All's Fehr In Overtime

Capitals 4, Bruins 3 OT
Game Summary - Event Summary

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Washington Capitals rallied from 3-0 to over come the Boston Bruins with a highlight reel goal by Eric Fehr in overtime to win 4-3.

The Capitals got contributions from a wide swath of players tonight. Mike Ribeiro, Tomas Kundratek, Wojtek Wolski and Fehr all scored for the Capitals. Recently signed and called up Steve Oleksy got his first career NHL point on an assist and Kundratek scored his first NHL career goal. Fehr's game winner capped off a three point night for the winger with the goal and two assists. He was also the only Cap with a +3.

It was looking a lot like the Capitals were set up for another disappointing outing, even though they were playing solid through most of the first period. On the Capitals' first power play opportunity, Brad Marchand broke up the play near the blue line and John Carlson blew a tire on the skate back. Alex Ovechkin had no choice but to hook the speedy forward drawing the penalty shot for Marchand. The Bruins would go up 1-0 on his penalty shot goal. Things then broke down for the Caps late in the first when Zdeno Chara picked up his own rebound to make it 2-0, and Ovechkin again was penalized and Dougie Hamilton scored on the ensuing power play.

Down 3-0, the Capitals entered the second period sticking to their game plan. They were solid five on five play and Braden Holtby came up with the next 24 saves combined in the last two periods. The Bruins cracked when a point shot by Oleksy was knocked down by Ovechkin who made a sparkling pass to a wide open Ribeiro at the side of the net. Nearly five minutes later, the Caps cut the lead to only one goal off of a nice face off win by Nick Backstrom to Fehr who dropped it to Kundratek. The Caps' rookie defenseman shot it and it glanced off of a Bruin and past Tuukka Rask. The Caps would tie it in the third period when Fehr chipped passed the puck on a fast break and the puck trickled through Hamilton to a waiting Wolski. He slid the puck under Rask for his first goal since Feburary.

Adam Oates must have been feeling the good mojo from Fehr and Backstrom because he started the pair in the overtime period. Just 37 seconds into the extra period, the Caps would complete the comeback with a spectacular highlight reel goal by Fehr. The entire four man unit broke the puck out of the zone with some good passing and good speed through the neutral zone. Backstrom saw Fehr streaking into the zone and head manned the puck near the Bruins' blue line. Fehr split the defensemen who both closed in on him and as he fell he chipped the puck up over Rask's left shoulder, squeaking the game winner just past the leaning goaltender. Two big points for the Capitals.

Alex Ovechkin didn't score, he had a beauty of an assist on Ribeiro's goal, but he was certainly a factor in the game. Not once did he crash the net, but three times Ovechkin knocked the goal from its pegs. The aggressive move seemed to spark the rest of the team. Backstrom had three assists by playing a very controlled game. Something we have not seen from him in some time. 

Quietly, the Capitals have strung together a nice little winning stretch here with 7 W's in their last ten games. The Caps still need to play the division tough as they will take on rivals Florida Panthers Thursday night.

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals have outscored their opponents 9-0 in the third period in their last five games.
• This is the second time in Fehr's career he has had a three point game, the first was against Boston on March 3rd 2008 where he had 3 assists.
• The Bruins were 9-0 after scoring first and 9-0 when leading after the first period this season. The Caps tarnished that perfect stat tonight.

Afternoon Delight

Capitals 5, Devils 1
Game Summary - Event Summary

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Very rarely do you get a do-over. But the Washington Capitals had that chance with a second game in three nights against the same team at the same place. A second home game versus the New Jersey Devils proved to be the antidote to what's ailing the Capitals. The lose the season series with the Devils but go out with a bang beating them 5-1.

Alex Ovechkin scored his first hat trick since Jan. 22 2011. It is his 11th hatty of his career and is 71st multi-goal game being a Capital. He would have four points on the afternoon adding an assist on the fifth goal scored by Troy Brouwer. Eric Fehr has the Caps' first shorthanded goal of the season as he broke in on Johan Hedberg behind the net and wrapped around the net to score.

Here are just a few thoughts on the game:

- Ovechkin continues his shark play. His attack is better measured and he gave the NHL a different look on the break out that led directly to a goal. I diagrammed it here "A Different Look". He was dynamic in the last game against the Devils but the late parade to the penalty box late prevented him from being much of a factor. This afternoon he had better luck.

- Braden Holtby continues his stellar play. He has seemed to settle down into his game. With just a one goal lead, the Caps were penalized again when Tom Poti took a hooking call on a breaking Steve Bernier. Bernier was awarded a penalty shot and Holtby stood tall making the stop. Ilya Kovalchuk would score late in the second period, but if Holtby didn't stop the PS, the Caps would have been down 2-1 going into the second intermission. Holtby has given his team a chance to win in the last five starts or so.

- The only line change from Thursday night was switching Wotjek Wolski with Eric Fehr. The change seemed offer a few chances for Wolski who missed a wide open net in the first period. The change was a plus for both wingers who seemed to improve or keep both lines' forcheck effective.

- Nick Backstrom is close, but is still scoreless in his last nine games. He does have seven assists in that stretch but his offensive numbers have been sluggish. Hopefully that stat turns around with better success the Caps have had 5 on 5 of late.

- The Caps' PK was flawless this afternoon. They were able to kill off all three minor penalties and Holtby's heroic save on the penalty shot kept the Devils off the scoresheet a man down.

- While the PK did it's job, the power play is not the hottest in the league. The extra man went 2 for 3 against a historically pretty good PK in the Devils. After some tough times early on, the Caps now have the second best power play in the league, trailing only the St. Louis Blues.

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals scored the first goal in their seventh consecutive game. They had a streak of nine games where they had the first tally of the game back in October/November of 2009.
• Brouwer, who scored the "Free Wings" goal, has eighth goal of the season and has seven points in his last six games (5g 2a).
• Mike Ribeiro continues to be a factor on the ice for the Capitals. He had two assists for his seventh multipoint game of the season. Re-sign the kid.

Rocking The Rust

Capitals 2, Lightning 4 (Tampa leads series 1-0)
Game Summary

AP

Bruce Boudreau alluded to what the press would decide on the result of game one. If the Caps won they would be rested, if they lost it would be considered rust. The later would be true. The Tampa Bay Lightning fresh off their series win over the Pittsburgh Penguins would put the Caps behind in the series by a game winning 4-2.

Caps' All Stars Do Okay

Team Staal 10, Team Lidstrom 11
Game Summary

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green certainly did not stand out in this All Star game, but they didn't necessarily played badly either.

Ovi had a fluke goal just :50 seconds into the game when a pass deflected off Duncan Keith's stick and trickled past Marc-Andre Fleury. He would add an assist in the second period but would leave the game with a -2.

Ovechkin also had the game's only penalty when he turned the puck over at the offensive blue line. Matt Duchene would end up with a break away and Ovi slid his stick in an attempt to disrupt the Colorado forward. The stick would end up just sliding by and Duchene and Henrik Lundqvist made the save on the original break away and the subsequent penalty shot. No harm, no foul. 

Ovechkin makes history again as it was the first ever penalty shot awarded at an NHL All Star game. 

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Green would have two assists, both in the first period. He played well with his defensive partner Zdeno Chara who also had a pair of assists. It was tough for Green to jump in the play when Chara did his fair share of getting into the offensive breaks.

There were times when both Green and Ovechkin were on the same shift and the pair at times played a great give and go. It didn't end up on any goals besides the first fluke by Ovi. 

The game stayed true to the All Star mantra. Lackluster play with plenty of offense and a defense that plays like they could care less about actually playing the position. Patrick Sharp would take home the MVP honors as he had a goal and two assists all in the first period.

The MVP voting happened through the first period because fans really missed out on a few others who were worthy of the MVP like Nick Lidstrom who finished with a +7, or Shea Weber who had four helpers and a +6, or Loui Eriksson who had 2 goals and assists for 4 points on the night.

The entire weekend was a pretty fun experiment as the NHL is trying to make this game more fun for both fans and players. Here are a few of my pluses and minuses.

PLUS - The Player draft. As weird and awkward as it was, the draft was a unique twist on the game itself. It is only the first time it has happened, and I am sure it can only improve from here on out if the league sticks with it.

minus - The whole guardian project thing. It was lame, as I feared it would be.

PLUS - The entrance players got for the Super Skills competition. With a thin line of smoke over the entrance to the ice the players' name, number and team logo was lit up on the smoke as players skated through it. They then skated past a giant mural of themselves on huge sheets draped from the scoreboard while their highlights played out on the ice surface on either side.

minus - The entrance at the actual game. Boring.

PLUS - The Hurricane fans, they cheered for their team, Team Staal who had all three 'Cane All Stars. They also cheered for Chara's hardest shot, Ovi's shoot out dazzler and Grabner's speedy run in the fastest skater. They showed up garbed in their Hurricane jerseys and made the game somewhat fun to watch.

minus - Sidney Crosby, who didn't even show up for any of the events at All Star weekend. Even though he did not play, it would have been nice to have him there to be a steward of the game.

PLUS - The uniforms. I actually liked them, both for Team Stall and Team Lidstrom. Sometimes the league tries to do too much on the their sweaters, but I liked the simplicity of the sweaters.

minus - The Globe taking a dump on anything different the league tries to do. It's the first time the NHL has done this, give them a break. At the very least they generated interest.

PLUS - Eric Fehr (@EricFehr16) and Karl Alzner's (@karlalzner) tweets from Universal Orlando.

While it was a fun weekend for the league's best, it's back to work for the Capitals. They have to find their offense again as they push for first in the Southeast Division.

Keep It Simple

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Washington Capitals learned their lesson; simplicity is the best weapon in the face of adversity. The Caps utilized that in the NHL's Winter Classic to win against their bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

December started as a tough month for the Caps. They had suffered through a eight game losing streak. It was two weeks with out a win and earning only two standings points during that stretch and they would come into NHL's Winter Classic as a team just turning things around. They were unbeaten in regulation in 5 games with a shoot-out loss against the Penguins looming above them coming into Heinz Field on New Year's Day.

When the weather turned on the league's premiere outdoor event the Capitals did not use poor ice as an excuse nor did they try to force the game to suit their high skill style. Instead they went back to basics.

"We thought it was going to be just a grind it out game," Bruce Boudreau said about his thoughts before the game concerning the situation. "After we were on the ice yesterday, it didn't look like the ice conditions would be great. We knew the fancy tic-tac-toe stuff wasn't going to work. So we knew we had to dump it in and we had to win the game below the circles. I thought we did a real good job of that."

The Caps first goal to tie the game at one was anything but fancy or tic-tac-toe. On the power play, the Caps crashed the net creating confusion in front of the Pittsburgh net. Mike Knuble would jab the puck into the net. Their first goal would be the definition of a garbage goal.

With ice conditions as tough as they were, the Caps could not play their high risk/high reward skill game in the neutral zone. So, they kept it simple. They dumped the puck in deep and let their forechecking game take over. It would lead to several Penguin turn overs including Marc-Andre Fleury's flub behind the net that allowed Marcus Johansson find Eric Fehr in front of a wide open net.

"When you play with a lead on ice like that, it's the simple things that are going to win you games," David Steckel said of their strategy. "So we got it out and got it in and tried to play well defensively. It was a great effort tonight."

As the Penguins pressed, the Caps relied on simple outs to keep the puck moving out of their zone. When the situation presented itself in the third period, it would be a simple give and go that would open up the Pens' defense and Fehr would score his second goal of the night to add some insurance.

"We had a good lead going into the third," Fehr said of his second goal. "We just wanted to play defense and fortunately I was able to get that second one. We weren't trying to go for offense right then."

For a team that has blushed away from sandpaper-like play when the going got tough, the Caps used it effectively on the road in front of 68,111 fans. It wasn't perfect, but when the defense faltered Semyon Varlamov came up with the save they needed.

"It was pretty tough to keep concentrated with the water [on the ice]," Varlamov said of his trials with the ice.

Getting the lead was important for the Capitals. It was hard to even make simple out passes out of the zone. But protecting the lead through a period and half of the game, it took everyone to keep their play simple.

"Our skill guys like Ovi and Semin, they were dumping the puck in and getting deep rather than try to tangle and it worked out," Caps' tough guy John Erskine said. "We got it deep and went after them and kept the lead."

Since making passes was a near impossibility, the Penguins tried to play catch up on terrible ice. They were flubbing the puck in the neutral zone as the Caps stood tall on their blue line to keep the them from even entering the zone. The Penguins tried to rely on their skill to get back into the game, but the conditions would not let them.

"Certainly tonight, given the situation, they were content to get pucks out and get them deep," Penguins' head coach Dan Bylsma said after the game. "It made it tough on us to try and mount something to get some offense in the third period. It made it difficult on us."

It is a hard lesson to learn, but a long losing streak sometimes prepares a team for adversity that is not apart the norm, like, for instance, the Winter Classic. The Caps seemed to have learned their lesson and players have risen to the occasion. Now it is time to work that experience into the post season.

Caps Win The Winter Classic

Capitals 3, Penguins 1
Game Summary

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Even with a light drizzle falling down and poor ice conditions, the Washington Capitals proved they could deal with a different kind of adversity. In what had to be the most hyped game with an HBO documentary crew following both teams, the league and networks revving up the rhetoric of the rivalry of the teams and both captains Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, the Capitals play the perfect road game defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1.

Eric Fehr scored a pair of goals after coming into this game with only 5 goals to his credit. Mike Knuble would get a great garbage goal to tie up the game in the second period. The weather kept the skilled players from playing their style of play.

The game turned out to be a grinders paradise and Jay Beagle, a hard working grinder for the Caps, had the first two chances by getting his nose in front of the Pens net. It would be a muckers goal by Mike Knuble to get the Caps on the board after giving up the lead on a Evgeni Malkin break away goal. Nick Backstrom just kept the puck in front after a point shot, with the traffic in front of Marc-Andre Fleury. Knuble found the banged in the loose puck past the Penguin goaltender.

(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The goal energized the Capitals forechecking and they kept the pressure on. When Fleury mishandled the puck, speedy forward Marcus Johansson was able to pick up the loose puck behind the net and find Fehr in front with a wide open net.

Fehr would add a second goal and some insurance in the third after John Erskine made a solid break out pass to Jason Chimera. Chim played a give and go with Fehr and it broke the winger open. Fehr would beat Fleury high glove side to give the Caps a two goal lead.

The Penguins would make a last ditch effort to try and tie it up, but the Caps stood tall on defense. At one point they stood at the blue line prompting play by play man Doc Emrick called them the white picket fence. It would lead to some rough play with just .6 seconds left as the rivalry went to another level as both teams gave a few face washes and end up leaving the ice with out shaking hands.

(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The title bout was in the first period. John Erskine took on Michael Rupp in a heavyweight bout that saw both players landing some haymakers. Erskine did stumble after Rupp connected, but he got right back up and landed a few of his own before Rupp had to call it quits due to a contact lens problem. 

With all the hype on both Ovechkin and Crosby, neither found their way onto the scoring sheet. Ovechkin did have a goal that was waved off after he made contact before that with Fleury. But both players were kept in check for the most part of the game.

Crosby was hit as the second period ended by David Steckel. Sid was caught not paying attention to where he was going and when the play shifted, he was looking behind and Steckel was charging up the ice. The Pens' coaching staff called it incidental contact.

AP

The best Capitals player had to be Semyon Varlamov. Faced with a bouncing puck and some serious rubber from the Penguins stood tall in net. He played his rebounds as best as he could considering the conditions. Shots from the outside he was able to see, a credit to the defensive core in front for boxing out crashing Penguins. Varly would turn away 32 shots as his teammates helped by blocking 16 shots. While Fleury went a wandering from his net from time to time, Varly stayed in his net and didn't turn over the puck that lead to any scoring chances for the Penguins.

In the end, it's just two points. It is a huge confidence boost for the Capitals as they shake free from a bad stretch of games to get their third straight win. They now are unbeaten in regulation in their last six games. They also creep up the Eastern Conference ladder as they are just one game behind the leading Penguins but remain behind Tampa in the division in a tie (Caps have played 2 more games than the Bolts which is the tiebreaker to this point).

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.

Holtby, Green Power Caps Past Flyers

Capitals 3, Flyers 2 OT
Game Summary

It would take overtime for the top two teams in the Eastern Conference decide a winner. When the dust settled Mike Green scored the game winner just :29 seconds into the extra frame and both the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers will end up tied for the top spot in the standings. Caps come away with the two points with the overtime win 3-2.

The Caps would have to, yet again, come from behind to get the eventual winner in over time. Eric Fehr would score to tie the game at one apiece on a snapper shot from the left wing boards beating the Flyers rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The Flyers would again take the lead, but the Caps answered when Alex Semin buried a great feed from Nick Backstrom on the power play. Mike Green would put the cherry on the top of a physical, hard grinding game with the overtime, power play goal.

Holtby's first.. again.

Braden Holtby would make his first NHL start after getting his first NHL win against Boston in the last game. He would turn away 23 shots to get his second win. He had a few big saves including three straight stops moving from left to right and all three Flyers' forwards registered a shot. Hotby's saves seemed to spur his team to play better defense in front of him. Besides a couple of breakdowns, the Caps' defense kept the Flyers' scorers in check. Holtby would earn the game's second star. He is the youngest NHL goaltender to start a game this year (21 years, 52 days).

Taking advantage.

The power play again bailed out the Caps offense. Chris Pronger took a late penalty with 3:55 left in the game. Unfortunately, it was a double minor for high sticking David Steckel and drawing blood. The Caps' power play drew yet another penalty to extend the extra man advantage and allow Green's game winning goal.

The Caps now have seven power play goals in their last 4 games. This after the power play struggled at the beginning of the season. The Caps' penalty kill also factored in this game as they were able to kill off the only two penalties they took against a very physical team in the Flyers.

I got your Backstrom.

It is the second straight game Nick Backstrom has registered two assists. Three of the last four have been the primary assists. He has ten points in the last six games (3g, 7a) and his point production has been a bright spot for a struggling Caps power play.

Streaks

Caps finish their home stretch of three games with 6 points. They have now won four straight games. Alex Ovechkin continues his point streak now to six games with ten points during that stretch (4g, 6a). Alex Semin stretches his goal streak to four games.

Caps Edge Sens In OT

Capitals 3, Senators 2 OT
Game Summary

It wasn't the prettiest game the Capitals have put together. A struggling power play, some bad turn overs leading to goals and a couple penalties to boot, the Caps found away to take the Ottawa Senators into overtime. Alex Ovechkin would net the winner with just 31.1 seconds left in the overtime frame, giving the Capitals two points and win.

It was a relatively quiet game for Ovechkin. He had been tagged with two penalties in regulation. One a cross check to Daniel Alfredsson who was already off balance. The second was a clear dive by Jarkko Ruutu that saw Ovechkin go off for interference. It had seemed the Senators had kept the Capitals' captain in check. But in overtime, with extra space on the ice and time winding down, an innocent skate up the rink led to a game winner. His faked pulling the puck inside before shooting it outside. The momentary fake opened Pascal Leclaire up and the shot slipped in five-hole.

"I played a minute (into my shift) already," Ovechkin said. "I was kind of tired so I just want to shoot the puck and go change. A lucky goal and a good win."

Also scoring for the Caps, Alex Semin gets on the board for the season. Brooks Laich chased the puck into the corner and dug out the puck to the open Semin on the other side of the net. Semin made no mistake putting the puck top shelf.

Eric Fehr would score after doing double duty after Matt Bradley left due to an undisclosed injury. Fehr stepped into the fourth line and Matt Hendricks found him from behind the net. Fehr just had to tap it into the net.

"I just saw the big one-six going hard to the net, yelling and screaming like a big freight train," Hendricks said of the play and his assist. "I tried sliding it out there and fortunately he got on his stick and he did the rest."

Fehr earned the game's number one star with a goal and an assist on the night.

The player of the night, however, was goaltender Michal Neuvirth. The rookie stayed calm and collected in the net. The two goals scored against him came from bad turnovers by his team. He is looking more and more like the goaltender the Caps need.

"(Neuvirth) keeps getting better every game," Bruce Boudreau said. "That is a good sign for a young goaltender."

Neuvirth made a slew of third period saves to force overtime and even calmly iced the puck just before Ovi's game winner. At the moment, Neuvy is making it very hard for Semyon Varlamov who also is trying to be the Caps number one goaltender. Neuvirth was also robbed of a game star, even though he stopped 29 of 31 shots.

While the overtime winner was a thriller, it didn't even need to get to that point if the Caps' power play could convert on any of their 5 chances tonight. Their passes were not crisp, there was little to no movement and the play seemed forced and predictable. Even with tweaking the lines, the Caps could find little success after the set up in the zone. Even with back to back Ottawa penalties, the Caps just couldn't get any momentum going.

"The powerplay will get better," Boudreau promised. "It just seems to be out of sync a little bit and when we get chances we are not burying them."

On the flip side, the Capitals' penalty kill was pretty solid. They killed off five Ottawa chances tonight. Washington is one of six teams that has not allowed a power play goal this season (the only team that is 100% on the PK and three games under their belt). That is due, in part to the Caps rookie goaltender Neuvirth who stopped all 6 shots on the Ottawa power play.

The Caps did lose a couple players due to injury in this tilt. Tom Poti, who skated warm up, did not show up on the roster come game time. He was a game time scratch and is listed day-to-day with a lower body injury. Matt Bradley only played three shifts before he retreated into the locker room. Bradley is also listed day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Caps Notes:

• Next Capitals game is versus the Islanders on Wednesday night (Oct. 13).
• Mike Green's 31:53 of ice time was more than he had in all but one game last year. He led both teams in power play minutes (8:37) and penalty kill minutes (5:42).
• The Capitals keep their sell-out streak alive, official tally for tonight's game is 18,398.

Day And Night

Capitals 7, Devils 2
Game Summary

There could not have been a more different team from one night to the other. After a lackluster effort in Atlanta, the Washington Capitals made sure their home opener would be a memorable one. Boy oh boy, was it ever. The Caps defend their home ice in more ways than one and embarrass the Devils 7-2.

Alex Ovechkin is officially on the board with a pair of goals and an assist on the night. John Carlson also played well netting a goal and two assists. Tomas Fleischmann, Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr also added goals in the rout.

Since I am short on time tonight, here are some of the major points of the big win.

• Michal Neuvirth played fantastic again for the Caps in net. He stopped everything he saw in the second and third periods. Both goals against him were the result in some bad turn overs. When the Caps need a save (especially in the second period) Neuvirth was there, worthy of the games third star.
• Marcus Johansson is going to be a really good player in the NHL. Even with a turn over early in the game that led to a Devil goal, his play roared back with some solid moves to the net. He didn't score, but his game was not a disappointment after the turnover. 
• Ovechkin's goal was the catalyst for the outbreak late in the second period. His game winning goal earned him game's first star. His penalty shot was a departure from is normal move. He swung wide and opened Brodeur up before out waiting the Devil goaltender and backhanded the puck past him. 
• The Caps' power play still needs work. They were just one for five on the night including a chance to add to a five goal lead after Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Lablond took a instigator penalty with less than five minutes to play in the game. Granted the Devils have a great PK, but it would have been nice to see the Caps power play unit gel.
• Letourneau-Lablond is not the sharpest tool in the shed. After a series of fights, he challenged the smallest Capital Johansson to a fight twice. Johansson said no both times. Lablond then chased Johansson down the ice and jumped him when play started. The play will be an automatic game suspension for an instigator with under 5 minutes left in a game. The Devils' coach will also be fined $10,000. Dumb move.
• Mike Green played a well rounded defensive game. That is right, defensive game. He had 6 hits and blocked 3 shots, including an important block on the penalty kill in the second to keep the score tied at 2 at the time. His fight with Kovalchuk was a highlight as he stood up for his teammate.
• The fights at the end of the game got to be a little ridiculous. The Devils would rack up 41 PIMs in the third alone. Compared to the Caps 32 PIMs as they engaged in the Devils frustrated rants. Jason Chimera started the rough stuff with David Clarkson. Following that bout, Green took on Kovalchuk. Then Matt Hendricks and Rod Pelley took a turn, followed by Matt Bradley and Clarkson (again). It ended with the instigator on Lablond after he ran down Johansson. Carlson came to the aid of his team mate and was given a 10 minute misconduct. 
• Just like the loss in Atlanta was nothing to get hung up on, this win against New Jersey doesn't mean the Caps have won anything significant (besides two points). Caps need to keep playing their style and move on.

Enough Preseason

Preseason
Capitals 5, Blue Jackets 3

It would have been a pretty good regular season game. Maybe even an interesting playoff game. However, this is preseason. It means that it doesn't really count.

This game had just about everything, good goals, good saves, competitive spirit and a few scrums for good measure. Eric Fehr had two goals and an assist to give him the game's first star. Mike Green added a pair of assists and the Caps get goals by Brooks Laich, Nick Backstrom and Alex Semin.

The Caps special teams had been pretty solid up to this point. Against the Blue Jackets, the Capitals allowed a shorthanded goal and a pair of goals on the penalty kill. Tyler Sloan had a hard night after started well enough as he stood up for teammate Matt Hendricks. Sloan would end the night with 4 penalties and 11 PIMs. A tough go considering he is in a fight with John Erskine for the last 6th defenseman spot.

The game had a chippy undertone as both teams played a physical game. Even Alex Ovechkin wasn't immune to the rough stuff as the team's captain came to Mike Knuble's defense after the winger took a hard cheap shot in the neutral zone. Knuble had presence of mind to get back on his feet to help out his linemate and keep him from getting hurt.

This would have been a very entertaining game if it were a regular season tilt. The history between these teams is not long, but there is no love between them. While it was fun to watch these two teams pound on each other, injuries are a concern here on out for all teams in the preseason. I think four is a good number for general managers and coaches to pull their teams together. By the fifth and sixth games, players just want the season to start.

Those fighting for jobs should have already made an impression. It doesn't make sense to me to continue any longer for games that just don't count. Marcus Johansson impressed in every category except in face off draws. He didn't win a single one out of 10 draws.

Caps will play their 6th and final preseason game Nashville on Sunday 12:30 pm.

Caps Notes:

• Caps prepare for the second ever Caps Con tomorrow at the Washington Convention Center. Former Cap Olaf Kolzig, who was at the game tonight, will be one of the many big names at the Convention. 
• Braden Holtby was sent back to Hershey after the Bruins game, Lawrence Nycholat and Cody Eakin are the other two cut, sent to Hershey and Juniors respectively.
• The Hershey Bears have started their preseason agianst the WB Baby Pens. They fell in overtime 4-3. Brian Willsie and Kyle Greentree combine for 4 points in the exhibition opener.

Holy Halak

Capitals 1, Canadiens 4 - Series tied at 3
Game Summary

The Washington Capitals brought their shots to the game, the problem was Montreal Canadien goaltender Jaroslav Halak had an answer for just about every one of them. In a game that was mostly dominated by the Capitals Halak turned away 53 shots and only allowing one goal against the offensive juggernaut that are the Washington Capitals. While Halak was brilliant, Caps' netminder Semyon Varlamov was marginal. The result, a 4-1 win and a forced game seven by the Canadiens.

Eric Fehr scored the only goal for the Capitals who once again were frustrated by the Habs defense. The Capitals were only able to score one goal out of 54 shots as well as 23 shots that were blocked and 17 shots that missed the net. For a whopping total of 94 shots the Caps attempted.

Special teams again do the Caps in as they went 0 for six on the power play and allowed a power play goal against. Mike Cammalleri came up huge with a power play goal in the first period. It was really all the Habs needed, as Halak seemed to find a zone. The puck was a beach ball to him and he was stopping everything.

The Capitals were unable to do anything to the three straight diving calls the Canadiens' took. The power play just was not clicking for them. Even with a 5 on 3, the Caps were guilty of being "too cute." A problem that has plague them all season long.

When the Canadiens' took the 3-0 lead, game seven was inevitable. It would be the Capitals fourth straight playoff series that has gone to seven games. There record is a humble 1-2, including a drubbing on home ice by the Pittsburgh Penguins last post season.

The Capitals are guilty of relying too heavily on their offense that has, thus far, fallen short of expectations. Besides Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin who both have 9 points (both have 5g, 4a) and Mike Knuble who has 6 points (2g, 4a) thus far in this series, no Capital has more than 4 points or 3 goals. And when that top line is shut down, the Habs are getting by with shots from second and third lines with no damage at all.

Alex Semin has taken the most shots in the post season by any other player, 0 goals. The top scoring defenseman for the Capitals Mike Green has yet to score a tally. Eric Belanger, Tomas Fleischmann and Brendan Morrison all have zero goals. There is nobody adding goal support for the top line and the Caps will suffer another game seven loss if that does not change.

The Caps can not ask Semyon Varlamov to be any better in net for them. The Caps' netminder has done exactly what was expected of him, keep the opposition's score low enough for the Capitals' offense to take over. In fact the Caps concede that the goaltender doesn't have to be perfect to win. That may be true in the regular season, but that logic is slowly slipping in post season play.

The Capitals can ill afford to give up the first goal again to the Habs. When they have done that, it has taken a monumental effort to get back in the game, if they do at all. If the Caps are eliminated in the first round, best bet is Bruce Boudreau gets the pink slip for his team's inability to put a little 'ol puck in a 6' x 4' frame.

Game seven is at the Verizon Center on Wednesday night.

Caps Stage A Dramatic Come-Backstrom To Even Series

Capitals 5, Canadiens 5 OT
Game Summary

Once again the Caps got off to a less than desirable start. Two shots and two goals ended the night for Jose Theodore. But Nick Backstrom's monster night would overshadow Theo's mis-steps in net. The Washington Capitals big players showed up for game two and they would even the series at one with an over time winner against the Montreal Canadiens 6-5.

Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom both had a 4 point night. One goal and three assists for Ovi, a hattrick and an assist for Backstrom. Eric Fehr would score his first of the series and 20 year old John Carlson had a goal and assist. A big goal that would send it to overtime. The win would snap a 6 game playoff home overtime losing streak for the Caps and it would come in comeback fashion.

The Canadiens would get the start they wanted in game two. The first was a turn over by Jason Chimera at the Habs' blue line. Scott Gomez would turn the play around and find Brian Gionta wide out at the top of the circles. The shot seemed to handcuff Theodore and find it's way to the back of the net. It was a shot the Caps' goaltender should have had.

Theo would be terrorized again by a seemingly innocent play. The Caps had been dominating the play when another turn over in the neutral zone had the play going in the opposite direction. Andrei Kostitsyn put a nice wrister up over Theo's shoulder and that would do it for the Caps netminder. Enter Semyon Varlamov.

The Caps would cut into the lead as Eric Fehr sniped a snap shot past Jaroslav Halak. It was a break away for Fehr set up by line mate Tomas Fleischmann who capitalized off of a Canadien turn over and found Fehr breaking toward the middle of the ice. But the Caps couldn't build off of that goal.

In the second period Kostitsyn would score a pair of goals on replacement Varlamov giving him his first playoff hattrick of his career. One of them was on the power play after Brooks Laich took a tripping call, the other at even strength. It would build a 4-1 lead for the Canadiens and it looked they would be en route to a two game series lead from there on. They would quickly clog the neutral zone and the Caps could not get into Montreal's zone.

The Caps would eventually break their offensive woes when Backstrom shot one that bounced in off traffic in front. It would cut into Montreal's 4-2 lead and start a Caps resurgence. They were crashing the net with vigor and kept Montreal on their heels with time squeezing away in the second period. They would not score, but it didn't take long for them in the third.

Alex Ovechkin would strike early, just under three minutes in. John Carlson blasted a shot from the point and Halak seemed to make the save. Ovi was in front and poked his stick into Halak's pads and the puck trickled in behind him and the Caps were now only down by one. The goal would be Ovechkin's first of the series.

Then at the midway point in the third, Backstrom and Ovechkin would tie things up. Ovi skated down the right side and attempted a shot through Jaroslav Spacek but it was blocked. After the shot laid back in front of Ovechkin and the Canadiens broke coverage for a second, he found a wide open Backstrom in front of the net for a tap in play to pull the Caps even at 4 apiece.

The tie would not last long as the Caps once again turn over the puck. Mike Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec played a little give and go that ended up behind Varlamov. With just over five minutes to play, it had looked as if the Canadiens would steal another game at Verizon Center and put their foes in a 2 game series hole.

The Caps mounted a come back by double shifting the top line and it payed off when Ovechkin drew a slashing call and the Canadiens seemed to let up their play for a bit. Backstrom kept the play alive cutting down the middle and found 20 year old John Carlson who was on the outside lane. He cut in to the upper slot and ripped a wrist shot past Halak and sent the Verizon Center crowd into a frenzy as well as tying up the game with 1:21 left to play.

Not much could be generated after that and the game would once again go to overtime. The Canadiens had the first scoring chance, nearly redirecting one past Varlamov. But the counter attack by the Caps saw Backstrom score his game winner through a screen on the Habs' defender and beat Halak high glove side. The building exploded and the Caps showered the ice to congratulate their first win, and hopefully celebrate a momentum change in the series.

The Caps draw even with the Canadiens as the series moves to Montreal at a game apiece.

Caps Win Without Ovechkin

Capitals 4, Blackhawks 3
Game Summary

Since everyone has their recaps up and most of you have read them, I am just going to give my 5 thoughts on the games.

• Chicago never had an answer for Nick Backstrom. He had a spectacular game. I think if Alex Ovechkin had not hit Brian Campbell and been ejected (my thoughts on that in a bit) he could have easily scored at least two goals off of Backstrom feeds. His goal in overtime was astonishing. He even knew the hit was coming as he cut in the slot and he still put a perfect shot through Antti Niemi's 5 hole.
• Eric Belanger was the only Capital with over 50% on his face off draws (he had 59%). The Caps were terrible in the face off circle and were 39% for the game. Dave Steckel was one who did not do well in draws, but his play right after Brooks Laich scored the power play goal was 100% pure hustle. He beat out the icing then found Eric Fehr wide open in front.
• The Capitals do not have an exceptional defense. They just have an average one which is prone to make mistakes. It looked as if the Caps were playing a rover to cover Patrick Kane. Early in the game when both teams were down a man, Joe Corvo continued to shadow Kane, while Steckel came off the face off he went high to cover the point instead of low to cover Jonathan Toews who didn't move from the face off dot. 5 on 5, that strategy would have (and did) worked, but instead it leads to the first goal of the game for Chicago.
• Jose Theodore played outstanding as in both games, you could not really fault the goaltending of either Theo or Semyon Varlamov. The difference between this game and the one before is the Caps work ethic in the third period. The Caps seemed to gain momentum off of hard work that finished off the second period and continued on into the third. When the Caps put on their hard hats, they are a tough team to beat.
• The hit by Alex Ovechkin was unfortunate. It happened in a bad area of the ice and it caught Campbell off guard. Campbell passed the puck across his body to reverse the flow. Ovechkin was on the other side of the Hawk player and gave him a push at the wrong time. Campbell, who was already vulnerable having passed behind him had very little time to protect himself as he went into the boards. Ovi clearly knew the hit was bad, maybe even wrong once he looked back at an injured Campbell. He would be ejected from the game. Should have Ovi been kicked out of the game? It is a tough call, but I think the NHL crew got it right. Keeping Ovechkin in may create the game to get out of hand. At times, it was about to with Blackhawks looking to land that revenge blow.

All in all, I think the Caps had played well all game, despite a few mistakes that the Blackhawks took full advantage of. It is a good character win, and they can learn and grow from it I believe.

The Capitals next three games will be against divisional foes all on the road. The Caps have opened a 5 point lead in the overall league standings. They keep their 14 point lead over the Penguins in the Eastern Conference.

Theodore Shuts Down Rangers

Capitals 2, Rangers 0
Game Summary

It wasn't pretty, but the Washington Capitals get by on a 5 on 3 power play goal by Eric Fehr and a great passing play that ended with Eric Belanger getting his first goal as a Capital. The Rangers couldn't get anything going offensively giving Jose Theodore his first shutout of the year as the Caps down them 2-0.

The Caps really had a problem with the Rangers shot blocking. Instead, the Caps' shooters found themselves looking for the pass before the shot. It lead to a lot of broken plays. But the Rangers couldn't stay out of the penalty box and the Caps would score the game winner on a 5 on 3 power play. It was scored on the break late in the two man advantage. Tomas Fleischmann's pass to the slot was deflected off a Ranger stick, but it still found its way to Fehr's stick and he tapped it high over Auld's shoulder.

The second goal would be a complete break down by the Ranger defense. The Caps entered the zone with a cross ice pass by Brooks Laich to Alex Semin. Semin returned the pass inside the zone spreading the Ranger defense and allowing Belanger to get in behind them. Laich found him open in the slot and Belanger scored on Auld's five hole. The Ranger goaltender was unable to react fast enough to the play.

"It feels great to get it out of the way," Belanger said of scoring his first as a Capital and wearing the hard hat in the locker room. "[It takes] a lot of pressure off my shoulders and now I can just play."

While the win keeps the Capitals home win streak intact at 13 games, it's their top scorer's funk that has the rest of us worried. It is nice that Alex Ovechkin's lack of offensive hasn't hindered the Caps yet. But his scoring drought has given Sidney Crosby the scoring lead in the league.

It seems that both Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom have not gotten over their post Olympic hang over. Ovechkin would finish with seven shots and no points in this game. His partner Backstrom would not score a point and struggle in the face off circle winning only 8 of 20 draws.

"They are just off by a half a second," Bruce Boudreau said of his two star players. "Their timing since the Olympics has just been a little off. But you know they are going to catch on and it's going to happen sooner or later."

The Caps made plenty of mistakes. Shaone Morrisonn turned the puck over in the slot to Branden Dubinsky. Theodore was there with the save, sticking his blocker out after Dubinsky deked to the backhand. It seemed when the Caps turned it over, Theodore played well enough to make up for it. Since January 13, Theo has been better than just good enough, posting a 12-0-2 record, 2.38 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.

"We played a solid game," Theodore said to reporters after the game. "During the break we were talking alot about solid defensive hockey and in the playoffs that is how you are going to win games."

"I though [Theodore] was great," Boudreau said. "I thought by far he was our best player."

Night Of The Garbage Men

Capitals 5, Lightning 4
Game Summary

Who says the Southeast Division is boring. The Capitals insert the new guys and the Lightning take advantage of a team that played the night before. The result, a 5-4 win for the good guys and a couple of grinders makes the difference.

Mike Knuble and Scott Walker were two players meant to give the Caps a better presence in front of the net. The pair of them contributed 2 goals each. Even if you do everything to keep Alex Ovechkin off the score sheet, it is the grinders that add the offensive spark the Caps needed.

Knuble has been hot, scoring 18 points in his last 15 games (11g, 7a). He would score two in this game, his 24th and 25th of the season. Eric Fehr scored his 16th of the season, a shot that fooled Mike Smith and hit top corner.

The Caps got into some penalty trouble late in the second period giving the Lightning a prolonged 4 on 3 power play. It would be the shot blocking heroics by Nick Backstrom who was with out a stick to stall the Bolts advantage. He blocked two big point shots and when Semyon Varlamov covered the puck, Backstrom got a pretty loud ovation for his efforts from the hometown faithful.

But give the Lightning credit, they didn't sit back. Vincent Lacavlier seemed to get the big goals when the Bolts needed most. The Caps, maybe a bit road wary, seemed to let up in the third. A few defensive miss reads kept the game interesting before Walker sealed the deal for the Caps. But we will get into the newcomers in a bit.

Varlamov was good in places. It was mostly a let down by his defensive squad and he had little chance of making the save. He did get some help at the beginning from his defensive squad, but the goals the Bolts were able to score Varly was left high and dry.

Newbie Capital Walker may have come to this team with only 3 goals this season, but he scored two big goals and shook off his offensive drought he had in Carolina. It made Eric Belanger and Joe Corvo's arrival seem less enthusiastic. But, overall, the new guys did well for the Caps.

The newcomers were learning on the fly, so I expected not to see too much from them. They didn't have a practice with the full team, only a morning skate. Walker seemed to fit right into the Caps aggressive forecheck and he quickly found a home in front of the net to gobble up rebounds and send them past the Lightning goaltender.

Belanger looks like he needs more adjustment time, but he showed some promise. He played on a line with Eric Fehr and Tomas Fleischmann. It was a quick line, showing a lot of spark for a third line. Belanger would finish with a plus 1 and a few really sneaky shots that just missed the net.

Corvo did not overly stand out, but that might have been a good thing. He was on the ice for two of the Lightning goals, one on the penalty kill and the other was the tying goal by Steven Stamkos. He saw some power play time too. He looked okay to me, was solid defensively.

Milan Jurcina was the only "newcomer" not on the ice. He was a scratch, but I suppose we will see him in the lineup shortly.

With a day off, it will be interesting to see if the new players find new spots in the lines as Bruce Boudreau has time to teach their system and the boys work out the kinks.

The Caps jump out to a 14 point lead in the east over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens are looking to chase down the Caps with their improvements at the trade deadline. The two teams meet up later this month.

Epic Game Marks Caps 14th Straight Win

Capitals 5, Penguins 4 OT
Game Summary

The story could have been about the Penguins' journey to Washington DC after two and half feet of snow that fell in a blizzard the day before. Or it could have been about Sidney Crosby's dominance over the Washington Capitals with two goals in the first period. Or it could have been about Jordan Staal's late in the second period goals nearly putting the Caps away for good and going up 4-1. Instead, this story is about a winning streak that 14 and got some help from #8.

Alex Ovechkin would be the first Capital of the year to net a hattrick, Eric Fehr got a timely goal late in the second period and Mike Knuble scored the game winner in overtime. And the winning streak continues.

The game had a playoff feel to it as both teams came out flying. It had a little bit of everything. "It's what people paid to see," said Caps' bench boss Bruce Boudreau. "When the superstars shine and there is tension and excitment and there is physical play and you can see the passion on both sides. That is what hockey is all about."

It was all the NBC analysts could talk about as the Penguins jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period. The Penguins were sending a message. The Caps were turning the puck over in the neutral zone and the Penguins were quick to jump on the play. Crosby benefited of a turnover scoring unassisted. Then he scored on the power play moments later as the Caps missed played collapsing on Evgeni Malkin and leaving #87 wide open. Just like that, the Pens were up 2-0.

Ovi would open the scoring in for the Capitals mid-way through the second period. He took a pass from Jeff Schultz up the middle and shot the puck so hard, it shattered the camera box in the back of the net. There would be a delay after the goal as they replaced the shattered shield.

But the Penguins would not let up on their attack. Staal, brother to Marc (Rangers) and Eric ('Canes), scored a pair of goals to stretch the lead to 4-1. It seemed that Eric Fehr's goal later in the period wouldn't matter much as the Caps got into penalty trouble. Late in the period they found themselves down two men as the period finished.

The Caps would kill the penalty and then turn on the offense in the 3rd period.

"The crowd kept pushing us in the third period," Ovechkin said. "We just kept going and kept going. It was pretty sick."

Ovechkin took over the game netting a goal after Tom Poti's shot was knocked down in front. Ovi's quick hands propelled the puck past Marc Andre Fluery's pads. Then he buried an off speed shot from the face off to beat the Penguins' goaltender to tie the game. Just like that, the Penguins watched a three goal advantage slip away.

The Penguins would not quit, pressuring the Caps late. Even with the travel difficulties the Penguins endured, they seemed to keep the Caps on their heels late in the game. "I felt our team had plenty of jump," Penguins' coach, Dan Bylsma said about using the tough travel into Washington. "I think our guys looked good, it didn't have anything to do with [the travel]." But they couldn't convert and the game would go into overtime.

In overtime, both teams had their chances. Brooks Orpik would take a high sticking call 2:26 into overtime. Orpik caught Alex Semin high after Semin got rid of the puck. "He’s a baby," Orpik told reporters after the game. "I don’t know [if it was a high stick] but he does that all game long. I got zero respect for the kid."

But a penalty was called and it would only take 13 seconds later when Ovechkin rang a shot off the post and the puck trickled back into the blue paint under Fluery. Mike Knuble wins the game as he slides the rebound in under the Penguins' goaltender. It capped a 3 goal deficit and keeps the Capitals' win streak alive.

The game had it's share of chippiness and some cheap plays. Craig Adams pushed Ovechkin into the boards in the first, the All Star fell awkwardly into the dasher. Adams would not be called for the penalty, but Mike Knuble came to the rescue. Knuble would receive two minutes for instigating as well as a 5 for fighting, 10 misconduct.

The Caps will get a day off tomorrow before facing Montreal and Ottawa on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. They are have just three games before the Olympic break. If they win against the Habs and Sens, they have a chance to tie the NHL's record for longest win streak at 17.

Caps Notes

• In a weird coincidence, the Capitals farm team Hershey Bears found themselves down by three goals to come back and win it against Pittsburgh's farm team Wilkes/Barre Penguins on a hattrick by Mathieu Perreault to win 5-4.
• Nick Backstrom and Mike Knuble both had a pair of points (Backstrom 2a, Knuble 1g, 1a).
  
• Crosby tied Ovechkin for the goals lead in the NHL with his two goals, just to see Ovechkin score three goals and lead by as much.
• Ovechkin is the first player with 40 goals every season since the lockout (only Ilya Kovalchuk can join him) via @washcaps.

Caps Stop Losing Skid, Name Ovechkin Captain

Capitals 4, Canadiens 2
Game Summary

Just hours after naming Alex Ovechkin the franchise's 14th captain, the Washington Capitals got the win for their new leader by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. But it would be the supporting cast that gets it done for the Caps leaving Ovi without a point.

Alex Semin scored a pair, the game winner and the insurance goal. Add goals by Tomas Fleischmann and a lucky bounce off a Eric Fehr shot and the Caps put a stop to their three game losing streak. Even though Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet, the new captain's presence was felt. He had a monster hit in the third and created some great scoring chances. There was nothing wrong with his speed as he was all over the ice.

Michael Neuvirth is slowly becoming the Caps "go to" goaltender. He had 24 saves. As he gets more time in the net for the Caps, the more calm and collected he looks. He is standing great in the crease and is very sound and square to the shooter. When he is in trouble, his flexibility and his athleticism is making up for any missed steps.

Fleischmann had a heck of a game, closing quick on the puck and making some great plays with the puck. Very deserving of the game's first star. His pass to Semin to set up the insurance goal broke the backs of the Habs. Flash finished with a goal and two assists.

Overall the Caps played a gritty and emotional game. A great game to play to get themselves out of their 3 game slump. There were a fair amount of scrums with the Habs after plays. The intensity seemed to boost the Caps play. That emotion is something they seemed to lack on the western road swing.

Caps Notes:

• On a night that they named Ovi captain and beat the Habs, Caps' prospect John Carlson scores two goals including the game winner in overtime as Team USA defeats Team Canada in the World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game.
• Tarik reports that Dave Steckel has signed an extension with the Capitals after the game.

Caps Go Eleven Rounds With Isles

Capitals 5, Islanders 4 OT/SO (2-1)
Scoresheet

The New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals seem to be getting used to extra time to decide a winner. This game would be no different as it would go into an eleven round shoot out for captain Chris Clark and the Capitals take the extra two points and the overall lead in the Eastern Conference. Clark's wrister beat Islander Dwayne Roloson winning the game 5-4.

Alex Semin had one of those nights where he dominated the ice, both in a good way and a bad way. Just :08 seconds into the game, Semin let a wicked slap shot go and it beat Roloson. It would tie a franchise record for fastest goal in a game. Semin would get a second goal on the power play and scored again in the shoot out. Tomas Fleischmann continues his consecutive game point streak to six games with a goal and Eric Fehr scored a neat little back hander that ricocheted off a defender and into the net.

The Caps got off to a quick start by scoring just eight seconds into the game, but the Islanders answered back with 3 straight goals. One of which came off of Semin's stick when he tried to cut down the middle of the ice and was hit by Trent Hunter. The puck ended up on Sean Bergenheim's stick and he had a clear break away and scored on Jose Theodore. It would be the last we saw of Theodore who was replaced after that with Semyon Varlamov.

That is when the Caps put their nose to the grindstone and worked their way back into the game. Nick Backstrom played a big part in the first period to get at least one goal back when he showed some stick handling skills on the power play. Cutting through Islanders he lost the puck in front of the net, but Fleischmann was there to shoot it past Roloson to make it 3-2.

Semin would tie it on a second period power play when Mike Green made a nice move in the zone, circled the net and found Semin in front for the quick high shot. Eric Fehr would give the Caps the lead not long after that when he tried a backhand pass to the front of the net. The puck hit the defender however and the puck found it's way into the net. The Caps answered the Islanders's three straight goals with three of their own.

It looked like the Caps were going to make it to another regulation win, but Trent Hunter rocketed a shot past Varlamov's shoulder and tied the game with just over two minutes to go.

In the overtime period, it seemed as if the Caps did not want to take it into a shoot out. They pressured often in the extra frame getting four shots on net. But the Islanders' goaltender came up with the saves and a shoot out was inevitable.

It would take eleven rounds of the shoot out before captain Clark wristed a shot past Roloson to give the Caps the win. Varlamov was only beaten once by Jeff Tambellini, but he remained solid for the remaining rounds. He gave a celebratory fist pump when he stopped the last player and as his teammates jumped the boards to celebrate the Caps' eleventh win.

With their two points, the Caps will take sole possession of first place in the East by two points. While they hold a two point lead in the East, they hold a 9 point lead in their division with Tampa Bay at the Caps heels. Doing this with out franchise player Alex Ovechkin makes the feat that more remarkable. 10 players have scored a goal since Ovechkin was injured, picking up the offensive slack.

It was not the prettiest game the Caps have played, but they were a resilient group coming back from a 3-1 deficit. It was a well earned win as the New York Islanders out worked the Caps many times. After Bruce Boudreau switched goaltenders, the Caps played a more balanced game. A good sign that the team doesn't quit, no matter the score.

Beagle In, Alzner Out, And Other Loose Ends

The Capitals recalled Jay Beagle from Hershey to replace an injured Eric Fehr and a healthy Micheal Nylander. Beagle will bring a better effort along the boards. A gritty forward that never quits and should add some energy to the Caps. Fehr did take part in the morning skate.

Instead of keeping Karl Alzner on the sidelines, the Caps have sent him back down to Hershey. That most likely means Tom Poti is feeling just fine. John Erskine is still questionable for game 4. That is why Tyler Sloan is still around. Erskine also took part in the morning skate.

Alex Semin did not take part in the morning skate, but several sources have reported that he is not injured, just resting. Since there was no practice for the Capitals yesterday, Semin will be taking the ice with two days off. His teammate and friend Alex Ovechkin wasn't too worried as he told reporters he expected Semin in the lineup.

As far as the death threat is concerned, the Caps aren't really worried about it. They have not increased any security or made any changes to their schedules. Ovi did know about the threat before game 3, but was not concerned about it. It just seems another distraction along the path that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bruce Boudreau has finished "whining" about the penalties in this morning's press conference.

"I'm usually not a whiner," Boudreau said. "I think I've exhausted my bad officiating comments. Let's just let it go."

Both George McPhee and Boudreau complained after game 3 about the discrepancy in the penalty calls in the series thus far. The Penguins have had 17 power play opportunities to the Capitals' 9.

Finally, the game tonight is back on good ol' Comcast Sportsnet in the DC area. That means that the Versus broadcast will be blacked out in favor of the local broadcast team. Comcast Sportsnet will finish the series off with broadcasts of games four, five, six and seven as needed.

Let's Go Caps!