The Washington Capitals announced Thursday via press release they re-signed winger Jason Chimera to a two-year deal, which runs through the 2013-14 season.  Terms were not disclosed in accordance with team policy, but several outlets report the deal is worth a total of $3.5 million, resulting in a salary cap hit of $1.75 million per year.

The speedy Chimera plays regularly on the Caps third line and had 10 goals and 16 assists in 81 games last season, finishing minus-10 for the season.  He averaged 13:15 of ice time and had 64 penalty minutes.

In the playoffs the last two seasons, Chimera scored three goals and four assists in 16 games.  He registered a memorable double-overtime game-winning goal against the New York Rangers in Game 4 at MSG last season.

Chimera was a fifth round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 1997 and has 98 goals and 215 points in 581 career NHL games over 11 seasons.  The Capitals acquired him from Columbus in December of 2008 for then-captain Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina.

So, where shall we begin?

Ultimately, the only thing about this game that matters was the final score, with the Washington Capitals defeating the New York Rangers 4-3 more than halfway through the second overtime period to take a three games to one lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semi-final matchup.

But man, how they got there?  That will be the stuff of legends and lifetime memories.

In the second extra stanza, with legs getting heavy and shifts shortening, Jason Chimera collected a drop pass from Player of the Game Marcus Johansson at the blue line and flicked a shot toward veteran goalie Henrik Lundqvist that was blocked by defenseman Bryan McCabe but still made it to the top of the crease.

But as Lundqvist (49 saves) went to cover, Rangers forward Marian Gaborik tried to deflect the puck behind the net instead and wound up hitting Chimera right in the chest with it. Once the puck fell to the ice, the speedy winger jammed it home behind a prone Lundqvist to end the Capitals fifth longest game in their 37-year history.

That goal ended a remarkable comeback that was necessary because of a period of incredible futility and ineptitude, followed by an equally amazing period of hard work, perseverance and dedication.

After playing to a scoreless tie in the first period, which amounted to little more than a "feeling out" period for both teams, the Caps played their worst period of hockey since the days of the December losing streak in the second period, allowing three straight Rangers goals -- the last two coming seven seconds apart -- and looked for the world to be beaten, broken and defeated.

Washington was completely overwhelmed by the Rangers physicality in the frame, and by the time the period was over, the Caps looked like they were standing around waiting to be hit again.

But whomever gave the speech in the locker room during the second intermission certainly said all the right things.

With just 2:47 gone in the third period, Alexander Semin used great anticipation to intercept a poor clearing pass from Ryan McDonagh, fired on a surprised Henrik Lundqvist, and jammed home a loose puck the normally sure-handed goalie should have covered, triggering an epic third period comeback that included a pair of Marcus Johansson goals and forcing a stunned and tiring Rangers team to overtime.

It should be noted that three of the four Capitals goals came with the goal scorer having at least one foot in the paint, and the other was a deflection off the goal scorer's body camped in the crease.  Greasy goals.  Playoff goals.

Both teams had golden opportunities in the first extra frame, most notably Alex Ovechkin breaking in on Lundqvist alone, only to be stoned, and Marian Gaborik's wrister from the high slot that was calmly gloved by Michal Neuvirth (36 saves).

No, one overtime was not enough.  A comeback that stunning needed the drama of the second overtime period.

It shouldn't have come to that.  The Rangers had the Capitals right where they wanted them after the second period, on the scoreboard, on the ice and in the stands.  The raucous Madison Square Garden crowd was having a field day with Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, who earlier in the week had some pointed comments about the quality of the accommodation at the fabled arena, and some not-so-veiled jabs at the legions of Rangers fans, saying "It's not so loud in there."

Well, the chants of "Boo-dreau" and "Can You Hear Us?" were plenty loud enough, prompting Boudreau after the game to say that maybe he should have kept quiet about matters not directly related to the game.  But three third period goals silenced the MSG faithful, and after the dagger in the second overtime, you could hear the plaster dropping from the leaky ceiling in the dilapidated building that will be undergoing a $900 million face lift the next couple of years.

Momentum is a funny thing.  Had the Rangers held on to win and even this series, the Caps would have had to limp home and think about the nauseating way they allowed an inferior team to take control of things after achieving a two-games-to-none lead and then frittering it away.  Instead, after the ridiculous comeback-to-win-in-two-overtimes thriller, it's the Rangers that will brood for two days, mulling what could have, should have been.

The Capitals now have an opportunity to exorcise so many demons at once on Saturday, in front of their home crowd, on a night where the Verizon Center should tremble with excitement. 

Boudreau's message to his troops for Game Five should be simple: Take nothing for granted, earn everything, go to the net, work hard.  Just like in the third period of Game Four.

____________________________________________

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Marco Sturm.  Plus-1, six hits.  Thought he played his best game as a Capital.

2. Jason Chimera.  Game-winning goal.  His speed was a force in overtime when Marc Staal and Dan Girardi were noticeably gassed.

1. Marcus Johansson.  Two goals. Should have had an assist on Chimera's game-winner.  Plus-3.  Only drawback was in face off dot (6of-17).  But he was the best player on the ice last night.

CAPS NOTES:  Alex Ovechkin was minus-2 for the night, and was not particularly effective for long stretches of this game.  He had four shots on goal, but missed on four and had six blocked.

John Carlson was also minus-2, and was a spectator on the second and third Rangers goals.  But he fired the shot from the point that deflected on Johansson to tie the game and as poorly as he played in the second, that's how good he was in the third and overtime.

Alexander Semin led the Caps with seven shots on goal and really was a presence every time he had the puck.  Matt Bradley was credited for seven hits in just 10:59 to pace the Caps in that department.

The two teams combined for 120 hits and 92 shots on goal.

Caps celebrate Jason Arnott's power play goal. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Forgive an old hand for feeling good about a win.

The Washington Capitals got goals from Jason Chimera and Jason Arnott, and Michal Neuvirth turned away all 22 New York Rangers shots en route to a 2-0 win in Game Two, propelling the Caps to a 2-0 First Round series lead.

The affair resumes Sunday at 3:00 pm at Madison Square Garden, the most famous arena in the world.

The Capitals fairly dominated Game Two, using speed, forechecking, physicality and game plan to keep the road-weary Rangers at bey.  Through the Rangers outshot the Caps for the evening, they only challenged the Caps goal on a few occasions, and when they did, Neuvirth was up to the task.

It's not really fair to call Neuvirth a rookie anymore, though the 2010-11 season was his first full in the NHL.  But he played like a veteran last night, cool and calm in the face of whatever pressure the Rangers could muster.  He benefited once again from a defensive squad that blocked only one less shot than New York got through.

Neuvirth was exceptionally sharp in the first period, when the Rangers seemed to have a bit on momentum.  “They had shots early in the game," Neuvirth said.  "After [the] first period, I think they had like 13 shots. I feel pretty good about my game right now. After, I think we didn’t give up any big scoring chances, I think it was a solid team effort tonight.”

As is the case in series like this, the road team seemed to weary first, and after jumping out for 13 first period shots, New York managed just nine more and never really challenged in the latter stanzas, despite controlling most of the play in the third period.

It was then when the Caps defense really came to the aid of their netminder.  It seemed like every time Marian Gaborik, Chris Drury or Sean Avery tried to ignite something, Karl Alzner, John Carlson or John Erskine was in the middle of the action, or laying down in front of a shot, or generally pushing Rangers forwards to the boards to harmlessly dump a puck they had no intentions of retrieving.

The Capitals received all their scoring in the second period and they made it stand up until the end.

Brooks Laich made a tremendous physical play behind New York's goal, brushing off Matt Gilroy one-handed and directing the puck out to Marcus Johansson, sitting at the top of the left wing circle.  MoJo hit Jason Chimera, alone in the slot, for a one-timer to give the Caps a one-goal lead a little over two minutes into the second period.

Less than two minutes later, with Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh off for roughing, Mike Green stepped in from the point and wound up to take a big slap shot.  The puck was deflected right to Arnott, who sent a shot past the outstretched Henrik Lundqvist (16 saves) for the insurance goal.

The rest was up to the defense, and they took care of business.

Erskine blocked three shots.  Alzner blocked three.  Green got in front of two, including laying out prone for one.  Carlson was credited for one block and four hits.  It was just a stifling, dominating performance by a group that has bought in wholesale to a new philosophy, proudly displaying the new-found dedication in the second season.

Rangers defenseman Marc Staal was complementary on the Caps defensive game plan.  "They’re not giving us too much offensively. We’re not getting too many clear looks or clear chances."

Lundqvist agreed. "It’s a tough game when you get behind – especially the way they’re playing right now. They’re very tight in their own end. It’s tough for us to get the big chance."

“They’ve been buying in since the middle of December," coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game.  "They just want to win. The important thing is that they get success. We’ve got a lot of guys who’ve won a lot of awards and that doesn’t mean anything to them now.”

Game Three in New York Sunday will be an opportunity to really put a stamp on this series.  A win and New York is all but toast.  Lose, and you give new life to a hard-working crew.

Let's see if these defensive-minded Capitals have the killer instinct that has escaped so many of their predecessors.

Arnott give them his war face. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Jason Chimera starts the scoring for Washington in 2-0 win. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

by Cheryl Nichols

The 2010-2011 Southeast Division Champion Washington Capitals hosted the Florida Panthers for the last regular season game at the Verizon Center.  The Caps wrapped up Fan Appreciation Week with a 5-2 win over the Panthers.

The Caps jumped on Florida early with two power play goals in the first period, and made sure they stayed down, adding two more before garbage time late in the third.  Mike Knuble redirected a Brooks Laich pass for his 24th of the season to start the scoring.  Jason Chimera (10), Sean Collins (1), Matt Hendricks (9) and Alex Ovechkin (32) all tallied for the red.

With the win, the Capitals now have a four-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Caps can clinch the top spot in the East with a Philadelphia loss on Friday in Buffalo or by earning a single point in Saturday’s regular season finale in Florida.

While it wasn't too shocking to see that Alex Semin was scratched again after missing the last game, it was a bit of a surprise to see Jason Arnott and Scott Hannan scratched.  Caps Head Coach Bruce Boudreau did not ask them if they wanted to sit, he just thought that they needed to rest. He said after the game, "We still have to wait to see what’s at stake on Saturday before we start taking anything for granted. We are watching the scoreboards and seeing what’s going on."

The power play finally looks on track. The Caps have scored five power play goals in their last three games. Knuble and Chimera's goals both came on the power play goal in the first period of last night's game, when the Caps really took control against an overmatched Panthers squad playing out the string.

Sean Collins scored his first goal of the season -- his second career goal  -- in the second period assisted by Ovechkin. Collins' previous NHL goal was over two years on Jan. 1, 2009 against Tampa Bay and was also assisted by The Great Eight.  "I always want to be on the ice with him [Ovi]," Collins said.  "When I get the puck usually my first option is to look for Ovi."



All Photos 2011 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/Caps News Network. All Rights Reserved.

Semyon Varlamov made 31 saves and looked great in net, earning first star honors from the media.  Boudreau was asked about his confidence in this year's goalie situation going into the playoffs and he said, “We can put one of three guys in and I know we are going to get a good game. I’m not knocking anyone else, but that is the way I feel.”

In the clubhouse after the game, a couple of players expressed their thoughts about the playoffs.  Brooks Laich explained, “We’re prepared for Saturday’s game and after that, we’ll do a little scoreboard watching to find out who we’re going to play. Monday and Tuesday we’ll have some solid practices and ramp it up for Wednesday or Thursday, whenever it is.”  He went on to say, "“We feel [like] we have a very good hockey team. We’ve shown it in the past few years in the regular season, but now we have to take the next step and that’s playoff success.”

Brooks Laich stretching during pre-game warmups (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Are the Caps ready for the playoffs? Matt Hendricks believes yes. "“I think so. We had a real big hiccup in the first period. We gave up way too many opportunities, but we had Varly [Semyon Varlamov] in net and he did a great job keeping us in the game. After that, I think we took over and controlled it.” 

And about retaining the Eastern Conference title?  “That is definitely one of the long term goals we set out at the beginning of the season and to be this close with 60 minutes of hockey left, it’s worth going for.”

HOME SWEET HOME

Washington closes out the regular season home schedule with the best winning percentage on home ice (25-8-8) and the least home losses (8) in the NHL. The Caps have finished in the top three in home record in each of the past three seasons, pacing the league with a 30-5-6 record last year and finishing third in 2008-09 (29-9-3). Their 84 wins at home in the last three seasons are tops in the league during that span.

GREEN TO RETURN SATURDAY?

Defenseman Mike Green, who has missed 25 of the last 27 games with concussion-like symptoms, could return to the ice for Saturday's game in Florida.  He's cleared all the tests required by the NHL for his return per the league's protocol, but the Caps elected to keep him out of Wednesday's game. 

Getting the playmaker back on the blue line and power play should provide a boost to the team as they enter the playoffs.

CAPS NEWS NETWORKS THREE STARS

3. Semyon Varlamov.  31 saves on 33 shots.  The two goals came late and at extra-strength.  Saved everything he should have.  Looked lke he was moving around fine.

2. Brooks Laich.  Two assists, plus-2.  He had his wheels going tonight and dominated in the dot, winning 9-of-12.  He's a center.

1. Alex Ovechkin. Goal, two assists, plus-2.  His playmaking of late has been beyond superb.  The pass he made to Collins was like he had eyes in the back of his head..

Jason Chimera, right, taps in game-winner for the Caps (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

“Sometimes when we get a lead so early we kind of settle in instead of keep pushing the pace and that was a classic example of what we did tonight."  John Carlson

You got the sense, after a first period where the Washington Capitals took a 1-0 lead and outshot the out-of-the-playoffs Columbus Blue Jackets 15-4, that if the Caps could score the next goal, the Jackets would roll over and the Caps could finally have a game where they could put away an opponent, rather than put things in jeopardy and have to squeak out another one-goal game.

You would have been wrong.

Only a fantastic play from a trio of Caps in overtime kept this game from following Tuesday's script, where the Caps got a lead, coughed it up, and ended up on the losing end via shootout.

Instead, Jason Chimera tapped in a rebound from Brooks Laich, who was fed a tasty pass from John Carlson, exactly halfway through overtime to give the Capitals a 4-3 win. 

“It went to the net soft," Chimera said.  "It kind of went off their defenseman and it kind of ended up right on my tape so it’s hard to miss those ones but those are nice. Especially nice against your old team. It was a good night.”

The two points drew the Caps to within one point of Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia, 1-0 losers to Atlanta at home Thursday night.  The Flyers have one game in hand over the Caps, but at 4-2-4 in their last ten games, Philly is not playing their best hockey of the year.

It also give the Capitals 101 points, marking the third straight year the Caps have eclipsed the century mark. 

A late first period fight between John Erskine and Jared Boll -- one that would end Erskine's night early -- got both teams going in a game that had gotten a little stale, but Columbus seized the momentum better. 

The second division squad found themselves in the second period, and when Antoine Vermette banged home a loose puck in the crease, with Matt Bradley and Boyd Gordon watching, Columbus decided they would put up a fight.

The game went back and forth from that point, with both teams scoring twice in the middle frame.  The Caps were matching Columbus on the scoresheet, and a lucky bounce behind the Columbus goal led to Marco Sturm hitting a wide open Jason Arnott for the go-ahead goal.

At that point, the Caps went into their "New Jersey Devils" mode, clogging the neutral zone and falling into a defensive shell.  It didn't help that for the second game in a row the Caps found themselves with just five defensemen, as Erskine took just one shift in the second period after the fight. 

But there's a big difference between playing defensive hockey and passive hockey, and last night the Caps fell into the latter.  You got the feeling that if Columbus got a lucky bounce, the game would end up tied.

They did.  It did.

The Capitals failed to clear a puck that was bouncing around between the circles, and Michal Neuvirth (23 saves) might have relaxed a little bit.  Scottie Upshall beat the young Czech glove side, and the Caps were in a dogfight.  The teams traded scoring chances down the stretch but needed the extra frame, where the Caps -- finally -- were able to find the game-winner.

"Tonight we had a lot to learn," Boudreau said after the game.  "We talked about it before the game, that it was an important thing, playing away from the puck.  And I thought that we weren't that good at it.  Hopefully it will be a learning session tomorrow looking at the video."

WIDEMAN HOSPITALIZED

A report surfaced during the game from TSN.ca's Bob MacKenzie that D Dennis Wideman, injured in Tuesday's loss, was hospitalized for a hematoma in his leg. After the game, the Capitals indeed confirmed that was the case. 

Mike Knuble went even further, as he told reporters that Wideman had emailed him pictures of the injury, which he termed "grotesque."  Knuble described how Wideman's leg had been cut to drain blood and relieve pressure from a condition called "compartment syndrome", where blood and pressure collect and could lead to tissue damage.

Wideman's injury is not thought to be quite that severe, however, he appears to be out indefinitely.  The offical team information has Wideman listed "week-to-week".

ERSKINE DOESN'T RETURN

John Erskine, by all accounts, won his title bout with Columbus' Jared Boll, but the Caps might end up the biggest losers of the tilt. 

Erskine skated just one shift after the fight and did not return after that.  Boudreau confirmed after the game that the rugged defenseman did not injure his hands in the fight, but would not elaborate further, except to say Erskine was day-to-day and was held out in the second and third periods as a precaution.

If Erskine can't return for Saturday's game with Buffalo the Caps will have to recall at least one blue-liner from Hershey, since Wideman, Mike Green and Tom Poti are all still on the shelf and the team is down to five healthy defensemen.

CARLSON'S BIG NIGHT

John Carlson played his 100th NHL game and had himself a big night.  He played almost 26 minutes, scored the game's first goal and assisted on Chimera's game winner. 

Carlson now has 35 points (seven goals, 28 assists) on the season and is two points shy of matching the club record for most points in a season from a rookie defenseman, currently co-held by Robert Picard (37 points in 1977-78) and Greg Theberge (37 points in 1981-82).

CAPS NEWS NETWORK'S THREE STARS

3. Brooks Laich.  Two helpers, two hits, three takeaways.  Really insinuated himself in the action.

2. Marcus Johansson.  Didn't figure into the scoring, but man, this kid is playing well right now.

1. John Carlson.  Goal, assist, PP, PK, whatever.  Great game from young stud defenseman.

PHOTOS (Click photo to enlarge.  All photos (c) C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

John Carlson's Goal

After Chimera's game winning goal!

Erskine's fight

Neuvy first off the ice for warmups

"I almost forgot how it was to score a goal." Nicklas Backstrom, obviously relieved his 21-game goal-less streak is over.

THE RESULT:  The last time Nicklas Backstrom scored an NHL goal was Dec. 1 in a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.  It was the Washington Capitals fourth straight win and their record was 18-6-2, good for first in the Eastern Conference.

The HBO cameras had not yet arrived.  The Winter Classic was just a gleam in everyone's eye.  And they had not yet started the eight-game losing streak that killed the early-season moment, though it would commence the next night in Dallas.

But last night on Long Island, Backstrom got his mojo back with a goal (12) and an assist, leading the Caps to victory over the cellar-dwelling New York Islanders, 2-1, before an announced 9,119 at the dreary Nassau Coliseum.

Jason Chimera had the Caps other goal, while captain Alex Ovechkin had the primary assist on both markers.

Rookie goalie Braden Holtby, recalled in the morning for the ailing Michal Neuvirth, started and saved 24-of-25 shots on goal.

Ovechkin was the instigator on both goals.  He fed Chimera, camping in the crease, for a redirect to take a 1-0 lead early in the first period.  Then in the second, he made a strong move going to the net and had his attempt stopped by Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro (22 saves), but Backstrom followed it up and merely tapped the puck into the net to seal the deal.

New York got their goal less than two minutes later, as Michael Grabner corralled a long pass and skated around John Carlson, roofing a shot on Holtby as he cut through the crease.

Despite some anxious moments killing off power plays, Washington kept the young Islanders, and their leading scorer John Tavares, bottled up the rest of the evening.  Taveras got five shots on goal, but none were quality scoring chances.

So the Caps have now taken three out of four available points to them so far on this three-game road trip, with Saturday night's matchup in Toronto looming.  Hockey Night in Canada is never a fun game to play in, especially at the end of a week-long roadie. 

But last night's win should buoy the spirit of this team, still trying to find itself though we're past the half-way point of the season.  For the past month and a half, the Caps have been playing under a bad moon, heads hung low and dragging their feet, wondering what bad luck would befall them next.

Last night, for the first time in a long time, they looked like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.  None moreso than Backstrom, who was in the deepest slump of his young career.  Both goals came as a result of forwards driving to the net.  The grinders (notably Boyd Gordon and Matt Hendricks) dug in the corner for pucks.  Defensemen shut down passing lanes and clogged the neutral zone.

It wasn't a dominating game by any stretch of the imagination and the opponent wasn't the fiercest.  But it was a hard-fought two points, and the Caps needed the effort -- and the result.

THE GOOD:  The penalty kill team killed all six minor penalties against.  The defense in general, against a pretty weak Islanders attack, looked good all night, holding them to just 25 shots.

The Caps had the best in the dot as well, winning 62 percent of the draws.

THE BAD:  Mathieu Perreault's tripping penalty at 9:34 of the 3rd was infuriating.  The Islander d-man was clearing the puck from behind his own net and Perreault came barrelling for him, lost his edge, reached out his stick, and tripped up the defenseman unnecessarily, causing much angst for the two minute disadvantage.

THE UGLY:  Not that there was anything ugly about his performance, but D.J. King only got six shifts and 3:25 of TOI, and that's with the Islanders carrying two of the top fighters in the league.  It's pretty apparent where he fits into Bruce Boudreau's system.

THE STATS: Jason Chimera (7) from Alex Ovechkin (31) and Nicklas Backstrom (32) at 3:41 of 1st. Nicklas Backstrom (12) from Alex Ovechkin (32) and John Carlson (15) at 3:38 of 2nd.

NEXT GAME:  Hockey Night in Canada: Saturday at Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 pm.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Jason Chimera/Braden Holtby.  Can't make up my mind.  Couldn't have been easy for Holtby to rush to Long Island and make 24-of-25 saves.  Chimmy had six shots on goal and a couple of big hits.  Respect the speed.

2. Alex Ovechkin.  He only managed one SOG and two others blocked, but had the primary assist on both goals, and looks more like himself every game.  It's coming.

1. Nicklas Backstrom.  Goal, assist, plus-2, 10-for-14 in the dot.  His best game in weeks.  Even snuck in an expletive directed at an Islanders player after the final horn.  Stay Angry, Nicky.

THE RESULT:  On Friday night, the Washington Capitals were beaten and embarrassed by a division opponent.  Saturday night, they rebounded against one of their biggest competitors for supremacy in the Eastern Conference, earning a point when it would have been easy enough to fold as they did the previous night.

Instead, they fought back from two third period defecits to the Philadelphia Flyers before falling in a shootout, 5-4, before another sellout at Verizon Center.

Down 3-1 midway through the third, the Capitals (14-5-2, 1st in SE) started the comeback with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal off a scrum in front of the goal.  Jason Chimera tied the game at three just 28 seconds later, banging home his own rebound against Brian Boucher (33 saves). 

Andreas Nodl put a backhand through Michal Neuvirth (31 saves) after Tomas Fleischmann failed to clear the zone and both Mike Green and Jeff Schultz were left flat-footed to re-take the lead.  But with just 39 seconds remaining, skating six-on-four with Danny Briere in the box for high-sticking, Eric Fehr slammed a slap shot from 15 feet to knot the game and sent it to overtime.

After an exciting overtime period, Briere made up for his late penalty, registering the sole tally in the shootout to take the extra point in this big Eastern Conference matchup.

Both teams played hard in this one with something to prove.  The Caps were coming off an embarrassing 5-0 shut out and the Flyers were beaten 8-7 by Tampa Bay Thursday night.  It was apparent early that both teams would be physically and emotionally involved.

“Both teams were coming off games that they probably didn’t feel very good about themselves," Coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game. "I think two very proud teams wanted to get back and show that they could play.”

It's the type of game that Alex Ovechkin usually relishes, but the two-time Hart Trophy winner really didn't put his stamp on this one.  Playing the point on the power play, he misfired wide several times and just didn't insinuate himself into this one that much.

But as Coach Bruce Boudreau said post-game, the Caps had just about their worst week of the season, and still ended up .500 for the week, and took a point away against a top opponent.

Considering the beat-down they took in Atlanta and the hole they dug for themselves in the second period, the Caps should be happy with that.

THE GOOD:  Marcus Johansson.  Notchinghis second goal of the season, the young rookie played his best game so far this year on the third line tonight.  It's a much better fit for him than trying to center either of the top two lines.  Only won a third of his draws though.

THE BAD:  Alex Ovechkin.  Won't find his name here very often, but Ovi did not have a great game.  Managed three shots, but missed on six shots and had another five blocked.  The Great 8 is not firing on all cylinders right now.

THE UGLY:  Alexander Semin.  As well as he's played lately, he was that bad tonight.  Just two shots and three minor penalties, interference, slashing and tripping.  A trifecta of suck.

THE STATS:  Johansson (2) from Chimera (6) and Bradley (5) at 8:10 of 1st.  Backstrom (7) from Ovechkin (16) and Laich (9) at 11:03 of 3rd (PP).  Chimera (4) from Hendricks (4) and Fleischmann (5) at 11:31 of 3rd (PP).  Fehr (4) from Laich (10) and Semin (12) at 19:21 of 3rd (PP).

NEXT GAME:  Monday at 7:00 pm at New Jersey Devils.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Jason Chimera.  Goal and assist.  He's playing very well, using his speed and instincts to his advantage.  His assist between his legs on Johansson's goal was a beauty.

2.  Eric Fehr.  Had the game-tying goal, played physically, and was active down low.

1. John Carlson.  He was minus-1 in the stat sheet, but the dude was everywhere tonight.  Great positional defense, used his size along the boards, and jumped into the play on  the offensive end at the right times.  Four shots, three hits, four blocks.  That's having a presence.

CAPS NOTES

The Capitals scored a season-high three power play goals in the third period while the penalty killing unit only surrendered one goal on nine power play chances.

Marcus Johansson scored his second goal of the season at 8:10 of the first period. It was his first point since returning from an injury that saw him miss eight games and his first goal since Oct. 19 (vs. Boston). Johansson also registered three shots on net in 13:15 of ice time.


 David Steckel, who came into tonight’s game ranked third in the NHL in faceoffs (62.6%), won seven of nine faceoffs (78.0%) while also registering three hits in 10:26 of ice time.

"One game like that does not a season make." David Steckel, on the team's encouraging defensive effort in the third period.

THE RESULT: Playing what Matt Bradley called "playoff-style hockey" in the third period, the Washington Capitals held on to a precious one-goal lead and defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-2, before an announced sellout crowd at Verizon Center.

All the tickets might have been sold, but there were just enough empty seats -- and Buffalo fans -- to give the building an less-than-raucous aura for the mid-week affair.

The Capitals won their seventh straight game at home and improved to an NHL best 14-4-1 on the season.

As has been the case so often in this recent stretch of winning hockey, the Capitals jumped out to an early lead, controlling the play against a game, but undermanned, Sabres squad. Washington got a five-on-three power play goal and two tallies from the energy line, and looked comfortably strong for most of the first half of the game.

Then, at 12:07 of the second, cracks in the armor showed.

Derek Roy (wouldn't he look good in Red come trade deadline) flipped a shot past Michal Neuvirth with Mike Green in the box and just 48 seconds later, Jordan Leopold snapped an even-strength wrist shot past the screened goalie, cutting the lead to 3-2 and sending shivers down every Caps spine.

Neuvirth then faced a barrage of shots and, frankly, was lucky the score was not worse. He looked unsure on a couple of stops, and at least twice Buffalo shooters missed wide open nets.

But the Caps regrouped, killing an Alex Ovechkin delay-of-game penalty without a shot on goal, and seemed to gain momentum from the big kill.

In the third, the Capitals really buckled down and clogged the defensive zone. It was probably the best concentrated 20-minute defensive effort the team has put forth all season long. Buffalo got 10 shots on goal in the frame, but Neuvirth was up to the task.

Coach Bruce Boudreau spoke about his young netminder's strength in the final frame. "I think, for him, it's his experience having to go through two championship rounds in the playoffs [for AHL Hershey]. He knows when to really buckle down and he's protected the lead for us really good this year."

"He's growing up right before your eyes."

Boudreau said his team never panicked and he didn't give some big motivational speech between the second and third periods.

"I told them to stay the course because they were doing a really good job."

On a night Boudreau picked to play around with his forward combinations, the Capitals best line this evening was the one composed of grinders: Jason Chimera, David Steckel and Matt Bradley. Both Bradley and Steckel scored, with Chimera providing the primary assist to both. The plays were similar as well, with Chimera feeding a cutting teammate in the slot from behind the Buffalo net.

Bradley actually led the team in shots with five, ahead of Alexes Ovechkin and Semin by one each.

"When we try to be fancy and do things we shouldn't, that's when we get in trouble," Bradley said. "We're just playing a simple game. That's what we did tonight."

Steckel spoke of the chemistry on the newly-formed line. "Chimmer got in there and made some great plays and Brads and I just kind of mucked it up and we were in the right spots. If you do the right stuff and are working hard, it's easy to play together."

Boudreau offered praise for the trio. "They were really good I thought tonight. It's the first quarter of the season and you're trying to find things that are really gonna click that you'll leave them there. So we're doing a little bit of experimenting with the lines."

Steckel -- who was awarded tonight's hard hat -- echoed his coaches words on the Caps' effort, and perhaps made the best observation of the season: "With the exception of the two minutes in the second period, we played really well. We talked about it before the game and we came out and executed it. We need to build off it. One game like that does not a season make."

Indeed.  But it's a good place to start.

THE GOOD: Not enough can be said about how well the 25-39-10 line played. They were far and away the best line on the ice for either team, and really controlled the puck in the offensive zone, cycling and looking for opportune scoring chances.

Michal Neuvirth was strong again, except for those few moments in the second period. He turned away 31 shots - including all 10 in the third period – to improve to 12-3-0 on the season.

THE BAD: Eric Fehr was invisible. He had the least amount of ice time (14 shifts for 10:55) and was minus-one, managing just two shots on goal. No hits. No takeaways.

THE UGLY: Not really all that ugly, but I was not a big fan of the reconfigured lines tonight. Marcus Johansson is just not ready to center Ovechkin and Mike Knuble. He looked tenative with the puck on several occasions, once opting to pass backward from inside the faceoff circle with an open lane to the net.

THE STATS:  Backstrom (6) from Semin (11) and Laich (8) PP at 12:31 of 1st.  Bradley (2) from Chimera (4) and Alzner (2) at 17:04 of 1st.  Steckel (3) from Chimera (5) and Bradley (4) at 2:45 of 2nd. Semin (14) unassisted EN at 19:56 of 3rd.

NEXT GAME: At Atlanta Thrashers Friday at 7:30 pm.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3.  Michal Neuvirth.  Despite a shaky two minutes in the second, he was a stone wall in the third when the Caps needed him to be.

2.  Jason Chimera.  Both passes were things of beauty.

1.  Matt Bradley.  Goal and assist.  Led the team in shots and was very strong on the forecheck all night.

CAPS NOTES: Alexander Semin scored an empty netter with four seconds left in regulation and added an assist on Nicklas Backstrom’s first period power-play goal to extended his point streak to nine games (nine goals, eight assists) and surpassing Alex Ovechkin for the longest streak by a Capital this season (eight games). Washington improved to 11-1-1 when Semin registers at least a point and 10-0-0 when he scores a goal.

Backstrom scored his sixth goal of the year on a two-man advantage with 7:29 remaining in the first period. Backstrom, who is riding a four-game point streak (two goals, five assists), has collected 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 19 games this season.

Washington upped their record to 10-0-0 when scoring a power play goal.  For the season, the Caps rank seventh in the NHL at 21.9 percent.

RESULT:  Saturday night in Calgary, the Washington Capitals got a lead against a struggling, inferior team and buried them, on the road no less.  Wednesday night, in a 5-4 shootout win, it wasn't that simple.

The Caps (8-4-0-16, T-1 in SE) used a three goal blitz in the second period to seemingly take control over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  But instead of notching a fourth goal and taking the wind out of the Leafs' sails, the Caps let a poor and stuggling club back into it. 

Once Toronto got their second goal, they played like their hair was on fire, scoring three third period goals, taking a 4-3 lead at 7:17.

Good thing for Alexander Semin.

The Enigma was in full force last night.  He had two offensive zone stick fouls.  He had four shots on goal.  He scored the game-tying goal at 14:22.  He also scored the clinching goal in the shootout.

The game-tying power play goal was something of a mucker's goal, with the puck bouncing and pinballing in the crease.  But it was that kind of night for Semin, as he was much more involved in the play, going to the net and being a presence in the offensive zone most of the night. 

“When he scored his goal on the power play, there aren’t too many guys in the National Hockey League that have hands like that – that can put it there that quickly," coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game.

In fact, all four of the Capitals goals were scored from in close, and Boudreau acknowledged the effort post-game as well. 

Another aspect that has been missing most of the season from the Capitals attack has been a strong presence from the third line.

Boyd Gordon, Jason Chimera and Matt Bradley not only combined for Chimera's third goal of the season, but regardless if it was Bradley or Eric Fehr on the line, the grinders were effective digging the puck off the boards, providing a physical presence, and buzzing rookie goalie Jonas Gustavsson whenever they were on the ice.

(Video D. Nichols/Caps News Network)

Much like the Capitals season at large, this game wasn't pretty.  There was some really good.  There was some pretty bad.  And again, there was strong goaltending, despite the four goals against.

Mike Green, who scored his second goal of the season on a nifty backdoor pass from Semin, spoke freely about the performance of his young goaltender thus far this season.

“He’s incredible. I don’t want to pump him too much but he’s been outstanding for us. As a defenseman I feel so comfortable with him behind us. There’s already a mutual bond that we feel even though he’s only been here a short period of time.”

The Caps dug down and found enough in the third period and in the shootout to scratch out a win against a team they really should have buried when they had them down.  It's become a familiar refrain in this campaign, but it sure beats losing these games.

As they proved in the win over Calgary, they are capable of dominating a team.  Until they find a way to show that instinct on a more consistant basis, they'll have to find satifaction in winning ugly as well.

THE GOOD:  The third line.  Chimera's goal was a direct result of three things:  getting the puck in deep (Bradley), winning a physical battle in the corner (Gordon), and driving to the net (Chimera).  For a hockey connoisseur, it was as pretty as anything Ovechkin, Semin or Green could have put together.

(Video D. Nichols/Caps News Network)

THE BAD:  Jeff Schultz.  He had a lousy night.  He doesn't have many of them, so if your best stay-at-home defenseman has a bad game in win you have to take it.  He was minus-2 on the night (Green was minus-3) and just couldn't get out of his own way tonight.

THE UGLY:  D.J. King.  Was a minus-2 in just eight shifts.  Had a turnover that led directly to a goal.  Got beat up in his fight.  You have to commend GM George McPhee for indentifying what he thought was a need in the off-season and going out and filling it.  It just might have been with the wrong guy.

THE STATS:  Green (2) from Semin (6) and Ovechkin (7) at 6:05 of 2nd (PP).  Chimera (3) from Gordon (2) and Bradley (1) at 10:35 of 2nd.  Fleischmann (4) from Carlson (6) and Laich (4) at 11:28 of 2nd.  Semin (7) from Laich (5) and Ovechkin (8) at 14:22 of 3rd.  SO:  Ovechkin; Semin.

NEXT GAME:  Friday at 7:00 pm against the Boston Bruins at Verizon Center.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3.  Jason Chimera.  Nice goal, brought the speed all night.  Plus-1.

2.  Karl Alzner.  The dude was in the right place at the right time all night long.  He and John Carlson were the only D-man with plus ratings on the night.

1.  Alexander Semin.  We'll forget, for a moment, the two offensive zone stick fouls.  But The Enigma was the best player for the Caps tonight.  Good pressure, full effort, and even did a little crease-camping for show. 



Alexander Semin scores winner in shootout. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)



Tomas Fleischmann lost his stick. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)



Michal Neuvith makes one of his 24 saves. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

D.J. King had a rough go of it with Colton Orr. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)




In today's game between the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins, neither team had anything to play for in the standings with both teams having secured their playoff seeds.

But there were milestones to chase, and tones to set as the NHL's second season gets started later in the week.

In a tightly contested match, the Boston Bruins eventually would triumph in a shootout and emerge as 4-3 victors in the final game of the season for both teams.

Once regulation expired, Caps coach Bruce Boudreau's feelings about the result of this match could be summed up by the players he sent out in the shootout:  Boyd Gordon and Matt Bradley took the first two shots instead of Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin.

It was a fun, fiesty game, featuring several Capitals players trying to reach milestones.

Alex Ovechkin entered--and left--the game with 50 goals on the season.  He began the day tied with Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos for the league lead and one goal ahead of Sidney Crosby.  He would not add to the total, so the best he can do is finish tied as the season goal leader.

He also came in--and finished--three points behind Henrik Sedin for the overall scoring leader title.

"Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose, so congrats to Sedin," Ovechkin said. "He deserved it. He played great. We all tried, but some get it, some don't."

"It doesn't take away from the year he had," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He didn't get any points today. Sometimes you just can't dig it up to do it. Boston looked to me like their whole concern was not to let Alex score. So we'll get back to normal. I'm glad the whole race thing is over."

The "other Alex", winger Alexander Semin, did reach a personal milestone, netting his 40th goal of the season for the first time in his career to start the scoring in the first period.  With the goal he reached 300 points in his NHL career.

Another Capital set a team record.  Defenseman Jeff Schultz became the first player in Washington Capitals history to lead the league in plus/minus rating, finishing plus-50 for the season.

Semyon Varalmov made 31 saves on 34 shots.

Jason Chimera had an interesting game as well.  Early in his 500th NHL game, he was bumped into Boston goalie Tim Thomas by a Bruins defenseman.  Thomas overracted and went swinging at Chimera, landing several catching gloves to Chimera's head before the scrum ended the wild swinging.

Thomas recieved four minutes for roughing, while Chimera--incorrectly--got a goalie interference call.

Later, Chimera recieved a 10-minute misconduct for skating in Thomas' general direction.  He must have said something that referee Marc Joannette took offense to, because the action was neither threatening nor menacing.

The Capitals finish the 2009-2010 season with a franchise record of 54-15-13, their first ever President's Trophy for the NHL's best regular season record.

The final day of the regular season also brought excitement in Philadelphia, where the elimination game between the Flyers and the New York Rangers went to a shootout.  The Flyers won the game when Olli Jokinen of the Rangers could not convert with the third shot.

The Rangers loss means the Capitals will face the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, starting later this week.  The Caps were 2-1-1 against the Habs this season.


PHOTOS FROM CAPS WARMUPS:

All Photos 2010 © Cheryl Nichols Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Bullet-point style!

On trade:

• "Thought it was the right trade for us right now"
• Felt like they could move an extra defenseman
• Will likely move Laich to a center spot
• The trade "helps both teams" with Columbus acquiring veteran presence

On Chimera, specifically:

• Chimera has "good size" and "tremendous speed" and thinks he's a 15-goal a year scorer
• "Don't mind" the edge Chimera plays with

On Clark:

• "Clarkie was a terrific captain."

Why now?

• The deal was "discussed in September" but these things "have a way of resurrecting themselves." 
• He felt the team had "a hole we wanted to fill on the left side."

On getting cap relief (the Caps save over $2 million on the cap):

• The move was "not necessarily about cap space"
• But acknowledged that the team could be a major player at the deadline "if we wanted to be."

On the vacant captaincy:

• Out of respect for Clark, the team will "take our time and do things right."
• Will "address it in the near future."