Four different Capitals scored, capped by Boyd Gordon, who at 15:43 in the third collected a loose puck off the left face-off circle, skated in unmolested, and lifted a wrist shot over Marc Andre' Fleury's left shoulder and off the top pipe for the game winning goal. The goal light did not come on, however, and play continued for roughly 1:15 until a held puck allowed a video review. After review, the officials pointed to the center circle, the marker was posted, and the Caps celebrated Gordon's first goal of the season on the players' bench.
Pittsburgh scored three unanswered goals and held a 3-0 lead midway through the second. But a nifty backhand from Tomas Fleischmann (goal, assist), started the comeback at 5:45 of the second, and the lead held at 3-1 at the second intermission. But Alexander Semin (goal, assist) beat Fleury at 3:38 with a slap shot and Michael Nylander (goal, assist) finished a perfect tic-tac-toe with Semin and Fleischmann, beating Fleury off his glove hand to knot it up. The odd-man rush was set-up on a turnover by Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby, who attempted a no-look pass but instead committed the costly error.
Alex Ovechkin did not make the scoresheet, but continued his early-season physical domination, attacking Penguins forward -- and fellow countryman -- Evgeni Malkin, every time both skaters were on the ice. Malkin, in his frustration, buried Semin with a nasty check from behind into the boards, earning him a 2:00 minor when the 5:00 major was warranted.
Jose Theodore saved 23 of the 26 shots he faced to earn the win. The Caps return home Saturday night for a tilt with the New Jersey Devils, 1-0 winners tonight against Atlanta.
Photo by AP.
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SCORESHEET:
WAS: Fleischmann (1) from Laich and Fehr (2-5:45); Semin (4) from Nylander (3-3:38); Nylander (2) from Fleischmann and Semin (3-10:00); Gordon (1) from Fehr and Fedorov (3-15:43).
PIT: Goligoski (2) from Malkin and Crosby (1-12:58-PP); Malkin (2) from Crosby and Satan (1-19:17-PP); Satan (2) from Sykora and Malkin (2-1:51-PP)
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THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY:
GOOD: Alexander Semin. He was again the most active and most effective player on the ice for the Caps tonight. Goal, assist, agitator; you name it. Took a really tough hit from Malkin and came right back to score and assist in the third period comeback.
BAD: Penalty Kill. Pens were 3-for-5 on the power play, where they scored all three of their goals, including the 2-man advantage when John Erskine took a delay penalty with Chris Clark already in the box.
UGLY: Matt Bradley's face. Without tough guy Donald Brashear, home nursing an undisclosed injury, Bradley took it upon himself to mix it up with Pens enforcer Paul Bissonette. He took the short end of it, got stitched up, and came back to make several key defensive plays in the third.
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NEXT GAME: Saturday night at Verizon Center against the New Jersey Devils at 7:00 pm.
RECORD: 3-1-0. Three-game win streak.
NOTES: The Caps have scored at least four goals in all four games.
D Tom Poti played less than five minutes, leaving the game with a groin pull. It is unknown how much time he may miss at this point.
Theodore has a lifetime 13-4-1-1 record against Pittsburgh.
Washington out shot Pittsburgh for the match 30-26, after collecting only nine shots in the first two periods.
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