game winner.

Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Chimera's goal came just :46 seconds later, when the birthday boy turned and shot it past Lundqvist who was being screened by Matthieu Perreault.

Holtby was spectacular. Making a plethora of glove saves look routine, the Caps goaltender saved his best save for late in the third period. It was a sharp angle shot that looked as if it went off his shoulder and in. But looking at the replay, the puck is never seen crossing the line. Holtby claimed the puck went into his blocker and that he had the puck in his hand the whole time. It was a magic trick best seen on the stage from David Copperfield, literally the puck disappears after hitting the post. Video was inconclusive, no goal.

The Capitals' penalty kill was sparkling tonight, killing off all four man advantages. That included a 1:26 Ranger 5 on 3. While New York went 0-4, the Capitals were 1-5 with seven shots on net.

Caps take game one and retain the home ice advantage until the two teams are under way Saturday afternoon on the NBC network.

Caps Notes:

• Oleksy took a shot off a shot deflected off his own stick that hit him in the chin/jaw. The big defenseman shook it off, played the rest of the game, with out stitches. It will be a big bruise though.
• Eric Fehr had a spectacular game, even though he didn't score. Drew a few penalties and played tough defense on his own end. 
• John Tortorella's press conference was less than a minute long.

A Different Look

Alex Ovechkin scored his first hat trick since he did it in 2011 against Toronto. It all began from a different look.

What do we know about Ovechkin? Well, he loves to rip down the wing. Bear down on the defenseman, make a move or draw a shot and drive to the net. For the first 2 or 3 years of his career that was good enough for the Capitals. But when teams finally caught hold of what the left winger was doing, they collapse defensively around him and soon he became a non-factor.

One of the reasons Ovechkin was being so well defended was he often came in alone. The opposition defense would simply have to "box" him in with a defender in front of him and a forward coming back to keep him to the wall and force him to cough the puck up, take a low percentage shot, or make a hell of a move to free himself. How many times have we seen the Caps forward fly down the wing only to get snuffed out of the play by three defenders on top of him? Too many times to count.

Ovi was often too fast for his own team. When the Capitals broke out of their own zone and passed it to Ovechkin, the opposition had no troubles containing him in the "box" and stifling the offensive explosiveness Ovechkin had. Often Ovi would try different things like stop and find the trailer, or keep moving down the boards, but often that was met with the defense clamping down on him and he would often lose the puck or no one would be there to help.

Adam Oates knows Ovechkin needs the help. He put the fastest guy on the ice on his line. Jason Chimera adds an element of a pass option for Ovechkin. Added with the crafty play making ability of Mike Ribeiro and this line is quickly becoming a feared line to play against.

But what happened on Saturday afternoon was something we have rarely seen (if ever). And I will break down what transpired.

Here is the break out. Ovechkin has the puck and the Devils work to "box" him in. Normally Ovi would streak down the wing side and right into the trap the opposition lays for him. But as the three Devils look to isolate him he does something unexpected.

Ovi drop passes the puck in the neutral zone to Jason Chimera. The "box" converges now on Chimera the puck carrier as Ovechkin slides to the left side. This is key because Ovechkin is giving the Devils a different look than in the past. He is not carrying the puck into the zone, but relying on his linemates to help him out so he can break out of the defensive scheme.

Chimera's speed draws in two defenders and creates room for him to stop and spin to find the open trailer. In this case it is Ribeiro just off screen entering the zone.

He passes to Mike Ribeiro trailing the play late (John Carlson is there too). At the top of the pic and you will see a floating Ovechkin free from the "box" as all five Devils concentrate on the new puck carrier Ribeiro (a dangerous scorer in his own right).

With that convergence, all Ribeiro has to do is dish it to a now wide open Ovechkin.

Much celebration as the puck is one timed to the back of the net. I threw in some arrows if you don't see it. Chimera is a happy guy 'cause he gets on the scoresheet with a secondary assist.

By Ovechkin handing off the puck and forcing the Devils to make a decsision, follow the current puck carrier or stay on Ovechkin who doesn't have the puck, created some break down for the Devils in their own zone on the break. Add Chimera's speed to make room for the pass to the trailing forward or defenseman and the defensive system that once stifled Ovechkin has broken down and given him a pretty darn good chance to score on net (which he did).

The system Adam Oates has put in has brought the offensive excitement back to DC. It has also made this team a very dangerous one to play in the NHL. Because the power play is not smoking hot, the Capitals are finding a lot more room on the ice 5 on 5. With that room they will be able to make plays like these more common place. We hope.

Talkn' About... Practice

The earliest training camp would start is Wednesday. But to get players in and the coaching staff primed, the likely start of camp would be Friday. But this won't be like training camps of the past. With only a week (or less) to prepare for a sprint of a 50 game season, Adam Oates will be in cut down mode from the get go.

What would a shortened camp look like? More like a practice during the regular season. A small contingent of players form the AHL will make an appearance, but most likely it will be the contract players the Caps signed and have under contract. Formal rosters will be submitted in the next day or so, but for now we can speculate who will be at Kettler in the next week.

In the way of goaltenders, the possibility of bringing up three for camp seems likely, but the coaching staff might stick to two. Braden Holtby and Micheal Neuvirth most likely will be the team's one and two netminders, although not necessarily in that order. If Oates decides to make it a competition for the top spot, the Caps could see some young goaltenders duke it out over this 50 game stretch. To round out camp, the Capitals could bring up Danny Sabourin. It is more likely that the organization wouldn't leave the Bears with out a goaltender, so we may only see Holtby and Neuvirth at camp.

Your standards at defense will return. Karl Alzner and John Carlson most likely will be the top two blue liners. Rounding out Dmitry Orlov, Mike Green, Roman Hamrlik, John Erskine and Jeff Schultz will all report to camp. Jack Hillen will be the new face on the back line. Patrick McNiell might get a call up for a look.

Washington's forwards will have some new faces with the acquisitions of Wojtek Wolski and Mike Ribeiro. (Rumor has it Ribeiro has been playing in the DC area for the last couple of months with some men's leagues) They will be in fused with the return of Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom returning from Russia where they played with Moscow Dynamo. Troy Brouwer, Jason Chimera, Matt Hendricks, Brooks Laich, Mathieu Perreault, Joel Ward and Marcus Johansson will be the regulars for camp.

Joey Crabb, Mattias Sjogren, Filip Forsberg and Stanislav Galiev might make an appearance to see if they need to call up anymore talent from Hershey or beyond. For them to crack the line up, they most likely would have to fill in for an injury (Laich ended his brief stint overseas after sustaining a groin injury) or if someone's game went downhill.

In any event, and who ever does show for camp, the Capitals' coaching staff will have to quickly evaluate, cut and mold their team for a short season. Oates priorities will to be bring a flowing chemistry to the team in a short amount of time, make the power play work at a consistent level and shore up the defensive end of the ice for the Caps to make a run at the playoffs and beyond.

Let's Make It Seven

Capitals 2, Rangers 1 Series tied 3-3
Game Summary - Event Summary

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The Capitals made history with winning four straight games in the playoffs after a loss. They did it to force a game seven against the New York Rangers back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play and Jason Chimera scored the insurance goal they needed as Braden Holtby shut the door with 30 saves helping the Caps beat the Rangers 2-1.

"Every game, we’ve had a chance to win," said Chimera who had the game winning goal to complete the historic bounce back the Caps seem to have this post season. "That’s a big thing. It’s hard to be upset about a game when we’ve been in every game. We haven’t put ourselves out of it. And Holtby came back and played a good game for us."

Ovechkin made good on his promise to play much better than his game five performance where he was held shotless. He would score a scorcher on the first power play of the game when Anton Stralman took a tripping call just over a minute in the first period.

"You can see how we start the hockey game," Ovi said of the Caps' good start. "We get the puck deep, finish our checks and move our legs. [We] got a penalty and scored a goal."

Just 15 seconds later, with some keen passing, the Rangers were too spread out and Ovechkin was alone at the top the slot. Nick Backstrom fed him the puck and he beat Lundqvist with the one timer and it set the Verizon faithful in to a frenzy. Moving Ovechkin to the slot on the power play proved to be a wise move by Dale Hunter.

"It’s just one of those changes we make," Caps' bench boss said. "We thought that Ovi, with his big shot, could get a shot off. On the play, one of their players fell and really left an opening and a shot from there by Ovi doesn’t miss very often."

The Capitals' jump on the New York Rangers early made the Broadway Blueshirts look like they had jet lag through the first period. They badly out shot the Rangers through most of the first period and had the jump they seemed to have misplaced in game 5. New York did weather most of the storm and even had a few chances themselves as the period wound down thanks to a couple of penalties on the Caps by Brooks Laich and Roman Hamrlik. The Rangers would eventually out shoot the Caps 11 to 9 by the first period's end.

"I thought we regrouped in the first period," Ranger's head coach John Tortorella said to reporters. "It’s not the way we wanted to start. As we got going in the first period. I thought we regrouped."

AP

The second Capitals goal was a bit flukey, but the Caps had worked hard to get that chance. Alex Semin played the puck behind the Rangers net and worked it around to the half boards right of Henrik Lundqvist. He turned to shot it on net, but it was blocked and the puck skittered to the other half boards where John Carlson quickly shot the loose puck on net. It went between a Ranger defender, off Nick Backstrom's foot and drifted from left to right in front of Lundqvist to an open Chimera. Chims just tapped the puck into the net giving him his fourth goal of these playoffs. 

The Caps would keep up their stingy defensive play in the second period, but Jeff Halpern (in the lineup as a replacement for last minute scratch Jay Beagle) missed a stick check and was called for the double minor giving the Rangers 4 minutes with the extra man advantage.

"It’s one of those accidental things again," Hunter said of the second double minor in as many games. "It starts with your goalie – [Holtby] was sound and penalty killers sacrificed, blocked shots, worked their tails off and got the job done."

It was the best PK the Caps had against New York this series as they held their foes to just three shots on net. The Caps, while gaining momentum from killing off all four minutes, could not score as Lundqvist seemed to have an answer for every shot after that.

More great penalty killing would have to come for the Capitals in the third period when Mike Green sent a puck flying over the glass for a delay of game call early in the frame. Troy Brouwer and Matt Hendricks, both brilliant for the Capitals on the Halpern double minor were equally as good killing off that chance for the Rangers. Brooks Laich and Carlson both even had shots on net shorthanded. The Caps went into shut down mode after that and their offensive production tailed off. Of the four shots total they had in the third period, two of them were off the penalty kill.

AP

Holtby lived up to his hype of a rebounding goalie after a loss and he is now 6-0 in the playoffs following a loss. One save shy of a 31 shutout bid, he turned away the first 30 with some sound, solid netminding. When a Ranger shot hit him, Holtby played like he had puck Velcro on giving little or no rebounds for the Rangers to clean up in front of him. He was calm, square to the shooter. Stopping deflected pucks, screen shots and some difficult fluke shots that the Rangers threw at the 22 year old goaltender. 

The Rangers pressed their offensive muscle in the third and John Tortorella pulled his goaltender with well over two minutes left to play. The plan seemed to fizzle, but the Rangers were able to get a late goal to cut the Capitals' lead to 2-1. They crowded the net with two Blueshirts and the point shot had eyes as it deflected in off of Carlson's body, past Holtby to ruin his shutout bid.

"It felt like we were not really close until the last 20 seconds," Ranger netminder Lundqvist said. "We just have to go back home now and regroup and save all the energy we have left and play our best game of the playoffs here, at home."

The Caps force a game seven and get a second chance to get that important road win. This time to win the series. As long as they continue to move their feet and win the chases to loose pucks like they did tonight, they should be sitting pretty in yet another close tight game seven this post season.

Caps Notes:

• Jay Beagle was a last minute scratch, he was half dressed before he got the news that he would sit out. His absence is due to an undisclosed injury. Jeff Halpern who took his spot was a -1, had one shot, and won 54% of his draws (7 of 13). It was his first game since March 23rd, his first playoff game with the Capitals since April 20, 2003 in a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
• Alex Ovechkin's goal now ties him with Peter Bondra for a franchise best 30 goals in the post season. He had one of the most entertaining non-goals when he brought the puck in the offensive zone and was forced to the ice by Ranger defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Ovi fell, twisted on the ice maintaining possession of the puck with his hand, moving it back to his stick and getting a shot on net while on his butt.
• The Capitals blocked 24 shots to the Rangers 6. They are 2-0 this post season when facing elimination. 12 of the 13 games the Caps have played in these playoffs have been decided by one goal.
• Backstrom now has three points in his last two games (1g, 2a).

Bounce Back

Capitals 3, Rangers 2 Series tied 1-1
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

Alex Ovechkin scored his third goal of the playoffs on the power play to even the series at one game a piece with the New York Rangers. Braden Holtby stopped 26 shots to get the game's first star and helped the Capitals to defeat the Rangers 3-2 and send the series back to Verizon Center all tied up.

Mike Knuble opened the scoring near the midway point of the first period when he tipped in a Joel Ward pass on a 3 on 2. Jason Chimera scored his third goal of these playoffs after Ranger netminder Henrik Lundqvist misjudged a dump in and Chimera beat him to it. He threw the puck back to the front of the net to an open Matt Hendricks, but the puck bounced around a bit before Chimera tipped the loose puck back toward the front of the net, it hit a Ranger defender's skate and went in for the 2-0 lead.

The Rangers would respond late in the first period when Brad Richards out muscled his way to the net and buried a Marion Gaborik pass to the slot with :42 seconds left. The Rangers would tie it in the third period on the power play when Micheal Del Zotto shot the puck from the point and it bounced off of John Carlson and then Ryan Callahan past Holtby. It set the stage for Ovechkin when the Rangers took not just one penalty, but two.

Brian Boyle, returning to the lineup for the Rangers, took the first penalty when he pulled down Mike Green on the half boards. The Caps were able to get some shots on net, but the Rangers were able to kill it off. But just :36 seconds later, Richards was nailed with an interference call on Carlson breaking into the zone. It would take Ovechkin all of four seconds on the second power play for him to shoot a sizzler past a sprawling Boyle and Lundqvist glove to give the Capitals the lead back. A lead they would keep for good.

Ovechkin, hounded by the MSG crowd each time the clock hit 8:00, was held to just one shot in game 1. Dale Hunter cut back on the forward's play time and the gimmick seemed to work. Ovi made the most of what little time he had to fire off seven shots in just 13:36 of ice time in game 2.

There was a little more jump in the Capitals play compared to game 1. It seemed they could not win the board game against the Ranger's speed. In game 2, the Caps were better able to deal with that pressure by bring help down from the forwards with the Rangers tried to set up behind the net. 

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Braden Holtby certainly made good on his promise to play better in game 2. He had some help with the defensive core blocking 24 shots in front of him. He made a few big stops including a stop on rookie Chris Kreider on a break away that led to the Chimera goal just seconds afterward.

The Caps' special teams finally got a power play goal, but they also gave up a goal on the PK.  While the power play was frustrated at times, Ovechkin's wrister seemed to catch everyone off guard. The Caps' PK was solid again, as it took a tipped shot, off of several different players for the Rangers to score with the man advantage.

Now in perfect position after splitting the games in New York, the Capitals have a chance to once again take the series lead on home ice. If they learned their lesson from the earlier round, the Caps need to jump on the Rangers early at home and keep up their tight checking style in the defensive zone. The mantra of this team is resiliency, which is nice early in the series. But it would be wise to put the pressure on the team from New York by taking the series lead.

Caps Notes:

• Alex Ovechkin's third period goal is his career 5th game winning goal in the playoffs. Ovi also continues his stretch of not going consecutive games in a series with out a point. He was held pointless in game 7 against the Bruins and game 1 versus the Rangers.
• Jason Chimera only has 6 career goals in the playoffs, three of which have come at Madison Square Garden. He has scored in three straight playoff games at MSG with the first goal the overtime series clinching goal in last year's playoffs.
• Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle both have goals this post season, but these are the first assists the pair have in these playoffs.
• Braden Holtby's parents were in attendance at MSG.

Caps Drop Game One

Capitals 1, Rangers 3 New York leads series 1-0
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

The New York Rangers took the Washington Capitals defensive system and threw it back in their face. Braden Holtby suddenly looked human has he was lit up for three goals on 14 shots, Alex Ovechkin hit more Ranger forwards than the net and Rangers got scoring from some unlikely sources. The Rangers had more jump in their step and they used it on a seemingly tired Capital squad to take the series lead with a 3-1 win at MSG.

Jason Chimera scored the only Caps' goal to tie it with mere seconds left on the clock in the second period. Brooks Laich took the puck in the neutral zone, checked the time and found a breaking Chimera with a beautiful saucer pass that beat Rangers goaltender Henrik Lunqvist five hole. It would be the only mistake the Rangers would make on the defensive end that would cost them.

The Rangers got two easy goals as Holtby seem to get rattled by the Rangers in the third period. There were some defensive lapses by the Capitals that left Rangers open for shots and they capitalized on their opportunities. One was a shot near the top of the circle that beat the young Cap netminder on the glove side. The other was a walk out in front by Ranger sniper Brad Richards and he found the smallest opening to score while Holtby was holding the post.

The glaring problem for the Capitals was their once again struggling power play. The Caps were 0 for 4 with the man advantage with penalties coming in the first and second periods against the Rangers. But the Ranger penalty kill frustrated the Capitals really only giving them much room to get shots in on Lundqvist. When they did get the puck in, the Ranger goaltender was there for the save or the goal post did the work for him.

The Caps penalty kill did okay, killing off all four of the Ranger power plays. But it was the five on five lapses that really cost the Capitals. It was not a great game for Mike Green. He was out muscled behind the net by Artem Anisimov who made a power move to the front of the net and forced the puck past Holtby. Green also had a mental lapse when he nonchalantly skated to his bench for a change, but the play turned on him and he had to catch up with a breaking Chris Kreider. Kreider would beat Holtby with the eventual game winner, and Green ends the day with the only Capital a -2.

The bottom line is this is game one in a long series. The Capitals have the time to make the adjustments. Mostly the Capitals have to return to their patient game and stay solid on the defensive end. Far too often the Caps got caught pushing the play too much which lead to Ranger chances the other way. New York would also drop a fourth man down, trying to create a 4 on 3 rush against the Caps. It looked like the Caps could exploit that.

Caps Notes:

• Laich picked up his fourth assist of the post season. 
• The Rangers have won five game 1s in the past eight playoff series. They have gone on to a record of 31-11 when winning the home opener.
• Rangers out hit the Capitals 35-28, even in blocked shots 15-15, but beat the Caps in the faceoff circle 52% (26-24).

So Close...

Capitals 3, Bruins 4 1OT Series tied 3-3
Game Summary - Event Summary

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The Capitals had to battle back each goal the Bruins scored. So the Bruins scored in the overtime period and didn't give the Caps a chance to come back. Tyler Seguin, mostly quiet for the series, nets a game winner in overtime and the series will go to a deciding game seven back in Boston.

"Any experiences you get in the playoffs, it just adds to you," Head coach Dale Hunter said of his team going into a game seven. "You know what to expect. Game 7s are exciting games because it’s do or die for both teams and they’re awesome to play in."

Mike Green got his first goal of the series. Jason Chimera and Alex Ovechkin also scored for the Capitals. Braden Holtby still played admirably but came up short. In a game that each team exchanged goals it would be the Bruins with the overtime winner after a Nick Backstrom give away in the neutral zone. Just 3:17 in the overtime period and Seguin forced a game seven.

"It’s tough, but we still have a chance on Wednesday," Backstrom lamented. "We are just going to refocus and play our best game in Boston."

The Caps looked to close out the series at home taking the Bruins to the brink of elimination. It looked as if they might be able to do it early on, getting a slew of chances on Tim Thomas early. But the Bruins had a counter attack and a point shot tipped in beat Holtby to give the visiting team the early 1-0 lead.

Green would score just under 4 minutes later as the Caps kept a good forecheck going on the Bruins. He had an earlier chance but missed the shot wide. His point shot looked as if it would also go wide, but it deflected in off of a Bruin defender's shin and in behind Thomas to knot the game up at one apiece. The Bruins would get a late period goal from David Krejci who scored on the power play.

The Caps would answer in the second period when Backstrom found a streaking Chimera breaking to the net. a simple saucer pass found the mark and Chimera scored his first goal of the series to tie the game up at two. The Bruins again would get the lead midway through the third period when Andrew Ference followed up a broken play and pounded the loose puck in.

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

It looked as if the Bruins put on the shut down mode to their defense and Ference would go home with the game winner. But the Caps would answer with under five minutes to play. Off the faceoff, Backstrom won it back to Ovechkin who tapped it off his skate to his stick and beat Thomas five hole to tie the game up at 3.

The Caps special teams were both a shining moment and a hindrance. Their penalty kill continues to impress. Even though they allowed a power play goal now in two games, they did kill off a lengthy 4 on 3 while Ovechkin sat out for taking a double minor for high sticking.

"They didn’t get much at all, especially on the 4 on 3," Holtby said of the effort of his penalty kill. "Even when they tried to shoot we were in the lane every time and that’s hard to do on a 4 on 3. It was good, that kept us in the game."

It even gave the Caps a little momentum in the second period. But they were 0 for 4 on their own power play. At times they could have taken the lead with the man advantage, but the power play unit often looked disjointed and sloppy at times.

Game seven will be in Boston on Wednesday night. Both teams will take the extra day off to rest up as both teams prepare for a do or die situation. The Caps just have to keep doing what they are doing, playing stingy defense and making the most of their chances when they get them.

"I’d have to answer that it’s fitting for us," Claude Julien, Bruins bench boss said of taking the series back to Boston. "When you look at the way the series has been played, you’re right; it’s been a dog fight from start to finish."

Caps Notes:

• All six games have been decided by one goal. This is the first time in NHL history that the first six games of a series have been one-goal contests.
• Green tallied his first goal of the playoffs and the sixth of his career. He is now tied with Sylvain Cote for seventh place in goals among defensemen in franchise history. It is also his first goal for the Capitals since October, Green has missed 50 games with a groin and concussion injuries.
• Caps out blocked the Bruins 12 to 9.

Rally Short A Goal

Capitals 4, Panthers 5
Game Summary

AP

The Washington Capitals could always count on being the dominant team with in their division in the past. But the Florida Panthers put some serious doubt into the Capitals ability to get easy points from their division with a 5-1 effort through the first half of the game. The Capitals made it a game late by some hard work and tightening their own zone play but would come up short on goals by one and short points by 7 in the division standings as they fall to the Panthers 4-5.

The Capitals Rally fell short a goal to tie the game in the waning seconds of the game. But it was remarkable there was a nail biter ending to begin with as the Caps struggled through 33 minutes of the game and the Panthers pounced to a 5-1 lead half way through the second. Mike Knuble managed the only Caps goal through that first half after a great entry by Marcus Johansson. It opened time and space for Knuble to slap it through Panther goaltender Scott Clemmensen.

Cody Eakin scored his third of the season after his line did some great forechecking late in the second period. With just :20 left in the second frame, Eakin gave a glimmer of hope to the Capitals going into the intermission.

If the first period was awful to watch, in stark contrast, the third period was the Caps best by far.
Pressing the play, strong on the forecheck, and maybe playing a team that had packed it in with the score seemingly out of reach, the Caps out chanced the Panthers 8 to one in the final period of the game. Goals by Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera made the game a bit more interesting, but the Caps couldn't find the equalizer.

The Caps' special teams let them down. Their penalty kill was a horrendous 3-6 while the power play was anything but special going 0-2. John Erkine picked up an instigator penalty when he fought Bracken Kearns in the first when the Capitals were down 2-0. The Panthers three power play goals were the deciding factor in the Caps' loss.

Michal Neuvirth let in possibly the softest goal of his career just :13 seconds after the Panthers' first goal. A knuckler that beat him 7 hole seemed to deflate the team and with some bad penalties and a Florida power play that was clicking, it was lights out soon after that.

The silver lining was the Caps drive to even make the comeback. It was lead, in part, by John Carlson who was the only player on either team to have a +3 with his three assists. He trailed only Dennis Wideman (29:00) in ice time minutes (26:15).

Until the Capitals can solve their woes on the PK and on the PP, it would be wise for this team to steer clear of the penalty box. Take away the three power play goals the Caps gave to the Panthers and it's a 4-2 game.

Caps Notes:

• Alex Semin has missed his second straight game with an undisclosed upper body injury. Anyone miss him?
• Alex Ovechkin did play but was ineffective with only 4 shots on net and a miserable -2. 
• Capitals outshot the Panthers 32-30 but only outshot them in the third period (13-6).

Befuddled In Buffalo

Capitals 1, Sabres 5
Game Summary

AP

You hear that noise? That is the sound of Bruce Boudreau's job security hitting the rocks. The Capitals can not seem to right the ship as they fall hard to the limping Buffalo Sabres 5-1.

Facing a team mainly consisting of rookies due to nine injured players out of their normal lineup, the Capitals couldn't even muster a forecheck on the young defenders. Add a few soft goals and some poor play by the defense, it made for a rough night for the away team. Instead of writing this one out, lets just go to some pointers.

• Jason Chimera is the best thing that has happened to the Capitals in the month of November. A beauty of a penalty shot he earned by moving his feet and using that great speed of his. His shot beat Buffalo's goaltender Jhonas Enroth over his right shoulder and got stuck in the net. The awesome part of the whole thing was to see Buffalo fans that cheered thinking he didn't score, oh but yes, he did.
• Tomas Vokoun is the biggest buzzkill the Capitals have right now. After a cutting into a 2-0 lead with Chimera's penalty shot goal, the Caps looked poised to get back into the game. But Vokoun let in a softie and it killed whatever momentum the Caps had to that point. 
• It's clear to me that one of two things are falling apart on the Capitals. Either their offensive strategy is not working, or the players are not executing. Either way that points to a clear coaching conundrum. While I don't think Boudreau is entirely at fault, but a coaching shake up (head or assistants) could be in the near future. 
• The Sabres followed the Rangers strategy to put pressure on the back line. With the effective forecheck they executed, it lead to a slew of chances and kept the Caps chasing the Sabres. 
• The Capitals definitely felt the effects of playing the day before. With tired legs and a shortened bench, the Caps legs wore out on them. In the third they were pretty worthless. 
• Roman Hamrlik has had a terrible November. He was a -3 in this game and hasn't been the solid rock on the back end the Caps were hoping for when they signed him. 
• When things go south for the Capitals, it usually goes bad for the Caps top lines. Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom were held with out a point and were a -4 to finish off the night. The ineptitude of the top line is a problem, especially when the Caps seem to need them to produce. 

The teams the Caps face over the next few nights don't get any easier. Even though they return to the phone booth, they face the St. Louis Blues and then the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps will have to nail down some kind of consistency and a bit more competitiveness.

Chimera Gives Thanks To OT Winner

Capitals 4, Jets 3 OT
Game Summary

AP

Ondrej Pavelec has been nothing short of a brick wall against the Capitals of late. But the Caps finally solve the pesky goaltender and put forth an inspired effort to earn a 4-3 overtime win against divisional foe the Winnipeg Jets.

Jason Chimera had himself a game scoring a pair of goals (his seventh and eighth of the season) including the game winner 1:52 into the overtime period. He could have easily scored a pair more but some outstanding goaltending by Pavelec kept Chimera from scoring a few more. Alex Semin scored his fifth of the year after getting a beautiful feed from a hustling Alex Ovechkin. Birthday boy Nick Backtrom also added a tally to round out the scoring for the Capitals.

Unlike games before, the Caps seemed to put forth a better effort this game. They were moving their feet, beating Jets to loose pucks and making the defensive effort to block shots. Rookie Dmitry Orlov might have had the hit of the game in the second period when he laid a spectacular hip check on the speedy Blake Wheeler. That set off a flurry of hits and physical play from both teams that added to the intrigue of the game. The Capitals would outhit the Jets 35 to 27.

The Caps power play only had three chances to work. It did lead to a slew of chances, but the Caps could not convert on the man advantage. While the power play stumbled, the penalty kill was fantastic killing off two minor penalties including a 1:20 five on three with Brooks Laich sans stick for a majority of it.

Tomas Vokoun was at times spectacular, while at other times looked a bit slow to react to the play. While two of the goals came off of some lucky bounces for the Jets, the tying goal was savable. Wheeler's pass to Bryan Little seemed to freeze Vokoun up and he was late to get over to cover the shot by Little. The goal by the Jets was preceded by a waived goal by the Caps just moments before.

After sitting a game, Semin roared back into the lineup. Not only did he start the scoring with a pretty slapper off of a great feed from Ovechkin, but he did not get called for stick infraction. In part it was due to Semin moving his feet and trying not to do too much with his stick (other than shooting pucks on net and curl and drags).

Caps Notes:

• Caps win their second straight after struggling to win games losing 6 of the previous 7. Both games ended with the scores 4-3.
• Cody Eakin had a scare as the hitting escalated in the second period. He took a high hit to the head from Ron Hainsey that looked very close to a targeted hit to the head. While the Caps held the lead, Eakin's ice time diminished.
• Eric Fehr returned to Washington to face his former team as a Jet. He was a -1 with one shot on net and one blocked shot.
• Backstrom scored on his birthday. He is 24.
• Rookie defenseman Orlov nearly had a second hip check that would have sent another Jet flying, but this time it only jettisoned Kane's stick into the crowd. A fan caught the stick, but was forced to give the stick back in return for a game puck as seen here.  Lame.

Dramatic Home Opener

Capitals 4, Hurricanes 3 OT
Game Summary

AP

It was not pretty at times, but the Washington Capitals win their home opener in dramatic fashion with an overtime goal by Mike Green to beat division rivals Carolina Hurricanes 4-3.

Alex Semin scored his first of the season when he got behind the defense and John Carlson zipped a pass to break him open and alone on Brian Boucher. Semin scored a pretty backhander past the down 'Canes net minder to tie the game at one. Jason Chimera scored his first of the season when Joel Ward found him along the boards. Chim's speed caught Boucher off guard and puck trickled over his shoulder into the net. Brooks Laich broke up the 2-2 tie with a power play tally when he slid in a rebound off of an Alex Ovechkin slapper. This was the third straight home opener in which Laich has scored a goal. Green scored the game winner in overtime with a slapper that deflected off of a 'Canes' defender.

In a back and forth game, it looked as if the Capitals let their lead slip away twice. After going down after an Eric Staal power play goal, the Caps jumped out to a 2-1 lead off of goals by Semin and Chimera. But another Staal power play tally that was off another back door pass knotted the game up at 2 apiece. The Caps looked as if they were on their way to a win when Laich scored his goal on the power play with less than four minutes to play in the game. But with the goaltender pulled, the Hurricanes sent the game to overtime with another back door play and a goal scored by Jussi Jokinen.

But just going to overtime was seemingly not hard enough for the Capitals. Semin took a boarding penalty as the horn sounded to end the third period. The Caps started the overtime period having to kill a 4 on 3 Hurricane power play. Unlike power plays before, the Caps were able to kill it with some spectacular play by Nick Backstrom. Not only did he win some key face offs, he also drew a penalty to negate the man advantage and give the Caps the power play in which Green scored the game winner.

There was a bit of goaltender controversy when the game started. Michal Neuvirth got the nod in net, while Tomas Vokoun had to settle for back up. Vokoun's agent called it a slap to the face after head coach Bruce Boudreau vowed Vokoun would be the Caps no. 1. But Caps' goaltender coach David Prior down played the controversy simply saying the Tampa game on Monday night was a more important start for Vokoun.

But the call for Neuvirth in net was the right call. Even though Carolina seemed to find that back door open for a few goals tonight, late in the game Neuvirth wised up to it and cheated a little to make some fantastic saves to keep the game tied in overtime. He played solid and looked better as the game wore on.

Backstrom played his best game in quite some time. He finished the night with two assists and the only Capital with two points on the night. He also registered 4 hits, was 60 percent on faceoffs and was connected some good passes to set up his linemates. One of his linemates, Ovechkin certainly gave the effort but only finished with an assist. He drew the penalty that led to the 5 on 3 goal by Laich and played well on both sides of the puck. The top line was definitely a threat after a shaky first period. 

Special teams again helped and hampered the Capitals as it has in previous years. The Caps allowed a pair of Hurricane power play goals. But the Caps scored a pair of their own with the extra man, including the game winner by Green and that was the difference.


The Capitals' penalty kill needed some help at times. The 'Canes power play was able to pass right through the penalty killers and Eric Staal benefited from the break down with two wide open net goals. Neither goal Neuvirth could do much about. The 'Canes exposed the Caps with some good passing and some tic-tac-toe puck movement. The Caps just need better communication between the defensemen which should improve with more games played.

In all, it looked exactly like the first game of the season for the Capitals. The problems that faced them most are for the most part simple fixes. Most of the problems the Caps faced were mostly because of breakdowns between defensive partners. Those communication problems tend to fix themselves with more games played.

The Caps will have to be more in sync when they face Tampa Bay on Monday night. The Lightning are a structured team with their one-three-one trap that gave the Caps fits all last season. The Caps will have to be much more focused when the puck drops at Verizon Center.

Caps Notes

• Joel Ward's assist was his 100th career point.
• Jeff Halpern's first night back as a Capital he finished the only Cap with a -1 and he was 5 of 12 on face offs (42%). 
• Mathieu Perreault stared the night instead of Marcus Johansson. He was dismal on face offs winning 1 of 5 draws. Perreault nearly had a goal in the third period but a great save by Boucher stole that opportunity away.

Just Short

Capitals 3, Blue Jackets 4 OT
Game Summary

#25 Jason Chimera wears the captain's C in preseason action

The Washington Capitals came out with a bit more urgency in their second preseason game. Out shooting the Blue Jackets in their home preseason opener 6-1, the Capitals looked like they might have found an offensive groove. But some flubs on special teams again confound the Caps and they fail to complete the comeback in overtime to lose 4-3.

Jeff Halpern started things off with almost a lucky bank shot off of Columbus' goaltender Steve Mason for the early lead. The BJs scored three straight and took a 3-1 lead into the midway point of the final period. After Columbus scored early in the third, Andrew Carroll got into a scrap and later would cut the BJ lead to one with a garbage goal. Roman Hamrlik scored just over a minute and half later through heavy traffic in front of the net pushing the game into overtime.

Jeff Schultz, of all people, took a hooking call trying to reign in Rick Nash and the BJs win on a power play goal scored by Alexandre Giroux (former Hershey Bear/Washington Capital property).

Again, special teams hindered the Capitals as the power play went 0-4 and allowed a shorthanded goal in the second period that made the game 2-1. The Caps penalty kill was okay, but did allow the game winning goal in OT. The Capitals still have not found the magic bullet with the extra man. A luxury they had prior to the last season was a solid power play to put teams on their heels.

While it is still preseason, there is the feel of "Oh, this again" when it comes to special teams. The Capitals are able to play tight 5 on 5, which can only benefit from a good power play that will keep the opposition honest at even strength. The Blue Jackets scored a goal in every period. Washington will finish the game out shooting their opponent 30-24.

Halpern was a stand out for the Capitals scoring a goal and getting an assist to finish a +2. Hamrlik had a goal and assist himself. Matt Hendricks played well, getting  and Jay Beagle was the only other Cap to finish with a +2. Chris Bourque did play his best as he finished with a -2.

Braden Holtby made some great saves only allowing 2 goals after being pulled after the second period. He faced 14 shots and finished the game with a respectable .857 save percentage. Philipp Grubauer finished the game in the third period.

Jason Chimera returned to Columbus wearing the captain's "C" on his jersey in the absence of Alex Ovechkin who got the night off.

Comeback Kids

Capitals 4, Rangers 3 2OT (Washington leads 3-1)
Game Summary


AP

What appeared to be a rout, the team with the perfect record taking a lead into the third period looked poised to tie up the series at two games apiece. The New York Rangers and their fans seemed to finally get under the skin of head coach Bruce Boudreau and the Capitals. But the raucous crowd turned deftly silent when Jason Chimera chipped in the game winner in double overtime to give the Capitals a strangle-hold on the series with a 4-3 win.

Jasons 2, Rangers 0

Capitals 2, Rangers 0 (Washington leads 2-0)
Game Summary

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

In what would be their best period of the series, the Capitals scored a pair of goals while their net minder Michal Neuvirth came up with the shutout. The only response the New York Rangers could come up with was Sean Avery's antics with seconds left in the game. It would do little to prevent Jason Arnott and Jason Chimera from scoring to give the Capitals a 2-0 lead in the series.

Division Foe Brings Out Caps' Best

Capitals 5, Lightning 2
Game Summary

AP

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a tough team to beat at home with a 17-5-2 record at St. Pete Times Forum. Winners of six straight going into this divisional battle with the Capitals, the Bolts were looking to put some distance between the two. But Nick Backstrom had other plans as his two goals propel the Caps to a solid win on enemy ice, 5-2.

In a game that could play into post season positioning at the end of the year, the Caps' top line came to life. Backstrom had a four point night with a pair of goals (13, 14) and a pair of assists (35, 36). Alex Ovechkin was no slouch either scoring the game winning goal on the power play (20) and added up 3 assists (33, 34, 35) to boot for a 4 point night for himself. Brooks Laich (10) and an empty netter by Jason Chimera (8) rounded out the scoring for the Caps.

From the onset, this was going to be a rough battle as both teams brought the physicality to open the game. The first four penalties the Lightning took were a pair of roughing calls followed by a pair of fighting majors. Matt Hendricks played another physical game getting into a fight with Bolt bad boy Steve Downie. Matt Bradley would also get into the fighting action with a tussle with Adam Hall.

The Lightning strategy was to play "hands-off" hockey and clog the neutral zone. It was a strategy that played well against the Capitals in their last two wins against Washington. But the Caps were prepared just to lay back and take their time, not forcing the play up ice just turn the puck over. It would result in quite a few moments when the Caps' defense were holding the puck in their zone and letting the clock burn out as the Lightning sat back.

When the Caps were able to break the neutral zone they made the most of their opportunities by getting quick shots to the net and funneling all the play there. The result was some golden chances off of rebounds and the Caps were able to clean up on the sloppy seconds.

Down by one, the Caps strategy would work as Mike Green held the puck in the zone making a nifty deke to the inside and shot the puck in on Dwayne Roloson. The Bolt goaltender would make the first save, but both Ovechkin and Backstrom were there for the rebound. It looked as if Ovi had scored the goal, but on video review, they gave the goal to Backstrom. It is only his 13th goal of the season.

AP

The Caps would take the lead on the same strategy getting the puck to the net. After some board work, Mathieu Perreault and Jay Beagle would work the puck to the front of the net. Laich would get the biscuit in the slot and make a sweet backhander count, scoring top shelf over Roloson's shoulder.

Ovechkin would get his 20th goal on the power play simply by picking his spot and letting go a wicked snap shot over Roloson's blocker shoulder. The power play tally would stand as the eventual game winner and put the Caps up 3-1.

It wasn't all roses as the Capitals penalty kill, which has been a shade better than good, was tested one too many times against a good power play team in Tampa. They would let a goal in but also doused another three extra man attempts for Tampa. The Lightning would score in the waning moments of the second period to cut into the Capitals' lead 3-2 and seemed to have momentum go their way.

But some smart goaltending by Semyon Varlamov kept the Bolts at bay. He would stop 23 shots and post a .920 save average. After he made a spectacular pad save, the Caps broke the action the other way and Ovechkin just had to put the puck on net. Roloson made the first save, but the puck bounced to the open slot and Backstrom was there to score his second goal of the night and to add some insurance with over seven minutes to play in the third period.

Add a Jason Chimera goal to the equation (after Ovechkin gave up the goal for his third assist on the night) and the Capitals play a full game. It wasn't perfect at times, but they were able to rebound from an early soft goal and stifle the Bolts explosive offense. It helped the top line finally got some points on the board as well.

If the Caps are looking to take back the Southeast Division lead, they need to play more like they did tonight. They need to play with passion, a physical edge, discipline and out work their opponents. The goals the Caps scored weren't results of pretty plays or cute passes, but more from just getting the puck to the net and jumping on loose pucks.

This sets up another marquee match-up with the Pittsburgh Penguins on national television. The NBC broadcast will once again shine a light on the league's biggest rivalries. The Caps are looking to keep their winning ways going but will most likely play a Penguin team minus Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on Super Bowl Sunday.

Caps Notes:

• Alex Semin was slated to return to the lineup for tonight's tilt with the Lightning, but instead stayed in D.C. still nursing a groin injury. 
• Chimera made a return to the top line next to Backstrom and Ovechkin. The strategy seemed to work as Chim's speed opened some space for both of his linemates. He would finish with a goal and an assist and a plus 2.
• The Capitals ended their 139 minute, 31 second stretch without a goal against Tampa Bay Lightning. They have been shut out in the last two meetings. In fact three of the last five games Tampa and Washington have played included a shut-out (two by the Lightning, one by the Caps).
• Backstrom would get the game's first star of the night, Ovechkin the second.

Caps Sneak Out Of Long Island With Win

Capitals 2, Islanders 1
Game Summary

(Photo by Lou Capozzola/Getty Images)

The Capitals might be struggling with their offense, but they are showing they can finish a strong game with the score tight. They are also still able to put points on the standings and stay even with their divisional foes Tampa Bay. The Capitals would slip away from Long Island with a win over the New York Islanders 2-1.

More important than just preserving a close lead, the Caps' big guys get some of their offensive juices flowing. Nick Backstrom would have the game's gwg and an assist as well. Alex Ovechkin would finish with a multi-point game netting two assists and Jason Chimera is fitting in on the top line with the game's first goal. John Carlson would also have a secondary assist on the game winner. Braden Holtby would turn away 24 shots to get the win.

The Caps jump out to a rare early lead just 3:41 into the game when crashing the net pays off for the speedy Chimera. After a brilliant deke to free himself on the wing, Backstrom stormed the right side gaining the Islander zone and dropped the puck to Ovi. Ovechkin shot it to the crashing Chimera and it was just a simple tip in to give the Caps the 1-0 lead.

The lead would extend to two goals around the same three minute mark in the second period. Another rush by Ovechkin took Rick DiPietro out of the play leaving the puck alone in the crease. Backstrom made his way to an easy goal as he shot the puck into the open net.

The Islanders would make it interesting just two minutes later when Michael Grabner made a power move to the net and threw the puck up over Holtby's shoulder. After that, the Caps seemed to clamp down defensively and, aside from a few chances late, held the lead.

With Holtby's solid play, the Caps played their best team defense. The Caps blocked 20 shots, including a whopping 7 shots stopped by Mike Green. They also had more take-aways than the Islanders 17-11. Carlson lead the Caps in that category with 4 TKs. The Caps PK was also top notch as they denied the Islanders a power play goal in six chances.

Chimera seems to be enjoying his time on the top line. He had a goal with 6 shots on net to his credit. Chimera's speed seems perfect for the talent of Backstrom and Ovechkin which opened some space as both were heavily defended. With Chimera crashing the net, it often opened the wing side to the slot and both Backstrom and Ovi had the space to become dangerous.

The Caps were not able to convert on the power play, but they only had two chances with the extra man. New York played a disciplined game only taking two penalties. The Caps however were penalty ridden and spent twelve minutes a man down. If they could have stayed out of the sin bin, the Caps could have gained more momentum and maybe could have pressed harder to the net. But the penalties broke up the offensive rhythm and the Caps spent a lot of time playing catch up.

Caps take on Toronto next which is a home coming of sorts for Bruce Boudreau. It will be a tough month for the Caps as they will be on the road 9 of the next 15 games on their schedule. The Caps need to start gaining some momentum offensively to finish the season on a strong note.

Caps Notes:

• Caps recall Brian Fahey to beef up the defensive core after injuries to Tyler Sloan and Tom Poti.
• Holtby was recalled after Michal Neuvirth was injured in the overtime loss to Philadelphia. Both of the Capitals' young goaltenders are nursing ailments to keep them from carrying the load. Semyon Varlamov is well enough to play backup.
• Former Cap Tomas Fleischmann's season has ended when two blood clots were found, one in his lungs. Flash had found new life in the Avalanche line up and the injury is yet another blow to Colorado who has been riddled with injuries all season. Flash missed Capitals' training camp a few years ago when he developed a blood clot when flying home after the Caps were defeated by the Penguins.

You Make The Call - Was it Offside?

Was Daniel Sedin's game winning goal offside? It appeared that way to me. Let me state my case through the majesty of photo evidence taken from the Comcast Sportsnet Mid Atlantic's feed.

First lets take a look at Chimera getting poked checked by Jannik Hansen. That is reason enough to probably miss what is happening at the top left of the screen at the Vancouver bench. What you will see is #15 Tanner Glass heading to the bench to make a change with D. Sedin who is rushing off the bench after seeing the turn-over in the neutral zone (through the pics keep your eye on #15 at the top of the screen):

In the next shot you will see Glass not off the ice and inside the Caps' zone. Even if Glass is going off the ice and within reach of the door, he is still technically offside before the puck enters the zone:

Next shot shows two things: 1) Glass is still on the ice and still inside the Caps' zone and 2) the referee is right there to see the whole thing, which means the linesman should be on the opposite wall and should make the call that the play is offside. He should be looking at Glass and realizing he is on the ice and inside the zone before the puck crosses the blue line:

The last shot is Sedin in the clear on a break away scoring what would be the deciding game winning goal.

You make the call, was it off side?

Rookie Night At VC

Capitals 5, Devils 1
Game Summary

The Washington Capitals looked to continue their hard work ethic after winning in Ottawa a few nights ago. That was apparent by the strong first shift where a returning Alex Semin joined in an aggressive forecheck and kept the New Jersey Devils inside their own zone for almost the entire first minute of the game. The hard work would pay off as the young guys helped the Caps win their second straight as they beat the Marty Brodeur and the Devils 5-1.

(Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)

It was a belated happy birthday gift for Andrew Gordon who opened the scoring for the Caps as well as getting his first career NHL goal. Another young Capital, Jay Beagle, would also tally along with Jason Chimera, rookie defenseman John Carlson and vet Mike Knuble added to the Caps' win. Michal Neuvirth made 35 stops to earn his second win in his second start in a row.

The first period would be a tight checking affair with both teams trying to keep each others star players from getting too much room. It would be the kind of game where the grinders would have to show some production. A. Gordon, who has been like a yo-yo being sent to Hershey only to be recalled again, would work to get to the front of the net where Marcus Johansson found him from the boards. The puck slipped five hole and the young player would get his first ever NHL tally.

The Devils didn't sit back though. Early in the second period, Matt Bradley was tagged with a hooking call. New Jersey would score with the extra man after Danius Zubrus made the perfect screen on Neuvirth and Patrick Elias' shot it the heel of Neuvirth's glove and into the net.

But the Caps did not deflate. In fact the grinders seemed to work even harder to make sure the tally would change in the same period. It would pay off just over five minutes later as the Caps' checking line would score, Beagle with the tally. Chimera would score on a break away even after being hooked. The hard working Chim would finally score by going top shelf on Broudeur.

Alex Ovechkin, at times, looked as if he was more on the checking line than the top line. He was working hard along the boards, battling in front of the net. While the Devils were able keep Ovechkin from getting any clean shots on net (1 shot on net, with three shots blocked and 6 missing the net), a poke check by a Devil defender forced the puck from Ovi's stick. But Carlson following the play had a juicy puck just sitting there and he made no mistake beating Brodeur high glove side.

Mike Knuble would add the finally tally after the Caps power play gained the momentum in the third. But by that time, the game had been already decided. The goal explosion in the second period sealed the win for the Caps as they went back to their staunch defense to finish up the game. The dominating play urged the fans to cheer "We want Pittsburgh!" The Penguins come to town Thursday night.

The Capitals continued their strategy of keeping the play simple. Get the puck in deep and let their aggressive forecheck create chances. It work to a tee against the Devils. It would be the most complete game for the Caps, but the only negative marks the Caps had was their failure to score on the power play.

The Devils were called for 5 minor penalties, but the Caps were unable to score. New Jersey does have a top ten penalty kill in the league and the Caps couldn't crack them even with 1:18 of 5 on 3 time. Often standing still, the power play has been lacking of late. Most of what they do has been predictable, but it just might be a sign of the top guns are still struggling to find a way to score. Knuble's goal was the result of the momentum the Caps had because of the power play, but a goal with the extra man would have demoralized the Devils.

In contrast, the PK did okay. They only allowed one goal in 4 chances. Their aggressive style of play with a man down seems to be working well so far for the Caps.

Neuvirth played another solid game, often stabbing at pucks with his glove. Although he had a couple bad rebounds, the Caps' defense were their to help in this game and eve scrums in front of the net seemed to take a Capital bounce. Neuvy was there for the rest to make the save.

Mike Green still looks like he is bothered by his injury. He just seems a step behind the play and often is throwing the puck at where he thinks his teammates are instead of playing with his head up and reading the plays correctly. But as Green struggles, the kids are maturing quickly.

Caps' fan with a Christmas wish.
(Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)

Carlson had a goal and an assist tonight and had a team high +4 tonight. Johannson used his speed to create havoc on the slower Devil defensemen. His legs created A. Gordon's goal and also nearly caught them sleeping to carry the puck right to the blue paint.

Next up for the Capitals are the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. It will be their first meeting of the season and it will set the stage for NHL's Winter Classic on New Year's Day.

Wild Ending

Capitals 4, Flyers 5 OT/SO (0-1)
Game Summary

Playing like the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers did not disappoint. After it looked like the Flyers were going to sail to an easy win, bad discipline by the visiting team gave the Caps the opening they needed to tie up the game and sends it to overtime and eventually into the shoot out. But the Flyers' skill guy Daniel Briere scores the only shoot out goal and the Flyers put this one in the win column 5-4.

Rookie Marcus Johansson started the scoring off for the Caps as he cleaned up a broken play in front of the net. The Flyers would respond on their power play then scored a pair of even strength goals to take the lead with 10:20 left in the third period 3-1. A couple of ill-advised penalties by the Flyers created the Caps' comeback. They scored a pair of power play goals (both garbage) to pull the game even. Nick Backstrom and Jason Chimera were the goal scorers. Flyers would come back with a slick goal of their own but again take a bad penalty late in the game. Eric Fehr scored the game tying goal with a rocket of a shot from the right face off dot to force overtime.

Wild End

When the Flyers took the lead in the third and the Caps' Alex Semin was nicked with a tripping call. It seemed the game was at hand for the visiting team, but Kimo Timonen took a holding call to negate the Semin call. The Caps would score on the shortened power play chance. Mike Richards would take a penalty after slashing a Caps player after the goal was scored and it offered the Caps yet another chance with the extra man. It wouldn't take long for the Caps to tie up the game.

After that, it seemed chance after chance for both teams presented itself. The Flyers would regain the lead after Andreas Nodl scored by spinning around the Caps' defender and backhanded the puck through Michal Neuvirth's five hole. But the Caps would answer after the Flyers were yet again called for a penalty and with six skaters on the ice Fehr buried a shot to tie up the game.

Three goals were scored in the first two periods, but the scoring exploded in the third with 5 goals scored by either team. 4 of those were in the last nine minutes of play.

Super Kid

It was a great game for Marcus Johansson. The Caps' rookie would score his second goal of the season when he cleaned up a bouncing puck in front of the net and beat Flyer Brian Boucher glove side. Using his speed, Johansson created a slew of chances especially five on five. He was clearly the best Capital on the ice through most of the game. He will be even more exciting to watch when he figures out that wrister of his and starts beating goaltenders.

Invisible Ovi

Alex Ovechkin may have an assist in this game, his scoring has seemed to hit a wall. He has only scored 2 goals in the last eight games. He had a few golden opportunities to score early after line mate Alex Semin fed him a couple of pretty feeds to cut him loose. But he rang it off the post on one shot, missed the net on another. In all, Ovi could only muster 3 shots on net. The rest? Five shots were blocked and 6 of them sailed wide of the net. The Caps' winger showed his frustrations at times often looking to the rafters after shots or shaking his head as he returned to the bench after a tough shift.

Great Goaltending Thwarted

Neuvirth kept his team in it for a majority of the game. He stopped 31 shots including some humdingers on the Caps penalty kill. The Flyers tried his glove side, to little avail through the first two periods. Only when they held on to the shot, delaying to make the young goaltender to bite early, did they find the back of the net.

That Seems Fehr

The line combo of Tomas Fleischmann, Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr created some havoc for the Flyers. They had a slew of even strength chances. Fehr himself had a heck of game as he lead the Caps in shots with six and scored the power play, game tying goal. He even had a jump in overtime and nearly scored in the extra frame.

A Much Better Effort

After the humbling loss to Southeast Division rivals Atlanta Thrashers the night before, the Caps came to play against their Conference rivals the Flyers. The Caps were getting early chances to score and seemed to be moving their feet better, keeping the visiting Flyers on their heels. Besides a couple of defensive breakdowns and poor discipline, the Caps did play a much better game than they did the night before.

Caps Hold On

Capitals 4, Sabres 2
Game Summary

The Capitals had no problem building up a lead against the Buffalo Sabres. Up 3-0, the Caps looked as if they were going to skate away to an easy victory. The Sabres, however, have a way of getting back into the game against the Caps and it would take a spectacular effort by rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth to preserve the Caps' one goal lead as they down the Sabres and avenge their earlier loss by a score of 4-2.

Alex Semin continues his hot streak starting with a helper on the game's first goal. He drew the penalty to give the Caps a 5 on 3 then found Nick Backstrom on the far post and slipped him a pass to get the Caps off to a good start. Semin would also add a empty netter to seal the victory. David Steckel and Matt Bradley also scored for the Caps.

Good For The Grinders

The Capitals fourth line is not assembled for scoring prowess. But lately the line of Jason Chimera, Steckel and Bradley have been getting chances and adding the all important secondary scoring the Caps desperately need.

Chimera, although taking a third period penalty that nearly cost his team, played his best game as a Capital even though he didn't score. Using his superb speed, Chimera was able to pounce on loose pucks and found teammates Bradley and Steckel in front of the net. The Grinders combined for 5 points out of the Caps total of ten on the night. Chimera's efforts earned him the game's number one star.

Bending But Not Breaking

It got hairy towards the end of the game when Chimera took a hooking call halfway through the third period. But the Caps defense kept the Sabres from getting the game tying goal. With the help of Neuvirth who stopped 31 shots and had a .939 average against the Sabres.

Special Teams

The Caps special teams again came to the rescue. While they did allow a power play goal in the second period that pulled the Buffs to within one goal, they were pretty good the rest of the night. The new aggressive style of penalty killing has benefited the Caps in such a manner that they are starting to get scoring chances in the other direction. They were able to register two shots on net short handed.

Bringing Body

Again the Caps went after the Sabres physically. They outhit the Buffs 23 to 11. Alex Ovechkin led the Caps with 4 hits of his own, while Mike Green and Steckel had three hits of their own. A stat they could have lived with out though would be turnovers. The Caps coughed up the puck ten times compared to their opponents who only had one giveaway.

Caps Notes

• Tomas Fleischmann, Tom Poti and DJ King were the Caps' scratches. Flash was sitting only because coach Bruce Boudreau said it was his turn to sit. 
• Marcus Johansson is starting to get a handle on his face-offs. He won 10 of fifteen draws (67%). While he was not on the ice for any goals, he was not on for any goals against either. 
• Alex Semin is riding a nine game point streak with his goal and assist tonight. The Caps have won eight of their last nine games, the only loss came at the hands of the very same Sabres a few nights ago in overtime. Alex Ovechkin was left off the score sheet for a second time in three games. The other game was against Buffalo.