GAME 66 REVIEW: Turco Steals One for Dallas, Caps Lose 4-3 in Shootout

Veteran Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco stole two points for his team tonight.  There's no other way to say it. 

Turco made a career-high 49 saves in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Washington Capitals, ending the Caps home winning streak at 13 and their most recent three game win streak since the Olympic break.

The Stars have struggled since the Olympics, going 0-3 and had been outscored 17-5.  And in this game they were dominated again.  Any team that was outshot 52-26 was dominated.

But none of that mattered tonight.

The Caps seemed to have this one in the bag, leading 2-0 after two periods, thanks to goals by Tom Poti and Alex Ovechkin, ending his personal six-game drought.

But the Stars roared back for three third period goals in the span of six and a half minutes and had the lead late.  Two of the Stars' goals were of the power play variety (on rather dubious calls, especially the holding call on Matt Bradley), and the third was a gift by Semyon Varlamov, who lost his concentration on a soft shot from the wing by James Neal.

But the Great 8 tied things up with a little more than three minutes left, and the Caps looked like they just turned things back on again.  That's where Turco did most of his good work.

He flat stoned Alexander Semin on three consecutive shots late in the game on an extended shift where the Caps relentless pressure just seemed to fuel Turco as he made save after increasingly frustrating save.

Overtime would prove the same, as the Caps--as for much of the evening as a whole--dominated play but could not dent the cagey veteran.
Shootout went to five rounds.  Nicklas Backstrom for Caps and Brad Richards for Stars scored in second round and Loui Eriksson of Dallas scored the winning goal.

Sometimes a goalie just steals a win for his team.  Turco has been much-maligned this season, but on this night, he was exactly what the Dallas Stars needed.  Marty earned a well deserved number one star of the game.

The Caps are back at it Wednesday at 7:00 pm against the Carolina Hurricanes, including former Capital Brian Pothier.


Other Notes:
The Capitals have signed center Keith Aucoin to a two-year contract extension, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Coach Boudreau hinted in post-game conference that John Carlson will stay with Capitals instead of going back to Hershey.

Washington will practice at 11:30 a.m. at Kettler Iceplex on Tuesday morning.

Alex Ovechkin had 10 shots on goal, giving him 307 for the season. He is the only active player with five years of 300 shots or more.

Alex Ovechkin's two goals bring his season total to forty-four, which ties Sidney Crosby for first in the NHL.

Two future NHL HOFers....