Ending their involvement in the strange saga surrounding goaltender Semyon Varlamov, the Washington Capitals traded his rights to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Colorado's first round pick in the 2012 entry draft, plus a second round pick in either the 2012 or 2013 draft.  TSN reports the Capitals have their choice of the second round picks.

Colorado's first round pick could very well be a lottery pick in next year's draft, as they were the third worst team in the NHL last season and expect to be in a serious re-building mode.

Apparently, Colorado feels Varlamov's injury history and the drama surrounding the possibility of him playing in the KHL next season are non-factors to surrender such a bounty for the 23-year old netminder.

Varlamov was 11-6-5 last season for the Caps -- including a win New Year's Day in the Winter Classic -- with a .912 save percentage, but injuries to his groin and knee held him to just 27 games.  Terrifically talented but somewhat enigmatic, Varlamov just couldn't stay on the ice enough for the Caps to dedicate themselves to his being their No. 1 goalie.

The deal leaves the Capitals with three goalies with NHL experience: Michael Neuvirth, Braden Holtby and Dany Sabourin.  It will be interesting to follow the Caps during the free agent signing period to see if they bring in a veteran backup, or roll with Neuvirth and Holtby, both young goalies with success in the NHL already.

So over on Twitter today there's been raging debate on who folks think Bruce Boudreau should go with in goal for the Washington Capitals for Game One in the playoffs.  Essentially, who is this team's playoff goalie?

Japers' Rink asked the question today too, and provided the stats for an analytical approach to evaluating the decision.

Does Boudreau go with Michal Neuvirth, who the Caps have ridden to 27 of their 48 wins this season and won two Calder Cups?  Or should he go with the goalie with better statistics this season (in many fewer games) and that he's trusted more in the playoffs the last two seasons, Semyon Varlamov?

It's an interesting debate, because both goalies are immensely talented.  And as 50 Mission Caps points out, because of the motivational factor and psyche of the team, you can really only switch goalies once in a series, because as they put it:

"...the whole point of changing your starter in the playoffs is that it gives your team an excuse for games they've already lost. It's not actually about goaltending, it's about giving your team amnesia, or some sort of get-out-of-adverse-momentum free card. Under no circumstances is this to become a rotation by whimsy, or gut feel, or coin flip. Give your 'tender and your team a fighting chance. The minute you start to flip-flop back and forth, it stops being about a fresh start and starts being about your lousy goaltending. And no one wins in the playoffs with lousy goaltending."

Should this decision be made on statistics?  Should it be made on tenure?  Should it be made on gut instinct?

Or is it a matter of style preference?

Neuvirth is a technical goaltender, cut from the cloth of classic goalies like Ken Dryden, Bernie Parent and Olaf Kolzig.  Varlamov is an extremely gifted athletic goalie a la Dominic Hasek.  Heck, the Caps even have their crazy psycho goalie in Braden Holtby along the lines of Billy Smith and Ron Hextall ::shudder::.

Personally, I prefer the technical goalie.  I think they are more dependable and night after night give a more balanced performance.  Athletic goalies are spectacular to watch when they are on, but hold on to your hats if they aren't "feeling right" that night.  Again, it's a matter of preference.

All three goalies are ridiculously talented at such a young age and gives the Caps a stable of goalies that every team in the league should be envious of.  But we're not debating the long-term solution of Caps goalie for the next ten years.  We're talking about the next ten weeks or so.

So, who you got?

Every game the rest of the regular season is going to present the Washington Capitals with a chance to move up or down in the Eastern Conference standings.  But no team in hockey is on more of a roll, as the Caps won their ninth straight game overall -- and a team record sixth on a row on the road -- in a 4-2 win over last year's playoff nemesis Montreal Canadiens before a raucous crowd at the Bell Centre.

Rookie center Marcus Johansson, bouncing between the first and second lines due to injuries to Nicklas Backstrom and Jason Arnott, scored twice, notching his second two-goal game of the season.  Johansson's development this season has been impressive and he seems to be getting better as the season goes on.

And that's good.  Because with Arnott's "week-to-week" injury, Johansson is going to have to shoulder the load for a couple weeks that he looked ill-equipped to handle the first half of the season: that of a play-making second line center.

Johansson certainly looked the part last night, and has on occasion this season looked brilliant.  He's a terrific skater and decent defender, but at time on offense he's looked timid and deferential to the veterans on the team. 

But the young Swede banged home an awkward bounce off the back boards into an empty net for the first goal of the game, and got the game winner in the third, putting a backhander in against Carey Price (37 saves) off a nice pass from Alex Ovechkin.  Ovechkin had beaten P.K. Subban to the loose puck behind the net and got the puck to an open Johansson cutting to the goal.

Mike Knuble added a one-timer blast with 3:07 left to seal the victory, aided by a pretty saucer pass from Marco Sturm, who had just left the penalty box after taking a bad hooking call.  Brooks Laich got his 16th of the season -- and 100th NHL goal -- earlier in the game by beating Hal Gill to the outside, cutting across the crease and slipping the puck past a sprawled Price.

Price was tremendous in this game, and he defied logic and gravity at time keeping his Canadiens teammates in this one.  But time and again his defense let him down, committing costly turnovers and bad passes through the neutral zone.  And when the Montreal offense did manage to set up, Braden Holtby was there, making 24 saves in his fifth consecutive win.

Holtby looked shaky early, and made a huge error, playing a puck behind the net and not getting back to his crease quickly enough.  Travis Moen collected the puck along the boards below the circle and fired a short-angle shot, beating the goalie to the net.  Montreal's other goal was a nice wrist shot that beat Holtby glove side.

But the rookie netminder was again solid in the third period, turning away all eight Montreal shots in the final frame to help carry the Caps to victory.

The win came with a price, though, as Eric Fehr left the game in the second period and did not return.  After the game, coach Bruce Boudreau said Fehr suffered an "upper body injury" and would be re-evaluated in the morning.

It was a big game and a big win for the Capitals in Montreal last night. The Bell Center can be a house of horrors, and no Caps fan will soon forget how last year's series turned out with "Le Blue, Blanc et Rouge."

But this year's version of the Capitals are coming into their own as the second season approaches.  They still haven't lost since the trade deadline, and are playing the tight-checking, close to the vest style of hockey that many around the league refer to as "playoff hockey". 

They proved again last night they can go into a tough building and come out with two points.  Nine wins in a row in has vaulted the Caps back into the conversation about the top seed in the East, and as play begins Wednesday Washington finds themselves just one point behind Philadelphia for that top spot, though the Flyers have two games in hand over the Caps.

As the road trip continues through Detroit and New Jersey, next Tuesday's matchup with the Flyers looms.

Can you blame a guy for looking ahead a little bit?

CAPS NOTES:  Jason Arnott did not make the road trip with what the Capitals are calling a "week-to-week" undisclosed injury.  He will miss at least the first three games of the road trip.

Nickals Backstrom (hand) did make the trip and skated before the Montreal game, but was held out again.  He could very well make his return Wednesday in Detroit.

Jay Beagle got a sweater for the first time since Feb. 26.  He took 15 shifts and recorded one shot on goal.

John Carlson played his best game in a while, recording six shots and blocking two.  He had an assist and was plus-2 for the night.

Matt Hendricks had a goal waived off after a scramble in the crease.  The video replay judges ruled the on-ice officials either had or were in the process of blowing the play dead and upheld the ruling on the ice of "no goal."

The power play went 2-for-5, but failed to score on a 1:25 five-on-three to end the first period.

The Washington Capitals needed a game like this.

Before another capacity crowd, the Capitals finally looked like, well, the Capitals, unleashing a 5-0 shutout on the unsuspecting Edmonton Oilers, winning their sixth straight game in the process.  It's the first time since Jan. 14 the Caps have won by more than one goal.

Rookie Braden Holtby, making his tenth NHL start, blanked the worst-in-the-league Oilers on 22 shots.  The quirky rookie, a fan favorite, ran his record to 6-2-2 for the Caps this season.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice, as did Eric Fehr, making his return to the ice after missing 22 games with an injured shoulder.  Alexander Semin also scored, giving him goals in three straight games.

Washington's six-game run matches its longest of the season (Oct. 30-Nov. 11). The Capitals also have won three straight at home, their longest such streak since mid-November.

It was a night of milestones.  In addition to Holtby's first NHL shutout, Ovechkin notched his 600th point on his first goal.  The Great Eight passed Michal Pivonka on the team's all-time list to take sole possession of third in team history, behind Peter Bondra (825) and Mike Gartner (789).

Jason Arnott's assist on the play was his 900th career point, and defenseman Dennis Wideman's assist on Semin's goal was his 200th career point.

Washington went 2-for-5 on the power play, a good sign as the season winds down that maybe, just maybe, the Caps are pulling out of their team-wide scoring doldrums.

The win keeps the Caps (38-20-10, 86) just two points behind Philadelphia (who beat Edmonton Monday night) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and two points ahead of Tampa Bay for first in the Southeast Division.  The Lightning defeated Chicago Tuesday in a shootout to keep pace with the Caps.

Some people are never happy though.  In the aftermath of the win, among the jubiliation of free wings there were also plenty of comments on Twitter and other message boards that this was "only the Oilers", the team with the fewest points in the league.  But let's not make light of what happened at Verizon Center last night.

The Capitals soundly defeated a lesser opponent that find themselves in the middle of a road trip.  They did it -- at home -- with dynamic scoring, success on the power play, stingy defense and solid goaltending.  It's  recipe that we've seen bits and pieces of this season.  But rarely -- if ever -- have we seen the complete package.

Regardless of the opponent, the Oilers are still an NHL team, and nothing comes easy in this league.

The Caps are now 8-2 in their last ten games, and appear to be on a serious roll with 14 games left until the playoffs.  There's room for improvement, but all the one-goal wins look conspicuously like "Playoff Hockey".

It's taken a while for the Caps to adjust to playing a more defensively-oriented game.  Having now found success with that style, if they can add few of the elements that made them the highest scoring team in the league last season they could still fulfill the destiny that so many Caps fans, the owner, and the players themselves assumed they would when they reported for training camp in September.

And maybe even the doubters will enjoy it finally.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Eric Fehr.  Welcome back Fehrsie.  Two goals, giving this offense a boost it needed with Nick Backstrom sidelined.

2. Alex Ovechkin.  Two goals, including a power play marker from the post.  Sweet.

1. Braden Holtby.  We have a rule around here: Shut out = First Star.  It's a rule.

CAPS NOTES:  Mike Green (head/ear) was placed on LTIR and is not eligible to return until March 22.

Nicklas Backstrom (hand) missed the contest, breaking his consecutive games played streak at 341.

Washington is 32-0-3 when scoring at least three goals.

Braden Holtby and the Caps celebrate a 2-1 shootout win over Tampa Bay. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Don't let anyone fool you.  The Washington Capitals want to win the Southeast Division.  It's a source of pride with them, throughout the organization.  They pay lip service to the idea of making the playoffs and wanting a good seed, etc.  But they believe the Southeast Division banner belongs in Verizon Center.

They took a large step toward that goal last night, beating the team challenging for that title this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a shootout before a raucous crowd at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Washington tied the game at 14:28 of the third, as Alexander Semin, for the second time in as many games, played the hero.  He took a pass from Dennis Wideman on the left wing and rifled a wicked wrist shot past Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson (29 saves), who was once again stymieing the Caps, turning back everything thrown his way until that point.

The teams traded scoring chances as the time wound down, but neither could find the back of the net again, and as against the Panthers last night, would require overtime.  Washington played their most productive hockey in the extra session, but despite a man-advantage could not find the winner and had to move to penalty shots.

Alex Ovechkin was the first shooter for either team and mad no mistake, deking Roloson and beating him backhanded.  It was the only goal necessary, as Braden Holtby, called upon to relieve Michal Neuvirth, stoned all three Tampa shooters, including team captain Vincent Lecavalier on the final shot to secure the two-point night.

Neuvirth left the game after the first period, reportedly due to a collision with Lightning winger Adam Hall on one of the first shifts of the game, when Hall came through the crease and knocked Neuvirth's helmet from his head.  He stayed in through the first period, but took a seat after the intermission.

Neuvirth was not the only Caps player to not finish the game.  Center Nicklas Backstrom reportedly fell on the same hand he broke his thumb on and was held out as a precaution, according to reports after the game.  The team hasn't released any information on either player other than they were being evaluated and would be day-to-day.

Despite ending the game missing their starting goalie and No. 1 center, the Caps took care of business.  It wasn't pretty.  But they got it done.

This was, in every essence, a playoff game.  It was a tight-checking, shot-blocking, body-sacrificing divisional showdown.  The traditional bully has been pushed around a little bit this season, but have found a way -- in the last five games, all one-goal wins -- to finally play a strong defensive game, the type where one goal will make the difference.

The win not only gives the Caps a two-point lead in the division, something they believe is their birthright, but also draws them to within two points of the top of the Eastern Conference, currently held by the imploding Philadelphia Flyers, losers of four in a row.

The Eastern Conference is tightening up, and with three home games coming up in the next week, the Caps might finally have a chance to solidify their playoff spot and insinuate themselves in the conference discussion.

Just don't expect many high-scoring games or blowouts.  The Caps are playing playoff hockey now.

"We've got to figure out ways to get to that net and find some dirty, ugly goals." --Matt Hendricks, who was the only Capital player to take that advice to heart.

Caps console goalie Braden Holtby after 2-1shootout loss. (C.Nichols/CapsNewsNetwork)

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals allowed a depleted, offensive-starved New York Rangers team to come into their building with their back-up goalie and steal two points, as Washington lost their seventh straight extra-time game, 2-1 in a shootout that never should have happened.

Washington has taken a point in five straight games, going 3-0-2, but this one should have been in the win column.  The Caps tried to sit on a lead and failed to seize any of the opportunities provided to them and allowed a beaten team to score a fluky goal and send the game to overtime.

Very simply, the Caps played not to lose in the third period.  They sat back on defense and watched the Rangers get off ten shots to their measly six, most in the frantic last two minutes of regulation, after New York tied the game at one at 13:19.

It was an ugly goal, one that Marian Gaborik, the credited goal scorer, didn't even see.  Brian Boyle lofted a floater to the low slot from the point, and the puck hit Gaborik in the arm, and in the motion of turning the puck deflected off Gaborik, and perhaps Caps defenseman Karl Alzner's stick, and past a confused Braden Holtby.

The goal went to review, but with the call on the ice of "goal", it was very difficult to overrule.  Gaborik certainly did nothing on purpose to direct the puck toward the net, and it appears it never hit his stick, which was above his waist.  Gaborik didn't know what happened, as he was the last man on the ice to realize that a goal had been scored.

“It was a lucky bounce,” Matt Hendricks said. “A fluke goal on their part.  But they had been getting pretty close. They had a lot of shots. They were outplaying us in the attack zone.”

It's fitting that the deciding goal in this game would be scored in such a fashion, because it's the type of goal the Caps just aren't getting right now.

"You've heard the old cliche 'defense is your best offense' and it is," Hendricks continued.  "If you're playing well in the defensive zone you're going to force them to make mistakes, force them to turn pucks over and then you've got to use it to your benefit.  You've got to be ready to go and take the opportunities."

But the Caps squandered most of the opportunities they were presented last night. 

They managed just 17 shots on goal in regulation.  Read that again.  Just 17 shots on goal in regulation.  Alex Ovechkin had six and Hendricks had four.  That means that 16 other skaters combined for seven shots in regulation.

Brooks Laich had one shot on goal.  Mike Green had one. Mike Knuble had one.  Mathieu Perreault had zero.  The fourth line had zero combined.

That's squandering any opportunity you've been presented.

Coach Bruce Boudreau certainly noticed.  "We’ve been passing up shots to create plays. I thought there were four or five times when the defenseman or forward had it, we’d fake a shot, we had a good direct line and we’d pass it up. You score your goals by shooting the puck and going to the net.”

The Caps seemed to take some momentum from a second period goal by Hendricks, his second in as many games.  Marcus Johansson found Hendricks cutting to the far post and hit him perfectly in stride from the opposite point.  All Hendricks had to do was get his stick on it to tip it past Rangers goalie Martin Biron (23 saves).

But in the third period, the Caps came out and tried to suffocate the Rangers, content to sit on the lead and play not to lose, instead of seizing the opportunity to pounce on a wounded opponent. 

Ovechkin described the third period philosophy.  "We just get the lead and we try to make safe game and avoid mistakes. But they score a goal on a lucky bounce, it hits the glove and goes in the net. So, we can do nothing."

It says a lot about the state of the Capitals right now that the most exciting offensive player in hockey is talking about playing a "safe game" instead of going for victory.

Instead of celebrating a hard-earned victory at home, the Caps leave Verizon Center for a quick trip to Atlanta with the bitter taste of shootout defeat in their mouths. After seemingly taking a step forward on the recently concluded road trip, settling for a point in a shootout loss to a backup goalie sends them back to square one.



THE GOOD:  Marcus Johansson's pass to Matt Hendricks, cutting to the far post, was a thing of absolute beauty.  It's plays like that where you can see the young pivot is going to be making a living in this game for a long time.

It's also the type of play we used to see a lot from another Swedish center.

THE BAD: Boudreau is grasping at so many straws on the power play right now, he gave the Gordon-Steckel-King line 28 seconds of power play time.  Under no circumstances is that the right thing to do.

The Capitals went 0-for-2 on the power play, registering just a single shot on goal in four minutes.

THE UGLY: On three separate occasions last night, players that had the puck with speed entering the offensive zone deferred to Ovechkin at the blue line, leading to turnovers.  Twice Nick Backstrom, who was otherwise invisible against the Rangers, crossed the blue line with speed, only to dump it to the double-covered Ovechkin.  Chimera was guilty of it too.

If you have speed at the blue line, carry the puck to the circles and look for Ovi in the slot, or dump and chase.  STOP GOING BACKWARDS IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE!

Rant over.

THE STATS:  Matt Hendricks (7) from Marcus Johansson (6) and Scott Hannan (7) at 1:27 of 2nd.  Holtby: L, 28 saves on 29 shots (.966).

NEXT GAME: Wednesday at Atlanta Thrashers at 7:00 pm. Last game before All-Star break.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Braden Holtby.  Again, just one goal in regulation.  And the player that "scored" it didn't even realize it.  The quirky kid netminder has given up three goals in three games.
2. Alex Ovechkin.  Really, he was the best player on the ice tonight, he just didn't produce any points.  Six shots, another five blocked or missed.  Speed game is coming back.  He was asked post-game if he felt more confident in himself and he replied "The Old Ovi"?  Yes, please.

1. Matt Hendricks.  Goal in regulation.  Get this -- going to the net!  Goal in the shootout.  Four shots, three hits, plus-1.  What's not to love?

Holtby victimized in the shootout. (C.Nichols/CapsNewsNetwork)

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals rose to the occasion of "Hockey Night in Canada", with their superstar recording his first hat trick of the season en route to a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Center.

The Caps third baby goalie, Braden Holtby, was spectacular, making several "how did he do that" saves and kept his team in the game until they were able to break out in the third period.

Alex Ovechkin really wanted this one.  Not only did he score three times, but he also had three blocks, including one late in the third period where he laid out on the ice to knock down a shot from the high slot.

Ovi's first goal was a redirect of a shot from Jeff Schultz from the point.  Later, he victimized J.S. Giguere from in close after getting clobbered by defenseman Luke Schenn.  To cap his trick, he beat Tomas Kaberle down the boards and dumped the puck into an open net to seal the win.

In between, Matt Hendricks turned hard work into a pretty goal.  On a defensive zone face off, he was able to tip the puck between Toronto's defensemen and race up the ice in on Giguere, where he made an exaggerated pump-fake to get Giguere down on the ice, then Hendricks slipped the puck on the backhand past the fallen goalie.

Earlier in the night he'd gotten his nose rearranged in a tussle with Leafs Mike Brown, but that didn't keep Hendricks from missing a shift -- he played with a plug in his nostril to keep it from bleeding.

Holtby was the big story most of the night.  He made 35 saves, allowing just a bang-bang goal to Tim Brent.  But he made two huge kick saves early in the game, and robbed Mikhail Grabovski with the glove late in the third.

Taking the win on "Hockey Night in Canada" must be extra-special for Holtby.  The youngster gave up five goals twice in November and was disappointed with his play.  He went back to Hershey and was stellar, recovering his confidence.  He has now won back-to-back games with Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov nursing injuries.

This team has as good of a stable of good, young, athletic goaltenders as anyone in the league.  It's a luxury to be able to recall a player of Holtby's talent when an injury pops up.

So the Caps come home taking five of six points available on the three-game roadie.  The games with the Islanders and Leafs were must games, and the Capitals were up to the task.  They needed those points in the standings, and what's more, they needed to prove to themselves they still knew how to win.

THE GOOD: Ovi is scoring. Enough said.

THE BAD:  Well, this game started pretty slow.  Don't judge me, I'm in a good mood.

THE UGLY: I'm going to pass on handing out an ugly.  Just a solid win as the third straight game on the road.

THE STATS: Alex Ovechkin (17) from Jeff Schultz (6) and Nick Backstrom (33) at 14:27 of 1st.  Alex Ovechkin (18) from Mike Green (14) and Jason Chimera (10) at 1:12 of 3rd.  Matt Hendricks (6) unassisted at 8:14 of 3rd.  Alex Ovechkin (19) from Nick Backstrom (34) and John Carlson (16) at 19:36 of 3rd (EN).

NEXT GAME: Monday v. New York Rangers at Verizon Center at 7:00 pm.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Matt Hendricks.  Broken nose in a fight?  No big deal.  He'll just score a pump-fake breakaway goal.

2. Braden Holtby.  Was simply magnificent.  He kept the Caps in the game with several ridiculous saves.

1. Alex Ovechkin.  His hat trick is huge.  He's using his outside speed and physicality inside.

"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 Washington Capitals have recalled Braden Holtby from Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL).  Mike Vogel reported that Michal Neuvirth was returned to DC for further evaluation.

Photo 2010 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/
Capitals News Network. All Rights Reserved.

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals got down early behind a shaky rookie backup goalie and never recovered, cruising throughout the game and falling to the homestanding Atlanta Thrashers 5-0, before an annouced 11,115 at Phillips Arena.  There were perhaps half that in attendance.

It was the first time the Capitals (14-5-1) had been shut out since Dec. 9, 2009, to Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres.

Braden Holtby, making his second start of the season, lasted just 9:27, allowing three pretty bad goals in succession.  The youngster faced just five shots before being yanked by Coach Bruce Boudreau.

Holtby was screened on the first goal, a wrist shot from Ben Eager from the right wing circle that went across the crease and beat him stick-side. On the second goal, he misplayed a loose puck above the crease from his stomach and Nik Antorpov pushed a backhander into the empty goal.

Just 15 seconds later, Evander Kane flung a puck toward the Caps goal from just above the goal line that Holtby never saw and it went right between his legs for the Thrashers third goal.  That's all that Boudreau needed to see.

Things didn't really get much better after Michal Neuvirth (29 saves on 31 shots) entered.  He was solid in net, but the damage had already been done.  The Caps were outshot 36-29 and, for the most part, looked fairly uninterested after the score became 3-0.

Things were much better on the other end of the ice, as Ondrej Pavelec stopeed all 29 shots he faced.  Pavelec was also the beneficiary of three Capitals shots ringing off goal posts.

And there was injury to go along with the insult.  Mike Green took a hard shot into the boards and missed several shifts, and Mike Knuble took an Eric Fehr shot to his face, drawing much blood.  He never returned to the game and Boudreau said Knuble would be "out a while" with the injury.

There just isn't much more to say about this one.  The Caps were outplayed and out-hustled, and I'm sure it will be a quiet flight home tonight after Boudreau gets the screaming out of his system in the lockerroom.

It's a quick turnaround for a team that laid an egg this evening, with the Philadelphia Flyers already in D.C. awaiting the team with the best record in the league to return home for Saturday night's main event.  Hopefully, the Caps got all their suck out of the way tonight and find some of the Fury for their worthy opponent.

Cause they sure didn't have any tonight.

THE GOOD:  Hmm.  Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves in the relief effort.  Mike Green had four shots on goal.  I guess that's it.

THE BAD:  Braden Holtby.  He looked shaky and nervous.  It's just one game, but even from the look on his face for the pre-game skate he just didn't "look" right.

THE UGLY:  Tyler Sloan.  He was on the ice for all of Atlanta's first four goals.  This team can't get Tom Poti back quickly enough.

THE STATS:  No goals.

NEXT GAME:  Saturday at 7:00 pm at Verizon Center against the Philadelphia Flyers.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3.  John Carlson and Karl Alzner.  Both players were even on a night the Caps gave up five goals.

2.  Nicklas Backstrom.  Only had one shot on goal, but was one of few players that had spring in his step.

1.  Michael Neuvirth.  He continued his strong season, but this was certainly a night Boudreau would have liked to rest him with the big match-up tomorrow.

“We wanted to score on the power play, more for me on the confidence of the power play and it won us the game so it worked out. I thought we were pretty patient and showed a lot of good restraint today. We didn’t retaliate and that was good.” -- Coach Bruce Boudreau

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals ended the Philadelphia Flyers sixth game winning streak in front of the 68th consecutive sellout crowd at Verizon Center on Sunday night.  The game went to overtime and Mike Green scored the winning power play goal to give the Caps their tenth win of the season with the 3-2 victory over the Flyers.

A couple of changes in the standings. The Washington Capitals are now on top in the Eastern Conference for the first time this season and Alex Semin is now the team leader in goals with nine.

Braden Holtby got the nod tonight for his first NHL start.  Getting a start is big, however, starting against a rival on a hot streak is even bigger.  Holtby seemed to handle the pressure well. “It’s definitely huge, but on a team like this, if a goalie just kind of gives the team a chance to win, they usually are going to pull through some goals. It definitely gave me a lot of confidence coming in.”

Holtby gave up his first NHL goal to Nikolay Zherdev in the first period. “I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, that they were going to score on me. I came into the game hoping for a victory and I knew I wasn’t going to get a shutout in my first game. [I] Came in and just tried to get the victory and work my way up.”

Coming into this game, the Flyers and Caps had basically the same record at 9-4-1 and 9-4-0 respectively.  The Caps may have had a small advantage in that they were off on Saturday night while the Flyers played and the fatigue showed on the ice. Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger said, “Not our best hockey, but there was a lot of stuff we did well and a lot of stuff we can work on. To get three points out of four is pretty good.”

Eric Fehr scored his third goal of the season and the first of the night for the Caps that went to the upper right-hand corner of the net. John Erskine and Tyler Sloan were credited as the helpers. "We expect that third line to be able to chip in" said Coach Boudreau. "When Eric is shooting and scoring, it certainly makes a big difference."

The Flyers had three times as many penalty minutes than the Caps, however, it wasn't until the middle of the third period that the Caps took advantage of the power play.  Nicklas Backstrom picked up an Alex Ovechkin rebound and passed to Alex Semin who easily got the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky. The goal was Semin's ninth of the season and the fourth game in a row in which he scored.

Neither team scored in the third period.  The Flyers O'Donnell took a boarding penalty at the end of the third while tied up at two so it was 5-on-3 for 18.1 of third period since Pronger was still serving his time for double-minor high sticking penalty.  This meant more power play time in overtime for the Capitals.

It only took twenty-nine seconds for Mike Green to score the winning power play goal assisted by Backstrom and Mike Knuble. "Everything felt stable out there," Green said. "It felt composed and there was no panic. In the past we've got into situations where we panicked and there was confusion and I think tonight we were pretty stable."

The Capitals have four games in the next week. Neuvrith and Holtby may each get a few starts with the grueling schedule ahead, especially now that Boudreau is comfortable with Holtby in front of the net. “In the first two periods I thought he looked a little nervous, but once they started getting some shots in the third period I thought he made a great game-saving save there in that flurry, moving from side to side. So, I think he handled himself overall really well for his first complete game.”

“We’re in the mix. Not saying we’re better or worse, but we’re in the mix that we can compete against the better teams" said Boudreau. "Next week is no different… this whole league is good.”

We saved the bad news for last (well, hopefully it is not serious).  Coach Bruce Boudreau announced in post-game presser that Brooks Laich is out with "upper body injury." Brooks wanted to play, but doctors kept him out as a precaution.

INTERESTING NOTES AND STATS FROM CAPS: 

• The Capitals won their fourth straight game and improved to 5-0 in overtime games this season. The win lifts Washington into a tie with Philadelphia atop the Eastern Conference and snapped the Flyers’ six-game winning streak.
• Mike Green, tonight’s first star, scored his fourth goal of the season 29 seconds into the overtime session and is currently riding a four-game goal scoring streak and a five-game point streak (four goals, four assists). The Capitals are 4-0-0 when Green registers a goal.
• The overtime goal was the fifth of Green’s career, tied for second in Capitals history with Peter Bondra and Kelly Miller. Only Alex Ovechkin (8) has more career overtime goals for the Capitals.
• Braden Holtby, in his first NHL start, became the third straight Caps’ goaltender to start his career 2-0-0. He turned away 25 shots, including all eight he faced in the third.
• Tonight's goaltenders are the two youngest to start games in the NHL this season (Holtby, 21, and Sergei Bobrovsky, 22).
• Eric Fehr opened the scoring for the Caps and recorded his third goal of the season with 2:31 left in the first period. Fehr has scored all of his six points (three goals, three assists) this season at Verizon Center. The Capitals improved to 3-0-0 when Fehr scores a goal and 5-0-0 when he registers a point.
• Alexander Semin scored his team-high ninth goal of the year – a power-play goal - at 8:54 into the second period. Semin extended his goal and point streak to four games (four goals, three assists), his best since notching his career-best six-game goal streak from Feb. 26 to Mar. 8, 2009. The Capitals are 7-0-0 when Semin scores a goal and 6-0-0 when the team records a power play goal.
• Alex Ovechkin extended his point streak to six games (four goals, six assists) when he assisted on Semin’s tally in the second period. Ovechkin has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) through 14 games to lead the team and is now tied for sixth in Caps history with 547 career points in 410 GP (matching Mike Ridley).
• With Semin’s nine goals and Ovechkin’s eight, the Capitals are the only team in the league with two eight-plus goal scorers. The duo has combined for eight goals and 16 points in the past four games.
• David Steckel was 80% at the faceoff dot tonight, winning eight of the 10 faceoffs he took.
• Semin recorded a game-high seven shots on goal tonight.
• Green skated a game-high 30:26 in ice time tonight, the fourth time this year he has surpassed 30 minutes of ice time.
• Washington posted a 3-0-0 record during this homestand, and is now 7-1-0 at Verizon Center – the best home record in the NHL (through the end of tonight’s game).
• The Capitals have won five straight overtime games for the second time under head coach Bruce Boudreau (also won six in a row from Jan. 5 to Feb. 10, 2008).

NEXT GAME: Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at NY Rangers

“I feel great about the fact that we played tremendous the first two periods, so I am not going to try to spin any negatives on this. This is a great team and we shut them down with 11 or 12 shots in two periods.” -- Coach Bruce Boudreau

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals played their best second period of the season in front of the 67th consecutive sellout crowd at Verizon Center on Friday night.  Caps won 5-3 over Boston Bruins.

The Caps have already played the Bruins four times prior to Friday's game.  Caps took the wins in both pre-season games and Bruins won the regular season games 3-1 and 4-1.  Both teams looked very different from that last two games. 

The Caps defense was strong throughout all of their lines and having a healthy Mike Green back has made a world of difference.  Coach Boudreau  expressed the value of Green back on the ice in his post-game presser. “He’s the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, which means he is probably the best one in the world. When you don’t have him, it’s a detriment - when you do have him, it’s a real bonus.”

Caps first goal of the game was scored by Defenseman Tyler Sloan, just one day shy of a year from his last goal.  Sloan's slapshot was his first ever goal at Verizon Center and the fourth of his NHL career. Three of them have come in November. "Yeah, I was excited. I haven't scored at Verizon [Center] yet. It was a great experience and it just happened to chip in tonight."

Sloan was part of the stellar defense tonight. “I thought the first was okay, it wasn’t great. But the second was tremendous; we just got to find a way to do a better job in the third period and continue to play like we do in the second period. We will learn, we will figure it out. I think everybody was happy overall with the whole effort tonight.”

Mike Green scored the second goal - a wrist shot with assists from Ovechkin and Backstrom.

Alex Semin continued his hot streak with a BEAUTIFUL shorthanded goal in the second period.  He ended up sliding on his belly on the ice, pounded the ice with his fist and smile from ear to ear. When asked about Semin's raised leverl of emotion after scoring, Boudreau said, "He's getting Americanized." (with laughter). "He loves to win. He loves to play."

The Caps were up 3-0 after two periods and Washington was clearly dominating the puck.  The Bruins pulled goalie Tim Thomas and replaced him with Tuukka Rask.  Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien wanted to change the momentum of the game.  "I understand," Thomas said. "Coach came and talked to me after the second period and told me what his thoughts were. And I said I understand and I agree."

Julien's strategy was working and all of a sudden the Bruins scored three unanswered goals and tied the Caps at three.  Bourdreau didn't think that Neuvirth looked good on the second and third goals.  "He might be a little tired. He's not used to playing under this kind of pressure."

So with about ten minutes remaining in a tie game against a tough team, Braden Holtby made his NHL debut.  It was a moment Holtby had thought about for twenty-one years. “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. I was pretty shocked when [Coach] Bruce [Boudreau] told me, but it was kind of cool to go into a tight game. Definitely got the heart pumping, but [I’m] glad Johnny [John Carlson] could pull out a big shot for us and get the win.”

Holtby turned away all four shots he faced in the third period and was credited with the win. Holtby also received the hardhat after the game.

Photo 2010 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/

Capitals News Network. All Rights Reserved.

John Carlson got the game-winning goal with assists by Eric Fehr and Boyd Gordon and Alex Ovechkin got the empty-netter with :58 seconds left in the game. 

Mike Green expressed his thoughts on coach Bruce Boudreau making the goalie change. “I think so, yeah [he was trying to send a wake-up call to the whole team]. Maybe he was looking at what happen with them [Boston], they pulled their goalie and they were getting goals right away so, maybe he had a feeling or what not. It worked.”

Click here to see photos of pre-game warmups.

NOTES: 

• Ovechkin extended his points streak to five games (4 goals, 5 assists).
• Washington outshot Boston 39-18.
• Washington became the first team this season to score three goals on Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas.
• NEXT GAME: Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 5pm at Verizon Center hosting Philadelphia Flyers

The Caps recalled goalie Braden Holtby from South Carolina of the East Coast League to back up Semyon Varlamov tomorrow night.  Holtby started the season at AHL Hershey, but was assigned to ECHL's Stingrays on Oct. 13 when Michal Neuvirth was pronounced fit to play. 

Snce Neuvirth has yet to appear in a game since his activation, Holtby got the call to make his NHL debut tomorrow when Nashville comes calling.

Here's Holtby's bio from capitals.nhl.com:

The Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, native was the Capitals’ fourth-round choice, 93rd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He played 61 games for Saskatoon in the Western Hockey League last year and posted a 40-16-4 record, a 2.62 GAA and a .910 save percentage. His 40 wins ranked second in the league while his six shutouts tied for third. He was named the WHL’s Eastern Conference Goaltender of the Year and was a finalist for the WHL Goaltender of the Year. Holtby joined Hershey at the end of the Blades’ season and was a backup for one game in the Bears’ Calder Cup run.

Jose Theodore did not practice today with lingering back spasms, so Brett "Stretch" Leonhardt, web producer, NHL.com personality, and bon vivant, strapped on the pads during practice this morning.

Theodore is listed as day-to-day after being removed from Thursday's 4-1 victory over San Jose.

To make room for Holtby under the salary cap, Tomas Fleischmann was put on the Long Term Injured List, meaning he will have to miss a total of at least 10 games before beign reactivated.  "Flash" has already missed seven games rehabbing from the blodd clot in his leg and was expected to miss at least three more.

It's time to go notebook style for the first time here at Caps News Network for roster changes, line shifts and minor league news!

• Tyler Sloan was recalled and has joined the Caps on the road trip. Sloan is 6'3" and a good skater on the blue line. He's also 27 and his next NHL game will be his first. The team needed another defenseman, with Poti's injury lingering, and the cap is just too tight to add Karl Alzner at this point. Sloan will pair with Jeff Schultz, leaving Morrisonn with Green and Erskine with Jurcina.

• Coach Boudreau shook up the front lines too. Federov moves back up front, teams with Ovie and Clark. Backstrom will center Laich and Semin. Nylander gets Fleischmann and Bradley, with Steckel working with Brashear (back from his hand injury) and Gordon or Fehr.

• Jose Theodore will get the start for Tuesday's game at Calgary.

• Just days after being sent down to ECHL's South Carolina, G Michal Neuvirth is back with Hershey. Capitals Insider says he'll still probably be loaned out to another AHL team.

• The Caps signed their 2008 4th round draft pick, G Braden Holtby, to a three-year entry level deal. He is currently 6-3-0 with a 2.23 GAA and .922 Save Percentage for Saskatoon of the WHL this season.