Hockey Night In Washington: Caps vs. Bruins

It's Game Two of the four game homestand as the Bruins come into town. As many have already surmised, the team desperately needs any points it can get, and any scenario that has them climbing back into the playoff race has to include points from the next three at home -- especially with the struggling Kings and Rangers scheduled to be in later in the week.

Previews:

Mike Vogel
NHL.com
Capital Fanatic
Capitals Corner
The Peerless Prognosticator
3 Grumpy Caps Fans
Caps Chick

I have to admit it was hard to get terribly excited over Sunday's win. Even without the multiple stoppages to fix the glass, it was hardly the sort of afternoon you file away in the memory bank. Then again, you can't be surprised when two teams that played just 24 hours before put in a lethargic performance 24 hours later. And from the Caps perspective, if you're going to sneak into the playoffs, you're going to need grab an extra point or two like that over the course of a season.

On the bright side, it was good to see Richard Zednik back, especially when he seemed so back on his game. Milan Jurcina continues to play well, though I try to remind myself that it's only been two games. And of course, it was Olie Kolzig who was the real hero on Sunday, keeping it close when the Islanders threatened.

On the downside, the power play still isn't clicking, and the offense was pretty quiet too -- at least until we got to the first few minutes of OT when the Caps simply dominated the run of play.

More closer towards game time.

UPDATE: Greetings from Verizon Center. I'm in the box and Allen Clark will be on the glass tonight with the camera. No lineups yet, but we've got scouts coming out of our ears tonight: Ross Fitzpatrick and Paul Holmgren are here from Philly, Glenn Merkosky and Mark Howe are here from Detroit and Pierre Gauthier is here from Montreal. Looks like lots of folks are trying to get a closer look at Brad Stuart.

Perhaps most fun of all, Ron Weber, former radio voice of the Caps, is in the house. It's the first time I've seen Ron on press row all season long. And speaking of Weber, be sure to read an interview he did with OFB a couple of months back.

STARTING LINEUPS: BRUINS: G: Thomas; D: Stuart, Alberts; W: Donovan, Reich; C: Primeau. CAPS: G: Kolzig; D: Schultz, Eminger; W: Semin, Fehr; C: Laich. SCRATCHES: BOSTON: Sturm and Murray (groin). CAPS: Nycholat, Bradley and Beech.

That's it for now, as the lights are going down. See you after the game. Recap after the jump.

Andrew Alberts and Donald Brashear battle for the puck in front of Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas.

Photo by Allen Clark

END OF FIRST PERIOD: CAPS 0 BRUINS 0: Thought the Caps are dominating on the shot count, it's not translating into goals on the scoreboard as we go into the first break tied, 0-0.

* First shift, Eminger plasters Primeau against the boards behind the Caps net and knocks his stick loose.

* Chara knocks Ovie to the ice on the winger's first shift.

* At 2:20, Ben Clymer and Bobby Allen muck it up after the whistle, with Clymer flying into a rage to get hold of Allen. Somehow, Clymer gets a double minor while Allen only gets a 2. Something to ask about after the game.

* Nice poke check by Schultz on Kessel to break up a pass to end the Boston power play.

* Zednik, looking good early on a line with Gordon and Pettinger.

* The top of the net looks open for Donovan, but he whiffs with his backhand.

* At 8:49 Reich and Clymer tangle, with Reich getting the better of the exchange. Looks like it's his job to stand up for Allen. Honor has been upheld and all is right with the world.

* With Tenkrat in the box, Semin is able to uncork a pair of wrist shots into Thomas' pads, but nothing comes of it as the Caps power play is stymied again.

* For the period, the Caps outshoot Boston, 10-2 -- it's the fewest shots the team has yielded in a period all season long. They win only 7 of 16 faceoffs.

* Milan Jurcina continues to lead defensemen in ice time for the third game in a row, this time with 6:54 for the period. Ovechkin leads all skaters with 7:03, including all 2 minutes of the team's only power play.

END OF SECOND PERIOD: BRUINS 1 CAPS 0: Thanks to a faceoff win from Savard (he was battling Zubrus), the Bs cash in to take the lead. While the Caps have a few impressive shifts, they still can't seem to generate much offensive momentum.

* Pettinger causes a turnover with a great check on Jason York. Caps put the puck on net, but can't dent the twine.

* Allen uncorks a one-timer from the left point, but Kolzg gloves it away.

* After Thomas freezes the puck it looks like Fehr ticks him off, so he gives the rookie a shot to the melon with his blocker.

* The Bs break through at 5:06 when Savard wins an offensive zone faceoff on the right wing dot to Bochenski, who unleashes a slapper on Kolzig that trikcles between the pads, 1-0 Bruins.

* At 8:08 Semin catches Phil Kessel in the face with a high stick, and it's a double minor.

* Though we have one sequence where Chara, Bergeron and Savard put on a passing clinic with the extra man, the Caps escape unscathed. Points to Chris Clark, who has turned himself into a real threat to score shorthanded. Every game I see him out there with a man down he manages to at least break up a critical pass.

Capitals Captain Chris Clark.

Photo by Allen Clark

* Some hard work behind the Boston net earns Gordon a chance to set up Zednik in front, but Thomas stops it easily.

* Semin is a terror on the forecheck and in the neutral zone. If I were a defender chasing down a puck in my own zone, I think I might want to keep my head on a swivel to keep an eye on him.

* Caps lead in shots again, 10-8 and only manage to win 13 of 37 faceoffs. Schultz now leads in ice time with 14:04 with Eminger second at 13:39. Gordon now leads forwards with 13:00, while three other forwards have logged more total ice time tonight than Ovechkin at 10:41.

END OF REGULATION: CAPS 2 BRUINS 2: The Caps storm back with a pair in the third to take the lead, but a mental mistake by Ovechkin leads to a power play goal by Boston to tie and an OT.

* The Caps get the equalizer only 21 seconds into the period as Brooks Laich corrals a bouncing puck along the right wing boards, skates toward the slot and beats Thomas glove side with a slap shot.

* Jurcina proves his worth again as he slips into the crease and makes a save with his right leg to keep the game tied.

* With Alberts in the box for elbowing, Ovechkin looses a wrist shot on net which Zubrus deflects off Thomas. It's the first time the power play has looked like a true unit in a couple of games.

* With time expired in the penalty, Green makes a diving save along the blue line to hold the puck in the zone. Zednik picks up the loose puck and skates into the slot and lets go of a slapper that Thomas stops, but Fehr jumps on the rebound for his second NHL goal, 2-1 Caps.

* Credit both Laich (call it a remedial spin-o-rama along the half boards) and Semin for making critical plays to maintain possession of the puck in the sequence leading to the Fehr goal.

* Morrisonn dumps Savard, triggering a chant of "Lets Go Caps". It lasts a shift.

* With Ovechkin in the box at 13:15, Boston ties it up on a sweet power play goal by Bergeron. After taking a pass from Chara at the blue inside the right faceoff circle, Savard fakes a wrist shot before lacing the puck to Bergeron for a one-timer that beats Kolzig. How this Boston team is at the bottom of the standings in the East is beyond me. The Chara/Savard/Bergeron power play trio is as good as any in the East, and that includes Boyle/St. Louis/Lacavalier and Cole/Brind'Amour/Whitney.

END OF OT: CAPS 2 BRUINS 2: For the second game in a row, we're headed to the SO. Cue the track from Europe...

* How's this for a foursome: Zednik, Zubrus, Morrisonn and Jurcina. Ovie comes out second on a unit with Laich.

* Six of last 8 Was-Bos games have gone to OT. So sayeth the scoreboard.

* Morrisonn throws the puck in from the point, but Zubrus gets crossed up and falls while swiping at the loose puck in front of an open net.

SHOOTOUT: BOSTON 3 CAPS 2: Kessel gets the deciding goal in Boston's last opportunity.

WAS: Semin up first...Backhand beats Thomas stick-side, GOAL!

BOS: Bochenski next...Wrister, SAVE KOLZIG!

WAS: Ovechkin up...Wrist shot, pad SAVE THOMAS!

BOS: Bergeron up...Wrist shot beats KOLZIG, GOAL!

WAS: Fehr up...Wrist shot, pad SAVE THOMAS!

BOS: Kessel up...Backhander beats KOLZIG, stick-side, GOAL!

Photo by Allen Clark

Bruins embrace Kessel after the final tally.

Photo by Allen Clark

FINAL NUMBERS: Shots: Was, 34-24; Faceoffs: Bos, 38-29. Attendance: 15,273.

POSTGAME: Pretty empty locker room, one where Ovechkin, who has now gone three straight games without a point for the first time in his career, wasn't looking to talk to anybody. Only Fehr and Laich were hanging around, and most of the talk was about not being satisfied with only getting a point this late in the season. I did get Laich to admit he loved playing with Ovie in the OT, and that Zubrus and Clark were "spoiled" to be able to play with him all the time.

Hanlon seemed subdued, and not overly concerned with the loss. Questions concerned the power play (0-for-3) and the improved defensive effort keyed by Jurcina (nice to see, but let's give him 10 games before we give him a preliminary evaluation).

Before I bolted to meet up with Allen, my photographer, Tarik El-Bashir mentioned to Hanlon that it looked like Ovechkin was ducking the media. Hanlon didn't seem pleased.

Special guest star in the locker room along with owner Ted Leonsis: Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell and his two sons. They got a nice introduction to Ovechkin before departing.

FINAL UPDATE: Looks like after I ducked out, Ovechkin came out to answer questions. See both El-Bashir's and Cory Masiak's account from last night.

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