Game Report: Caps v. Avs, 2/20/2009

Third Period

More good news, Colorado is 17-0-0 entering the third period with a lead.

Tucker made a nifty move at the post and Theo covered up safely. Tucker was alone as all three Caps in the zone chased the puck behind the net.

Colorado makes it 3-1 as Theo gets beat badly glove side on a soft wrist shot by Arnason at 3:33.

Schultz takes a lazy, lousy hooking penalty at 6:19 when he decides to reach instead of moving his feet. Bad time to take a bad penalty.

Caps get a call as Semin is knocked off his feet by Clark at 7:55. Caps have 24 second left and then a 1:40 power play.

Plenty of quailty chances so far in the PP, but Raycroft is in front of everything.

Caps typically playing much better here inthe third, but to no avail so far. 8:43 left.

I don't know how Fleischmann missed that wide open net either.

Poti got caught in no man's land, the Avs come down on a 2-on-1 and Wolski finishes it on a feed from Smyth. Thus ends the competitive portion of the evening. 4-1 Colorado.

Backstrom and Wolski mugging each other provides a comedic ending to an ugly game.

Second Period

A little more action up front to start the second. Theo made two nice saves in the first 4-plus minutes.

Semin stoned by Raycroft on a semi-breakaway.

Flash with a good shot swallowed by Raycroft.

Terrible turnover by Nylander leads to Adam Foote?!? scoring his first goal in 105 games. Just a terrible give-away. The original two-on-one was thwarted, but Colorado had the advantage and Foote sneaked in to beat Theo high blocker side. Time of goal 7:46.

Next shift, Ovie and Green rough up MacLeod a little bit. Someone's got to do it.

Raycroft with a great save on Federov. If Feds could have gotten some lift he had Raycroft dead to rights, but the goalie got it with his right pad.

Poti made a very nice sliding break up of a 3-on-1. The Caps are just not playing very well right now.

Six and a half left, and the Caps are still being outshot by 6.

Fehr couldn't get his stick turned to finish a sweet feed by Ovie through the slot. They had the D and Raycroft both beat.

Nyls takes a high stick at 16:32 trying to break up another 2-on-1. Back to the PK.

Gordon missed on a sharp angle shot on the PK. nice break out with the man down.

Theo makes a nice glove save on a shot from the circle. 30 seconds left on the kill. Job well done on the PK. Colorado is 0-for -3 so far on the PP.

And the period ends without a last minute goal. The last shift by the 8-19-28 line had trouble getting through the neutral zone. The Caps are skating through quicksand right now.

SOG: WAS-16, COL-20
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First Period

Kinda slow start to this one as we're almost five minutes in and we have three shots on goal. Only real action was Ovie getting hauled down and dumped into the net.

Kronwall made his presence known, flattening Darcy Tucker at the Caps blue line. Kronwall is in the line up as Erskine was a scratch with the flu.

Nice save by Theo on a one timer at 6:19 from Guite from the left wing circle.

Theo stuffed Smyth on a wrap around attempt. and then flat robbed Wolski from point blank. Colorado is playing in the Caps zone an awful lot so far.

Jurcina with a big shot from the point that Raycroft swallowed up.

Flash missed a "puppet" at about 9:20. Wide open net and he fired high. best chance the Caps have had so far.

More good forechecking by Colorado leads to Smyth's wrap-around goal, the second time he's tried the move tonight. Theo thought he had the call, but the ref didn't hear it. Replay showed Theo had it pressed against the post, and Smyth's third whack at it pushed it in. Caps are being outshot 7-4 and getting outplayed.

Poti called for a interference at 15:07 when the Colorado player simply ran into him. Bad call.

Jurica called for tripping (16:12) a guy that didn't fall down. What's going on here?

Theo nice save on Salei on the 5-on-3. Salei then gets called for a hook at 16:55, making the job a little easier. First penalty ends clean. Theo with a glove save with 40 seconds remaining on Jucina's call.

Ovie gets flat-out tackled at the blue line on the power play with no call.

Backstrom wakes up the crowd with a shot off the inside of the post with 14 seconds remaining. Nice pass from Flash to set him up, with another Cap going through the crease.

The goal and the penalty killing give the Caps something to hang their hats on for the second period. They were generally outplayed in the first, but seemed to pick up some energy during the PK, then scoring with 14 seconds left.

SOG: WAS-8, COL-12