THIRD PERIOD

Tied at 4 apiece going to overtime. SOG: WAS-29; CAR-26

Caps had quite a bit of defensive trouble in he third, inability to clear their own zone. That problem led directly to the tying goal, as Seidenberg and Cole were able to control the puck after an exhaustive offensive zone shift and finally Wallin got a wrist shot off the post to beat Theodore.

The Ovie-Backstrom-Semin line with Green and another defenseman were on the ice for 7 out of the eight goals scored. Semin, despite his four points, was minus-3, as was Green.

SECOND PERIOD

Second period concludes with Caps leading 4-3. SOG: WAS-23; CAR-20

Things opened up in the second with lots of up and back hockey. Theodore has looked very good most of the night. Some really light penalties getting called despite it being a heavy-hitting affair.

Semin started the second period scoring as he swept in a rebound from Ovechkin on an early power play with Staal off for interference on a play that could be called every time up the ice. Props to Laich for crashing the net on the goal.

The Caps had a 4-on-1 breakaway that was thwarted. Dennis Seidenberg sent the puck up ice to Ray Whitney, who tried to beat Theo on a backhand. He was stopped, but Stall was there to put back the rebound.

Backstrom made it 4-2 off a great feed from Nylander, who drew both defenders to the left wing circle, leaving Backstrom wide open in the slot. Another power play goal--Caps are 3-for-4 with the extra man tonight.

With 7.3 seconds remaining, Eric Cole beat Theo five-hole after and extended offensive zone shift. Morrisonn had his stick broken, and in the confusion, Fleischmann finally was able to had his back to Morrisonn, who was going to be whistled for a hold. But on the exchange, Flash was out of position, and Cole got into the slot and was uncontested on the goal.

FIRST PERIOD

The first period ends with the Caps holding a 2-1 lead. SOG: WAS-9; CAR-9

Carolina is really hitting tonight--they apparently got the memo to be physical on the forecheck, and they scored first on an Eric Cole wrist shot that beat Theo stick side, off the inside of the far post. Green couldn't clear a bouncing puck at the blue line, Eric Staal gathered it in and hit a streaking Cole, who banked it off the post at 9:53.

Green made up for it just over a minute later, pinching in and lifting a wrist shot high glove side over Cam Ward. Nice work by Niklas Backstrom who gained the zone and Alexander Semin, who slid a nifty pass to the cutting Green to tie it up.

Brooks Laich earned an interference call on the only penalty of the period, on Niclas Wallin. With Wallin off, Green kept an errant pass from escaping the zone and shot toward net. The deflection went to Ovie, who kinda missed his first swipe, but rewound and swept the puck past Ward, who overcommitted either on Green's first shot or Ovie's original swipe.

The ice is, predictably, not so good tonight. The Harlem Globetrotters played at Verizon this afternoon and went late. The ice wasn't ready until right before pre-game skate, and it's noticeably warmer in the building tonight than it was last week.

PRE-GAME

Greetings from the Verizon Center, where the Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes. Currently, the Caps hold a 12 point lead over their division rival with 13 games to play. The Caps return home very briefly after winning two on the road last week, before embarking on a five-game road trip.

Tonight's starting goalies are Jose Theodore (26-14-4, 2.79, .902) and Cam Ward (30-22-4, 2.50, .913).

Sergei Fedorov will miss his second straight game with "flu-like" symptoms. Donald Brashear will sit this one out too, still recovering from his knee sprain suffered last week in Nashville.

Keith Aucoin was recalled from AHL Hershey and will suit up, wearing sweater #20. Aucoin currently leads the AHL in scoring, with 86 points (22-64-86).

SECOND PERIOD

Penguins lead Caps 3-1 after two. SOG: WAS-18; PIT-12.

Penguins really took it to the Caps in the second period. Sergei Gonchar got the first Penguin goal on a 4-on-3 power play, with a blast from the high slot. Guerin was in the slot screening Theo--he had no chance.

Second goal came with Crosby beating Green to a puck on the boards, and he hit Guerin cutting. Guerin faked out Morrisonn and Guerin beat Theo easy.

Poti rang one off the post as the period was winding down. They reviewed it, but it was clearly no goal.

Orpik hit Green with a high stick with 33 seconds remaining. Caps have 1:27 of PP to start the third.

FIRST PERIOD

Caps and Pens tied at one after one. SOG: WAS-12; PIT-7.

Penguins got their goal from Crosby, completing a 2-on-1 with Guerin. Guerin took a long breakout pass form Kunitz, held the puck long enough for Schultz to have to commit, and slid it across to Crosby, who deposited it cleanly stick side against Theodore.

After a couple of penalties against Pittsburgh, Backstrom stole an entry pass from Letang and hit a cutting Semin in the slot, who faked and went backhand to fool Fleury. Very poor play by Letang.

It was a spirited period, as you would expect between these two teams. Penguins were credited with 12 hits, the Caps with 10. DC's biggest hit was Jurcina putting Kennedy THROUGH the glass behind Theo. Play stopped for several minutes as Kennedy was extracted and the glass repaired. Both players went off for roughing after hugging each other after the play.

The Caps had 1:39 of 4-on-3 play, but could not capitalize. Caps were 0-for-3 on the power play.

The Washington Capitals (40-21-5-85, first in Southeast, third in East) host the Pittsburgh Penguins (34-26-6-74, fourth in Atlantic, T-8 in East) at 3:00 p.m. from Verizon Center.

The Caps have lost three games in a row, all at home, all to teams lower in the standings. For a team that at one point had designs on catching Boston at the top of the conference, they are now in a scramble for second, as New Jersey holds a two-point advantage heading into Sunday's games.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is fighting for their playoff lives, not seeding. They are tied with the New York Rangers for the final playoff spot with 74 points, and just one point ahead of Buffalo looking in.

The Penguins have been playing very well of late, going 7-2-1 in their last ten games. The Pens haven't lost since losing to the Caps two weeks ago. They reeled off four straight wins with their captain, Sidney Crosby, on the shelf with a groin injury, and he chipped in with a goal upon his return Thursday night in a 4-1 over Florida.

The Capitals missed their most important piece, Alex Ovechkin, Thursday in a 2-1 loss to Toronto. After taking a slap shot to the heel in practice the previous day, he was held out of the Leafs game as a precaution. The team looked lost without their superstar, especially on the power play. Ovie is expected to play today, but coach Bruce Boudreau stopped short of guaranteeing that after the morning skate.

Defenseman Tom Poti will try to warm up before the game in an effort to play. If he can't get his sore groin loose enough to go, Tyler Sloan, recalled from AHL Hershey, will play.

THIRD PERIOD

Semin draws a hooking at 1: 06, and immediately gives it back with a lazy high stick on Pavel Kubina. Four-on-four hockey. Fleischmann misses a wide open net on an odd-man rush.

Turnover by Erskine leads to a banked shot goal by Stempniak. Stempniak was on the goal line and banked it off Theo's skate. Time of goal 6:05. WAS 0- TOR 1.

Caps can't clear their own end, and Kubina gets a shot from the point through a maze of legs. Time of goal 9:47. WAS 0-TOR 2.

Toronto just had a flurry and hit the post twice--once with the original shot and then again on th rebound. Any energy the Caps had been playing with tonight has escaped. There's just no crispness whatsoever anymore.

The Caps just switched goalies with just over 2 minutes left. Almost immediately Neuvirth comes off to go empty net.

Semin finallyhits with 39 seconds remaining. Backstrom won the offensive zone draw and Seimn solved Gerber with a wrist shot. WAS 1-TOR 2 Timeof goal 19:21.

FINAL: WAS 1-TOR 2
SOG: WAS- 38; TOR-29

SECOND PERIOD

Laich got a good opportunity right off the bat, but Gerber knocked it aside.

Kozlov caught Finger up high on a follow though, leaving a trail of blood on the ice.

Schultz just stood someone up at the blue line. First time for everything.

Erskine takes a cross-cheack at 8:03. Schultz fell down at offensive blue line, giving Grabovsky a break-away. Fedorov hustled back to hassle him and Theo kicked it aside.

Fedorov takes a light hold at 12:20. One shot by the Leafs, swallowed up by Theo.

Caps get a power play at 15;56. Nothing to show for it.

SOG: WAS-23; TOR-17

FIRST PERIOD

The big news is that Ovechkin is scratched due to the foot injury at practice yesterday. Also, Tom Poti was scratched right at game time, probably due to the lingering groin injury, so the Caps will play down a skater.

Fedorov started at D and is paired with Jurcina. Here are the lines:

28/19/21
16/39/10
14/92/25
15/87

and 91/23, 55/4 and 52/26 on defense.

We get our first bit of controversy as Blake runs through Theodore and the rebound is pshed home by Mitchell. After the zebra conference they waived the goal off. Clearly goaltender interference.

PP at 18:22 goes fruitless. Caps will have 22 seconds with fresh ice.

SOG: WAS-13; TOR-9

Third Period

Nylander draws a hooking call from Gagne in the slot. Nyls is having a very good game. Power Play at 1:45. The best opportunity comes from Philly, with Theo completely stoning Knuble on the doorstep.

Knuble holds Ovie trying to get through the zone at 7:23. Time for a power play. Not a very organized effort with the extra man. It passes without incident.

Hartnall ties the game at two with a wicked wrist shot after a neutral zone turnover gave the Flyers a 3-on-2. 2-2 at 9:11.

Jeff Carter break the tie less than two minutes later as he corralled a rebound and beat a defenseless Theodore. Time of goal 10:36. 3-2 Flyers.

And now the Caps are just getting sloppy. Aaron Ashram is allowed to skate through the left wing circle, through the crease, let Theo take himself out and then buries it. Ashram schooled Schultz. 4-2 Flyers at 12:30.

I just heard my first E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles! chant at 14:45. Ugh.

Fehr takes a slash at 17:01, and that ought to about do it. It was a thoroughly interesting game until mid-way through the third. The Caps wish they could have had a couple of the power plays back, I'm sure.

Final Score: Flyers 4, Caps 2
SOG: WAS-34, PHI-36

Second Period

19 seconds in, Hartnall takes a slash, so as the Nylander penalty expires the Caps go straight to the power play. No real scoring opportunities with the extra man.

Mere seconds after Ovie tipped one off the post on a feed by Green, the puck found its was back to him in the slot, and he made no mistake with it. Its his 44th of the season at 4:19. 2-0 Caps.

Jurcina takes a slash at 7:28 that send the stick flying 30 feet. Back to the PK. Again. With 15 seconds left, Semin throws it off the ice over the Flyers bench. Two more minutes to kill.

With six seconds on the first penalty, Claude Giroux buries a pass from Richards behind Theo. Still over 1:40 to kill the second period. 2-1 Caps.

Laich has two nice opportunities--one a breakaway--on the PK. As Semin came out of the box, the Caps rushed the puck and stormed the goal, and with a scrum in front of the net, Matthew Carle tripped Semin in the slot to give the Caps another power play at 11:32. Caps crash the net hard during the ensuing PP, but just can't get one to drop. Very good work by Nylander and Fehr on the second unit.

Brashear was headhunting on the next shift, looking for someone to bury and he got a bad piece of Lupul, although the replay looked like Lupul dove a bit. Anyway, a scrum occurred and Brash was sent off with Hartnall for roughing. Four on four hockey at 14:21!

Theordore gets a roughing call as Hartnall fell into him in the crease at 17:12. Theo did take a little jab at his head with his blocker, but Hartnall made NO effort to avoid slamming into the goalie. More special teams. And another successful kill. PK very effective tonight. They've killed all the 5-on-4's and just gave up the goal on the 5-on-3.

End of the second period, Caps 2-1. SOG: WAS-24, PHI-26.

First Period

Hard to take the National Anthem being used for battle cries.

Upshall gets whistled for dumping Green in the Caps zone. Caps answer with the goal four seconds later. Fedorov won the draw back to Ovie, who didn't get much on the shot, but Backstrom collects and backhands into an open net. 1-0 Caps at 1:48.

Big glove save by Theodore on Knuble skating in all alone on the left wing. Very quick pace to the first period.

Steckel gets a holding call at 9:32. BIG hit by Richards on Poti behind the Caps net. Nice save by Theo on Lupul. Hartnall gets whistled for a retaliation hit on Green. VERY chippy already--lots of big hitting.

And now on the resulting Caps power play, Gagne throws the puck off the ice for a 47 second two-man advantage. Flyers kill the whole power play.

Awesome play by Jurcina to clear the puck out of the goal mouth. Theo makes another quality save seconds later and Erskine knocks Upshall to the ice with a stick to the "midsection" on the cover. Erskine gets two minutes at 15:50. Caps have the two best scoring opportunities on Philly's PP.

Nylander gets his stick up high and goes off for a slash at 18:20. Back to the PK. Outstanding work by the killers at teh end of the period, coupled by a couple of lucky bounces right at the end of the period. 1-0 Caps.

SOG: WAS-7; PHI-12

Pre-game:

It's noticeably cold in the Verizon Center tonight. GM George McPhee spoke with season ticket holders before the game in one of the Caps' "Chalk Talks". He was interestingly candid about dealing with other GMs, some of the prospects in the system, and the possibility of trading at the deadline. I was sort of surprised no one asked him about the trash talking over the weekend and spilling into Monday.

Here are tonight's scratches: PHI--D Kimmo Timmonen, D Lasse Kukkonen; WAS--D Staffan Kronwall.

Antero Niittymaki gets the start against Jose Theodore.

I'll be back with updates as the game goes on and between periods.

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

THIRD PERIOD

Chris Neil took a run at Semin in the slot and Semin stepped out of it and Neil ended up taking out Alexandre Picard, who went straight to the dressing room.

Jurcina took a soft hold at 2:52. Semin joined him with 0:23 for a trip. Both calls were fairly questionable. The 5-on-3 expired without incident. Green sacrificed the body to make a save on an open net. Ottawa didn't get a single shot on during the PP.

Back to 5-on-5, Chris Kelly found Antoine Vermette in the slot for an easy goal. Feds was backchecking as Jurcina and Erskine were caught out of position, and Johnson had no chance on Vermette's shot. 6-3 Caps.

Caps get called for too many men at 11:25. Fluky goal on the face-off. The puck came off Poti's stick and Heatley was able to get just enough of it to slip it past Johnson.

Green took a slash on a breakaway just moments later. Boudreau isn't going to be happy the way the Caps are trying to let the Sens back into this one. Caps killed the penalty without incident.

Senators pull the goalie with just under 2:00 left. Johnson made a nice kick save during the 6-on-4.

Caps get empty netter with 23.9 left, Backstrom from his own crease.

Final score 7-4.

Total SOG: WAS-29, OTT-38

SECOND PERIOD

I missed the first two Caps goals as I was stuck waiting for an elevator. Fehr and Ovechkin with the tallies.

Alfie lit the lamp again on a slap shot from the top of the circle off a cross-ice pass from Volchenkov. It's Alfie's 14th. He just kills the Caps. 4-2 Caps.

Spezza took interference call to give Caps a 5-on-3. Backstrom fanned on nice crossing pass from Semin.

Gordon gets two for holding the stick at 9:24. Johnson made a nice kick save on Alfie on the first shot of the PP. Sens get two shots on goal total.

Green hit Semin with a terrific lob pass and Semin beat Elliot with beautiful backhand at 13:07 to make it 5-2.

Ovie completed the hat trick with a wrister off a long pass from Feds, earning everyone in attendance free wings with the sixth goal. It's his 36th of the season. Time of the goal 15:31. The cheer for the announcement was, well, really loud.

Twice in the period the glass behind the Senators goal was knocked loose, the second time on a big hit from Brash on Chris Phillips.

Shots: WAS-12;OTT-17
Penalties: WAS-1; OTT-2

FIRST PERIOD

Good first shift by Nyls, Semin and Feds undone by defensive zone turnover and Daniel Alfredsson's goal, a wrist shot from the top of the circle that Johnson never saw, screened by Morissonn.

Gordon had two of the Caps first three shots.

Johnny made a nice save on Alfie at 9:33

With Heatley off for a hook at 9:40, Backstrom won the draw straight back to Green, who unleashed a bomb from the point. Wes didn't even have time to announce the penalty.

Another PP goal, this time Feds won the draw back to Green, who went cross ice to Ovie at the left dot, who one-timed it past Elliot.

Chris Kelly took a hook at 17:33.

Shots: WAS-12; OTT-9
Penalties: WAS-0; OTT-3
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Some pre-game notes from Verizon Center to get you ready for the Super Bowl Sunday matinee. I'll be updating this space with news, notes and observations between periods today.

Brent Johnson gets the start today between the pipes. Theodore gets the day off after seven straight starts (since Jan. 1 Theo's 6-3-1, 2.20, .919)

Brian Elliot will start for Ottawa. He got the win in the Sens 3-2 win over the Caps right before the all-star break

Today's scratches are captain Chris Clark and center David Steckel

Ottawa is scratching D Brendan Bell and LW Nick Foligno

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