Dennis Wideman celebrates Alexander Semin's game winner against his former mates. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

The Washington Capitals, with their fathers and mentors on hand for the annual "Father's Trip", came to south Florida knowing that a win would give them possession of first place in the Southeast Division and draw them within four points of the Philadelphia Flyers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, as Philly was destroyed by the New York Rangers, 7-0, earlier in the day.

They took care of business, though not without some tense moments.

Alexander Semin, on his only shot on goal of the game, scored 48 seconds into overtime to give the Capitals a 3-2 win over the trade-depleted Florida Panthers.

Overtime was necessary because the Panthers got a five-on-three got from David Booth at 17:34 of the third, with John Erskine in the box for a questionable tripping call, and Dennis Wideman off for a slash during the original penalty kill.

So coach Bruce Boudreau, were you happy the Caps answered so quickly in overtime after leading for so long in the game, then giving up the tying goal with less than three minutes left?  "Any time from the one second to the five minute mark would have been fine.  I'm glad we just answered."

The Capitals have found themselves in a bunch of one-goal games lately, and Nicklas Backstrom, who scored off a one-timer for the Caps first goal of the game, addressed the closeness of the recent victories.  "Obviously we want to see ourselves score more goals so we don't have to put ourselves in this situation, but they had a lot of power plays tonight and a five-on-three there and tied the game.  It's a close game, but you can't let emotions slow you."

Bottom line though was that the Caps escaped with two points.  "Exactly," Backstrom said.  "That was our goal.  We're looking forward to a big game [Monday] night [against Tampa Bay]."

Boudreau was happy with his team's effort and performance in a third period that saw the Caps take just six shots on goal.  "I don't think [the Panthers] had too many chances in the third period.  We were understanding what we had to do.  I thought we played a pretty solid period.  We weren't really trying to score."

If that statement seems odd from a coach known for all-out offense, well, it is.  It's a strange trip the Capitals have been on through 66 games, going from a team that averaged almost four goals a game to a team that now doesn't try to score with a one-goal lead in the third period.

Boudreau's confidence comes from his goalie's performance. Michal Neuvirth -- as he has been all season -- was outstanding. 

The 22-year old Czech made 32 saves, none bigger than a glove save late in the third against Booth during the remainder of Wideman's slashing call.  Boudreau complemented his goalie, saying, "That's why we kept telling people we didn't need any goaltending at the trade deadline.  We've got good goaltending."

Florida opened the scoring on a broken play.  Wideman got tangled up at center ice with Panthers center Mike Santorelli, setting up a two-on-one with only Erskine back.  Michal Repik slid the puck to a streaking Bill Thomas, who made no doubt about it, beating Michal Neuvirth blocker side to take a short-lived lead.

The Caps got on the board less than two minutes later.  Mike Knuble got control of a loose puck and shuffled it to Alex Ovechkin in the corner, who wheeled and hit Backstrom right on the tape in the high slot.  The pivot fired a bomb of a one-timer past Panthers backup goalie Scott Clemmensen for his 19th goal of the season.

"It was a good pass by Alex there," Backstrom said.  "I was just trying to get it on net there, [Clemmensen] wasn't ready.  There were people in front of the net there too.  But it was a good feeling."

Washington took the lead at 10:02 of the second, when Boyd Gordon backhanded a rebound of a John Carlson shot past Clemmensen at the end of a very good cycle by the energy line, with Matt Hendrick picking up the secondary assist.  Gordon gave an exaggerated fist pump after, celebrating his second goal of the season.

Boyd Gordon scores his second goal of the season in 3-2 OT win. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Gordon won the hard had for his efforts, including blocking four shots.  "It was is best game of the year," Boudreau said.  "He blocked shot, he won faceoffs, he paid the price.  That's why he won the 'helmet' tonight.  It did what it took. Scoring a goal for him is a luxury, that's a bonus.  Everything else he did was great."

Gordon summed up this win, but he might as well have been talking about the season since the shift in philosophy sometime during the December eight-game losing streak:

"It's good to get the two points, big game for us.  We were kinda off-and-on there tonight but we did enoguh to win and at the end, a good result.  We're not scoring as much so our defense has a little bit more emphasis on it.  You don't want to give that led up.  Our margin for error might not be as big as it was last year.  But if that's what it takes to win, that's what we gotta do."

Strange days, indeed.

So its off to Tampa for a matchup Monday with the Bolts, who could not take advantage of a 12-game homestand in February to put any distance between themselves and the Capitals.  Now that the divison lead rests in D.C. once again, they probably wished they had.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS:

3.  Nick Backstrom.  The one-timer was a thing of beauty.  65% in the dot too.

2.  Michal Neuvirth.  32 saves.  Stellar. He's been the Caps MVP all season.

1.  Boyd Gordon.  Goal, four blocks, 3:47 of short-handed time.

CAPS NOTES:  The Panthers received seven power plays, including the late five-on-three, to the Caps' two.  "I mean, seven penalties on one, it's quite a discrepancy," Boudreau said.  "Everybody complains about the power play, and rightfully so -- it's not doing that well -- but it's really hard to get a consistency or momentum on it when you're getting one power play a game."

BONUS PHOTOS

Matt Hendricks, doin' what he does. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

The Captain during pre-game skate. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Michal Neuvirth is a study in concentration. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

***Caps News Network wishes to thanks the Florida Panthers and Justin Copertino for extending us full credentials, including photography, for Sunday night's game. 

The Washington Capitals are struggling offensively right now.  They sit exactly middle-of-the-pack (15th) in the NHL in goals per game at 2.71, and if you factor out a seven-goal outburst in the home opener, well, the struggles are even more amplified.

One of the Caps biggest off-season concerns has now turned into a regular season nightmare:  center play.  Nicklas Backstrom is off to a fairly terrible start.  With one goal (credited when an Alex Ovechkin slapshot hit him and went into the net) and three assists, his production is well short of what is expected out of the Super Swede, coming off his career year last season of 101 points.

It's easy to look at Backstrom's slump and say "It's only seven games."  But it's worrisome that his minus-2 rating and woefully inadequate 6.3 shooting percentage isn't better just by accident.  Nicky is still winning his share of draws (57.1 percent), and Coach Bruce Boudreau can do nothing but hope that Backstrom will break out of his doldrums in a big way and in a big hurry.

Still, it's curious that he signed a huge contract this past off-season and then gets off to the worst start of his NHL career.

As for the others?

Currently, the center on the second line between The Enigma (Alexnader Semin) and Iron Man (Brooks Laich) is just-turned 20-year old Marcus Johansson.  The younger Swede has had moments of brilliance and is a slick puck handler and terrific skater.  But he is not strong enough physically right now to really compete on a daily basis with veterans in the NHL.  He is literally a boy among men.

He is also -- despite his obvious skills -- not producing.  One goal, no assists, and just 34.0 percent in the dot isn't getting it done.  He's only put six shots on net.  He's getting beaten physically and positionally on defense.  Is giving on-the-job training to a 20-year old -- on the second line -- a luxury the Capitals can afford right now?

Next, we come to everyone's favorite whipping boy, Tomas Fleischmann.  I'm going to say this one more time: He is out of position at center.  He's got two goals and two assists and is tied for the team lead at plus-4.  But his faceoff percentage is as bad as Johansson's at 36.1.  Boudreau doesn't trust him, evidenced by his TOI/G at just 15:15 and the fact that Boudreau isn't giving Flash any defensive zone draws.

Fleischmann also is a bad defender.  He is pushed off the puck much too easily for a guy that's been around a while now.  He is constantly losing physical battles and seems indifferent to back-checking.

Further down the roster is David Steckel and Boyd Gordon.  Both have the reputation for being good faceoff men and stout penalty killers.  But Steckel hasn't really made much difference on the ice this season after not getting a sweater for opening night, and Gordon hasn't even been on the ice the last three games with an undisclosed injury, after at one point Boudreau calling him a "healthy" scratch.

In the last couple of game recaps I've alluded to the possibility of a roster shake-up if the Caps offensive woes continue.  It's not a stretch to think that the center position is the first place a roster tweak could happen, should GM George McPhee and Boudreau think that's necessary.

The Washington Capitals announced today the re-signing of D Jeff Schultz to a four-year contract.

In keeping with team policy, the terms of the agreement were not announced, but according to Capitals Insider:

The deal is worth $11 million over four years and will pay the defenseman $2.5 million in each of the first two years and $3 million in the final two years for a $2.75 million per season average.

Schultz led the NHL in plus/minus last season with a plus-50 rating. The 24-year-old also racked up three goals and 20 assists in 73 games..

Earlier in the week, the team inked C Boyd Gordon to a one-year deal.  Again, Capitals Insider had the contract at $800,000.

Gordon, limited to 36 games because of a back injury in 2009-10, had four goals and six assists in his sixth season with the Caps.

The two signings leaves just two unsigned restricted free agents, C Tomas Fleischmann and RW Eric Fehr, both of whom have filed for arbitration.

Also, Michael Nylander was waived (again) at noon.  He will count $4.875 million agains the Capitals' salary cap if no team claims him.

From the press release:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have signed center/right wing Boyd Gordon to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Gordon, 25, completed his sixth professional season with the Capitals in 2008-09 and registered five goals and nine assists. He was third on the team with a 56.1% faceoff percentage in the regular season and led the team in the playoffs at 63.3%.

Gordon was also third on the team in shorthanded ice time, playing an average of 3:39 per game, and his 16 penalty minutes tied Viktor Kozlov for the fewest on the team for anyone who played more than 30 games. He had two game-winning goals and the Caps were 12-0-1 when Gordon recorded a point (5-0-0 when he scored a goal).

According to Capitals Insider, the one-year deal is worth $761,250. The team's other restricted free agents, Shaone Morrisonn, Eric Fehr and Jeff Schultz, have until Wednesday to accept their qualifying offers.

-----------

The Globe and Mail reports that when the NHL issues the 2009-2010 schedule tomorrow, the Caps will have a road date against the Montreal Canadiens -- in Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

The final tinkering to the 92nd NHL regular season will be made in the next 24 hours, but a league source indicated yesterday that a Habs home game against the Washington Capitals and star sniper Alex Ovechkin “is still in the mix for late November.”

The indoor game at Olympic Stadium is expected to be contested on Nov. 28 or the previous Saturday to help commemorate the Canadiens’ centennial celebrations that will conclude on Dec. 5 with a match against the rival Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.

Caps fans will find little solice in playing inside the "Big O", a run-down antiquated stadium, as opposed to playing in the Winter Classic, which spurned the Capitals and instead invited the hated Philadelphia Flyers to face the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park on Jan. 1.

From the Caps:

The Washington Capitals have re-signed left wing Quintin Laing to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Laing, 30, played one game for Washington last season. He was recalled by the Caps from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League on March 19 and played the entire game (10:19) at Tampa Bay despite suffering a torn spleen on his second shift in the first period. Laing ended the game with a +1 rating.

The 6'2", 210-pound native of Rosetown, Saskatchewan, spent most of the season with the Calder Cup champion Bears. He tallied 25 points (9g-16a) in 55 regular-season games before his recall. Laing missed more than two months with his spleen injury, but he returned to the Bears during the Calder Cup playoffs and had two goals and two assists in nine games.

Laing is a hard working guy, but if he's going to have a role on the big club, it's as a penalty killer and providing minutes on an "energy" line, as coach Bruce Boudreau likes to call it. He's very much in the Boyd Gordon mold, and if the Caps fail to bring Gordon back, Laing is an insurance policy there.

Boyd Gordon missed tonight's game against Columbus after his back flared up on him during the pre-game skate. The team found out too late to substitute either of the two healthy scratches, Eric Fehr or Michael Nylander.

Coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game that he hadn't talked to the trainers yet, but based on Gordon's history and previous back troubles, he didn't expect Gordon to play tomorrow.

No word yet on how it would affect the lineup for tomorrow's road contest against Montreal.

The Washington Capitals scored early and often, getting goals from seven different players, and handed the Tampa Bay Lightning a 7-4 defeat before a capacity New Year's Day crowd at the Verizon Center. It was Washington's fifth straight victory and 12th out of 14 games.

The game was not without incident, however, as play was delayed several minutes with 13:15 left after Lightning defenseman Jamie Heward was checked awkwardly into the boards by Alex Ovechkin, hitting his head and neck.

Heward was face-down and motionless while doctors attended to him, and he was eventually rolled onto a backboard and taken from the rink on a stretcher. He was taken to the hospital because of a concussion, but his eyes were open as he was leaving the arena.

Heward, who played with the Capitals from 2005 to 2007, sustained a major injury while with the Caps, as his face was sliced open with a skate. Many of the Caps, including Ovechkin and Matt Bradley, skated over to check on their former teammate.

As for the game, the Caps got balanced scoring and just enough saves from goalie Brent Johnson in a chippy, sloppy game. Johnson's biggest save was on a penalty shot by Adam Hall midway through the second period while the score was 4-2.

Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith, however, was particularly sloppy, directly costing his squad several goals.

Washington took a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals from Sean Collins, his first NHL goal, Dave Steckel and Mike Green. Collins' goal was a wrist shot from the point that trickled through Smith's pads. It would not be Smith's last mistake of the game.

After Vincent Lecavalier and Ryan Malone cut the lead to 3-2 in the beginning of the second period, Matt Bradley answered 11 seconds later when Boyd Gordon intercepted Smith's pass attempt behind the net and slipped the puck between his legs to a wide open Bradley in the slot, who dumped it into a wide open net to extended the lead to two.

Lecavalier scored his second of the game with 16 seconds remaining in the period, though, making the score 4-3 and setting up a wild third period.

Gordon pushed the lead to two as Smith inexplicably left the net and misplayed the puck again, trying to pass out of the zone, instead putting the puck right onto Gordon's tape, who buried it as Smith dove head-first trying to get back into the net.

Mark Recchi responded at 12:22 of the period to get the Lightning back within reach, but Chris Clark netted his first of the season just 25 seconds later. It seemed like the Caps could just turn it back on whenever Tampa Bay would score.

Alex Ovechkin would put the icing on the cake, as he used defenseman Steve Eminger as a screen and whipped a wrist shot past Smith to cap the scoring late in the third period. Ovechkin had two helpers as well.

Washington has a day off tomorrow before hosting the New York Rangers Saturday night at 7:00 PM from Verizon Center.

Photo by Getty Images.
________________________________________________________
SCORESHEET

WAS: Collins (1) from Ovechkin and Morrisonn (1-3:58); Steckel (5) from Bradley and Jurcina (1-8:02); Green (9) from Ovechkin and Backstrom (1-18:29); Bradley (4) from Gordon (2-2:48); Gordon (5) unassisted (3-8:07); Clark (1) from Nylander and Green (3-12:47); Ovechkin (26) from Backstrom (3-18:14)

TBY: Lecavalier (15) from Prospal and St. Louis (2-0:58); Malone (9) from Halpern (2-2:37); Lecavalier (16) from Prospal and St Louis (2-19:44); Recchi (9) from St. Louis and Meszaros (3-12:22)
_________________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. M. Bradley - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 1)
2. C. Clark - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
3. V. Lecavalier - TB (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)
__________________________________________________________
NOTES

All 11 goals on the evening were at full strength.

Bradley, Gordon, and Green all had a goal and assist. Niklas Backstrom had two assists. Martin St. Louis had three assists for Tampa Bay.

Washington out shot Tampa Bay 35-26.

Coach Bruce Boudreau's stated message before Tuesday night's game in Buffalo was simple: To be considered an elite team you have to win on the road in the tough buildings. And it does not get any tougher for the Caps than Buffalo's HSBC Arena, where they had lost seven of their last eight games.

His troops responded to the message, scoring early and holding down a mostly inept Buffalo offense until the final few moments, holding on to a 4-2 win and keeping the usually raucous pro-Sabres crowd out of the game.

Washington (24-11-3-51, first in Southeast) hushed the 18,000-plus very early, as Brooks Laich deposited a power play goal at 1:57 of the first period, on a rebound of a Niklas Backstrom shot. It was Laich's 11th of the season and sixth in nine games.

Chris Bourque, son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, scored his first NHL goal later in the period, converting a long rebound off a Ryan Miller kick save. He was reunited with David Steckel and Eric Fehr on a line that contributed heavily to Boudreau's AHL Calder Cup winning team in Hershey two years ago.

"I was lucky with the rebound right on my stick," Bourque said. "I wasn't going to miss that one."

Backstrom would make the score 3-0 midway through the second period, banging home a rebound of a Viktor Kozlov shot. Backstrom finished with a goal and assist, and Kozlov had two helpers.

Buffalo (17-15-5-39, third in Northeast) tried to make a go of it in the third, outshooting the Caps 16-11 in the frame. Adam Mair slipped one past Jose Theodore at 7:41 to briefly inspire the Buffalo faithful, but Jose Theodore (29 saves) proved up to the task, stopping Thomas Vanek and Nathan Gerbe at point blank range in the third.

Theodore continued his recent spate of good play and ended his own personal five game losing streak in Buffalo, dating back to his days with Montreal. Theo has won his last four games and seems to be gaining confidence every time out on the ice.

Boyd Gordon closed the Washington scoring with an opposite blue line empty netter with 43 seconds remaining while shorthanded. The Sabres added a consolation goal with 11 seconds, as Clarke MacArthur tapped in a rebound to conclude the power play.

Washington returns home to begin a four-game home stand against Tampa Thursday night at 7:00 PM. The Caps will also host the New York Rangers, Philadelphia and Columbus on the stand.

Photo by Getty Images.
__________________________________________________
SCORESHEET

WAS: Laich (11) from Backstrom and Kozlov (1-1:57-PP); Bourque (1) from Steckel and Fehr (1-9:02); Backstrom (11) from Kozlov and Green (2-12:11-PP); Gordon (4) unassisted (3-19:17-EN-SH)

BUF: Mair (5) from Gaustad and Lydman (3-7:41); MacArthur (11) from Hecht and Spacek (3-19:49-PP)
__________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. N. Backstrom - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 1)
2. V. Kozlov - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 2)
3. P. Gaustad - BUF (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)
__________________________________________________
NOTES

Alex Ovechkin was held without a point for just the second time in 11 games. It was reported that his grandfather passed away over the weekend.

The Caps have won nine of their last 10 and 11-of-13 to open a 12-point lead over Carolina in the NHL's Southeast Division.

Backstrom has 38 points in his last 26 games.

Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn left the game late in the third after taking a shot off his lower leg.

One of the appeals of professional sports is that every time you go to the arena, field or court, you might see something you've never seen before in your life. Alex Ovechkin's game-winning goal in the third period was one of those moments.

Defenseman Bryan Helmer pushed the puck along the boards where Ovechkin collected it. The reigning NHL MVP deked defenseman Henrik Tallinder, then while Tallender was regaining his balance, slid the puck off his back hand through Tallinder's legs just inside the blue line, putting the puck on Ovechkin's forehand.

Tallinder got part of a check on Ovechkin as the left winger was going by, and as he fell to his knees, the "Great Eight" got enough on his shot to beat goalie Patrick Lalime short side, taking a 3-1 lead.

The three goals would stand up, as the Caps held off a late third period flurry to defeat the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, before 18,277 at the Verizon Center.

Ovechkin appeared to give the Capitals a 2-0 lead late in the second period, but a goalie interference call against teammate Brooks Laich negated it, motivating Ovechkin even further.

Washington (22-11-3-45, first in Southeast) received goals from Viktor Kozlov and Boyd Gordon in addition to Ovechkin's marker, and veteran minor leaguer Bryan Helmer chipped in two assists.

Helmer, 36, was recently named as one of the captains in the AHL All Star game in January, but he'll gladly trade that honor for more nights like tonight in the NHL.

Jose Theodore turned away 22 of the 24 shots he faced, but he certainly could not be faulted for the second goal.

Sabres defenseman Toni Lydman misfired on a slap shot from the point and the puck hit Maxim Afinogenov, who was trying to simply get out of the way. The puck then managed to bounce behind Theodore, pulling Buffalo (16-14-5-37, third in Northeast) to within one goal.

The Caps would stymie the Sabres for the remaining 1:49 and extend their home record to 14-1-1, best in the Eastern Conference. Carolina knocked off Atlanta, keeping pace with the Caps, eight back in the Southeast Division race.


Photo by AP.
___________________________________________________
SCORESHEET

WAS: Kozlov (9) from Backstrom and Helmer (2-17:46); Gordon (3) from Jurcina (3-1:58); Ovechkin (23) from Helmer (3-8:27)

BUF: Vanek (25) from Stafford and Spacek (3-6:13-PP); Afinogenov (2) from Lydman and Kotalik (3-18:11)
___________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. B. Helmer - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 2)
2. D. Brashear - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 0)
3. A. Ovechkin - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
___________________________________________________
NOTES

Caps' Captain Chris Clark returned from the Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) after missing 14 games with a stress fracture in his forearm.

Washington out shot Buffalo 34-24.

Sergei Fedorov has been put on LTIR, retroactive to Dec. 14th. He is eligible to return Jan. 9 vs. Columbus.

With less than eleven seconds remaining in overtime, Alex Ovechkin decided enough was enough. He had watched his team fritter away a 4-2 third period lead and he simply took the game over. After hitting the post just seconds before, Ovechkin made no mistake on his second attempt.

His linemate, Niklas Backstrom, kept a bouncing puck in the zone and shot the pass to Ovechkin, who had been forechecking, slicing through the high slot. A slight hesitation and a rocket wrist shot later, the Washington Capitals (19-10-3-41, first in Southeast) walked out of Nassau Coliseum with a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders (10-18-3-23, fifth in Atlantic).

The Capitals have won four straight games and eight of their last ten to open a ten point lead in the Southeast Division. The loss was New York's seventh straight and have dropped nine of their last ten.

Washington got out of the gate quickly. Boyd Gordon and Brooks Laich both scored "soft" goals against Islanders netminder Joey MacDonald in the first period to open a 2-0 lead. It was Gordon's first goal in 27 games.

Veteran center Doug Weight cut the lead in half just under two minutes later, beating Caps goalie Brent Johnson with a slap shot on a power play.

The second period would see two more goals from Washington sandwiched around another power play goal from New York, this time from Richard Park (6). Defenseman Milan Jurcina (3) banked a long wrist shot off an Islanders defender and Ovechkin took a beautiful no-look backward pass from Semin, who had drawn the defense--and MacDonald--away from the sniper, who buried the puck in a wide open net.

But the Islanders would not roll over despite facing a two-goal deficit. The Isles came out blazing in the third, outshooting the Caps 17-5 in the period, and scored twice on Any Sutton's snap shot and a tip-in from Jon Sim on a blast from the point from Mark Streit, just seconds after a power play had expired, with 2:13 left in regulation.

The teams traded opportunities in the four-on-four overtime until late in the frame when the Capitals got a sustained flurry as time wound down. That's when Backstrom did the grunt work and Ovechkin played Superman.
_________________________________________________
SCORESHEET

WAS: Gordon (2) from Brashear and Steckel (1-2:54); Laich (7) from Green and Johnson (1-14:18); Jurcina (3) from Alzner and Kozlov (2-6:07); Ovechkin (18) from Semin and Backstrom (2-16:35); Ovechkin (19) from Backstrom (OT-4:49)

NYI: Weight (7) from Park and Streit (1-16:14-PP); Park (6) from Guerin and Streit (2-14:32-PP); Sutton (2) from Hunter and Park (3-11:19); Sim (6) from Streit and Guerin (3-17:47)
_________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. A. Ovechkin - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)
2. R. Park - NYI (Goals: 1, Assists: 2)
3. K. Alzner - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)
_________________________________________________
NOTES

Washington had killed their last 18 penalties until Weight and Park's goals.

Ovechkin has five goals in his last three games.

Announced attendance was just 11,655 at Nassau Coliseum, but actual attendance was significantly less.

Matt Bradley dropped the gloves with Tim Jackman in the first period, both drawing five-minute majors.

Despite a furious late third period comeback attempt, the Washington Capitals (11-7-3, first in Southeast Division) lost their third straight game road game to the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, at the Xcel Energy Center. The loss drops the Caps 1-3-1 on their extended road trip, and the injuries keep piling up.

The most devastating of the new injuries came to D Jeff Schultz, who broke a finger in the first period blocking a shot. The team has already stated he will miss at least a couple weeks for the digit to heal. The injury leaves an already depleted defense squad further reduced, leaving the team no choice in calling up a player for tomorrow's game against Atlanta. There is already mounting speculation that player will be Sami Lepisto.

In addition, F Boyd Gordon left the game with back spasms and D John Erskine left with an undisclosed injury. Along with D Mike Green, F Sergei Federov and F Alexander Semin, these players will be listed as day-to-day, though the latter three have missed several games already.

As for the game itself, the Caps played like the tired and wounded team that they are, completing a four-game, seven-day stretch across the west coast of the country. Minnesota built a 4-0 lead midway through the third period, on two goals from rookie Cal Clutterbuck, the first tow of his career. Marek Zidlicky and James Sheppard added the third and fourth goals, with Sheppard's proving to be the eventual game winner. It was his first goal in 48 games.

Zidlicky's goal came on a 5-on-3 power place as a result of two consecutive closing-hand-on-the-puck penalties called 26 seconds apart on the Capitals' Tom Poti and Alex Ovechkin.

Washington's comeback started at 14:43 of the third when Matt Bradley slid a backhanded shot, his third of the season, past Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom. Alex Ovechkin notched his ninth a minute and a half later as he used his patented delay shot, using a Minnesota defender to screen the normally reliable Backstrom. At 18:16, the Caps' Niklas Backstrom scored against his namesake on a power play, cutting the lead to just one. However, the Caps had dug themselves too deep a hole and could never realize the equalizer.

Backstrom's goal gives him 16 points in his last nine games.

The Caps return home to face the Atlanta Thrashers Wednesday night at 7:00 pm ET from the Verizon Center.

Video courtesy of Caps365 at http://capitals.nhl.tv
____________________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. C. Clutterbuck - MIN (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)

2. M. Zidlicky - MIN (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)

3. M. Koivu - MIN (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)
____________________________________________________________
NOTES: Minnesota is 5-0 against the Caps at home in their history.

Washington gave up 26 goals on its five-game road trip. They play just one game the rest of the season (at Nashville) outside the Eastern time zone.

Ovechkin's goal was his first career marker against Minnesota. The only teams remaining he has not scored against are Los Angeles and San Jose.

PITTSBURGH -- Trailing 3-1 entering the third period, Washington scored three times and out shot the host Pittsburgh Penguins 21-6 in the frame as the Capitals stormed back to take a well earned 4-3 come-from-behind road win.

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.