Remember the last time the Washington Capitals played the Carolina Hurricanes, and the then-bottom-dwelling ‘Canes beat the Caps 6-3 in embarrassing fashion on home ice, the last regulation loss the Caps have suffered at the Verizon Center? Remember how you were laughing because the Hurricanes were apparently so terrible that they couldn’t find the net if they tried, or because they couldn’t keep pucks out of the net if they wanted to? Well that storm has passed. The Hurricanes that blew into the Verizon Center on Wednesday night are hardly the bottom-dwellers that visited the District in December, having won eight of their last ten games, making them one of the NHL’s hottest teams during the months of January and February.
But don’t worry Caps fans: a little overtime magic from Tomas Fleischmann sent Eric Staal and his Hurricanes back to Raleigh with only a point to show for a hard fought effort. So, only two nights after falling to the Dallas Stars in a shoot-out, the Washington Capitals rebounded with an exciting win, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes by a final score of 4-3, bringing their season points total to 99, just one shy of the 100 point club. A win on Friday over the Tampa Bay Lighting, or even an overtime/shoot-out loss would make them the first team in the NHL to reach 100 points and possibly then surpass that total during the 2009-2010 season.
Both teams played an up-tempo game that burst with the energy expected from a divisional match-up, although the Capitals were the first team on the board. Only 2:24 into the first period, Alex Semin dipsy-doo-ed (yes, that’s a word) around Carolina defenseman Jay Harrison to pull Hurricanes goaltender Manny Legace (who is sharing goaltending duties with rookie Justin Peters while Cam Ward remains on the shelf) out of position, only to fire a wicked wrister over the helpless goaltender, scoring his 31st goal on the year. Mike Green would add to Washington’s scoring, tallying twice on two different power play opportunities, his 16th and 17th goals on the year. Washington fired a total of 39 shots on Legace, four in the 3:20 of the overtime session alone, to Carolina’s 31, two of which came in their unsuccessful overtime attempts to best Theodore and the Caps.
Carolina Hurricanes entered Wednesday’s match-up with only 61 points, 9 points out of a playoff spot, yet but the team that the Washington Capitals faced on Wednesday night hardly looked like a team struggling to keep pace with the NHL points race. Rather, the ‘Canes matched the Capitals level of play on Wednesday. Not that they had a choice, might I add: this is a team that, from a points perspective, is playing for their playoff lives, and every point is a necessary point. The Caps, on the other hand, have played well enough all season long to earn themselves an impressive 33 point lead in the Southeast Division (and 37 points ahead of Carolina, currently in last place in the division) that guarantees them a playoff spot (was it ever in question?). But points are still points, and with their effort tonight, the Caps certainly earned their two points against a divisional rival that came to play and competed hard. “[Divisional games] are always important,” said Caps centerman Nicklas Backstrom. “For me, it’s a little weird that they are [so low in the standings] because they are a great team and they are playing good. It’s a great team. There’s no easy game in the NHL right now.”
The Caps now have their sights set clearly on the President’s Trophy – the award to the NHL team with the best regular season record – and if Caps continue to respond with good, competitive wins, proving that no team is a team to be taken lightly (even those Southeast Division teams that need a heavy dose of good fortune to edge their way into the post-season) they will collect more than just the two points each victory is worth; they’ll have earned that Trophy, not just coasted to its possession.
Some Notes on The Game:
-The hero of tonight’s game was Tomas Fleischmann who scored the overtime winner at 3:20 into the extra session. Eric Belanger had a nifty assist on the pretty passing play that was timed perfectly for a waiting Fleischmann. “He is an offensive player and he has offensive skills,” said Capitals Head Coach, Bruce Boudreau of Belanger. “He gives good, sneaky, hard passes, and [Fleischmann] being the skilled player that he is, can handle those good, sneaky, hard passes.”
-Whoever can figure out the Caps’ penalty kill, please step forward. Success for the penalty kill at home has gone up and down – for instance, 4-5 tonight, 0-2 vs. Dallas, and 2-2 vs. the New York Rangers Saturday night. But despite Jussi Jokinen’s power play marker to tie the score at 3-3 at 15:03 into the second period, Boudreau praised the efforts of his penalty killers tonight. “I thought we did a good job,” said Boudreau. “[With Carolina’s one power play goal], they worked so hard, they did everything right, and Jokinen gets that one quick shot that catches [Theodore] looking the other way…and it goes in the net. But other than that, I thought they did great job. I commend them. [The penalty killers] worked hard and they don’t like the numbers of where they are [i.e. 25th in the league, at 78.5%].”
-While the penalty kill went 4-5, the power play went 2-4, largely thanks to Mike Green’s two power play goals, both of which came from above the faceoff dots, where Green usually serves as the power play’s point man. “I think, when we’re successful, it’s from our system,” said Green of the power play’s success. “And when we get lucky and we score a goal, it’s from our talent and our skill. You know, we can’t hang our hat on our skill; we need to [stick with] our foundation and our system.” “His shot was on today,” added Boudreau, “and it’s good when he gets on those goal scoring rolls, he’s hard to stop.”
-Four different Capitals had 5 shots on goal – Ovechkin, Fleischmann, Laich and Semin, yet who had the lowest ice time? If it’s not Ovechkin (2nd in ice time for forwards, behind Backstrom), and it’s not Semin or Laich, it must be…Scott Walker! No, fool.
-Jose Theodore faced 31 shots in 63:20 of play, giving up only three goals. The last time Caps fans saw Theodore he was standing on his head, as hero in the Capitals’ win over the Rangers on Saturday night. And although most fans will be talking about Fleischmann’s overtime goal or Green’s duce, Theodore was the author of some tremendous saves (ok, and some avoidable mistakes). His saves on Ray Whitney and then Eric Staal in the third period at point blank range were game-savers, and ultimately helped the Caps to maintain the 3-3 tie as regulation drew to a close. “I thought he was really good,” said Boudreau. “Right off the bat, he stops a penalty shot and keeps us in the game. He stopped a couple more almost-breakaways, which we really need to correct before too long.”
-What is it with Semin and falling all over the place these days? On Monday night during his turn in the shoot-out, his skate caught a rough patch in the ice (or so Boudreau thinks) and he went flying, face first into Dallas netminder Marty Turco. Tonight, after scoring his goal, he wiped out, sliding and spinning on his bum down to the end boards. Utter grace. Semin, by the way, seemed to disappear after his early goal, despite 18:58 minutes of work and his five shots on net. But then he reminds you that he’s still around and takes a stick penalty in the 3rd. Predictable. But you think Semin likes to score against the Carolina Hurricanes? In 27 career games against the ‘Canes, Semin has racked up 22 goals and 15 assists, for a total of 37 points, or 1.37 points per game.
-Only two nights after scoring twice to push his team into overtime against the Dallas Stars, Ovechkin had a quiet night points wise: only two (a primary and secondary assist), no goals, and a minus-1, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying the third period. Ovechkin had three shots on the goal in the third, and looked like a man on a mission during the last 10 minutes of the game’s final frame. Moreover, his energy carried over to an impressive showing in the overtime session that sometimes borderlined on what Boudreau tends to call ‘too cute.’ Strange fact of the night: With no goals in Wednesday’s match-up, Ovechkin – the league’s leading scorer – has yet to score against Carolina this year…odd, of course, as he has 19 goals and 28 assists for a total of 47 points over the course of his career against this frequent divisional rival.
-How much do you want to bet that this Caps team was having déjà-vu, as they watched Legace turn away shot after shot in the 3rd period (13 total) – a goaltender who just can’t be cracked? Hmm, anyone watch the Dallas game, just 2 days ago? Anyone who doesn’t have DirecTV, no?
-Carolina forward Ray Whitney, better known as ‘The Wizard’, was the subject of approximately 125,657 trade rumors leading up to the March 3rd deadline, however nothing from those approximately 125,657 rumors ever materialized. And why should you care? Whitney is the author of 18 goals and 31 assists in 55 career games against Washington, meaning he has scored more goals against Washington in his career than against any other team in the NHL. Tonight, despite firing 3 shots on Theodore, and one that could have been the game winner, he finished with 0-0-0, and was a minus-1.
-Although Flash’s overtime goal and the feeling the Verizon Center literally shake during “Unleash The Fury” were definite ties for tonight’s ‘Most Exciting Moment’, the two runners up would be, without a doubt, when Ovechkin wiped out because of the force of his own slapshot in the third and the fans that dress up as giant pucks during the second intermission and run the length of the ice in efforts to win some silly prize. It’s funny because when they run, the pucks jiggle. Like Jello. Funny.
