“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

"We had lots of chances to score.  We just didn't."  Coach Bruce Boudreau in his post-game remarks.

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals offense has been struggling all season long, and those problems continued Thursday night, as Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins dominated the Caps for the second time in three nights, winning 4-1 before a capacity crowd of 17,565 at TD Banknorth Garden for their home opener.

Boston has been on the road the better part of a month, playing exhibition games in Belfast before opening the regular season in Prague, then road games back in the states in New Jersey and Washington D.C..  But it was the team wearing Red that looked like they were the tired ones.

As has been the case all season, the Caps got down early, only this time Boston kept the pedal down and buried the Caps, manhandling them physically all evening.  Only a mistake playing the puck by Thomas early in the third period kept this from being an embarrassing shut out for the Boston netminder.

Thomas was excellent once again.  He's only allowed three goals in four games this year with a 0.75 GAA and .978 save percentage.  He made several excellent saves early, but all too often the Washington shooters either hit Thomas in the pads, or couldn't get any lift on the puck as Thomas made a succession of kick saves late in the first, robbing Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble in close with toe saves.

The Capitals penalty kill, which had not given up a goal all season, was not up to its new-found status, as they allowed three power play goals in four attempts, including a bomb from Zdeno Chara with 16 seconds remaining in the game.

The Caps showed life in both the first and third periods, buzzing the net and getting scoring opportunities.  Maybe they weren't getting the best opportunities, but the first period might have been the most effective they've had since the third period against the Devils.  But the Bruins scratched out a PP goal at 19:32, and all the good effort went for naught.

Coach Bruce Boudreau thought the late first period goal was the key to the whole game.  "I thought we outplayed them in the first period pretty good, coming in 0-0 in their home opener would have been so much better than the way it was."

But the wheels came completely off in the second period.

Jordan Caron put a snap shot past Semyon Varlamov at 2:22, taking advantage of poor communication and even worse positioning on defense, and the floodgates opened from there.

They just couldn't get out of their own end.  After another dismal power play, Alex Ovechkin was caught on the ice at the point for what seemed like an eternity.  Twice, in order just to get a breath, the Caps iced the puck, but that meant Ovechkin had to stay on the ice. 

Eventually, Alex Semin was whistled for hooking, stopping play and allowing Ovi off the ice.  Naturally, Boston made good on the advantage, with Nathan Horton scoring his fourth goal of the season 15 second before the infraction was to expire.

"We got caught out there too long with Nicky's line," Boudreau said.  "They got one change in while the puck was in our zone -- which was a great change by them -- and we were too tired to move and they made it 2-0 then they scored on the power play to make it 3-0.  It's pretty tough to come back against this team when the goalie is playing like that with a 3-0 lead."

We've been through this now the last couple of games.  This team is in a deep, deep funk offensively, and were it not for the seven-goal outburst against New Jersey the stats would look even worse.  Boudreau is trying to put a finger on it, and if it's getting a lucky result somewhere that flips the switch, it sounds like he'd take that at this point. 

"There are guys not producing that should be producing and we want them to produce.  Is it because they're not playing well, or is it because they're snakebit?  I think they can all play better.  It's a combination of both, I think."

Regardless the reason, if things don't change soon, Boudreau will be forced to make some changes.  And thistime, it might not just be shuffling lines.

THE GOOD:  There wasn't much.  Marcus Johansson played well centering the second line, and the Caps got a lot of shots on goal.  I'm reaching though.

THE BAD:  Power play went 0-for-4, shut out the entire eight minutes. 

This team really misses Mike Green, especially on the point of the power play.

THE UGLY:  For the second straight game, the Caps were physically dominated by the Bruins.  Granted, they are one of the stronger, more physical teams in the league.  But the game really looked like a replay of Game 5, 6, or 7 from last year's first round playoff exit.  Lots of shot from the perimeter, Ovi flipping wristers from the top of the circle, ususally into the shin pads of his defender, and the Caps getting beaten for pucks along the boards.

This team really misses Matt Bradley and Boyd Gordon doing some of that missing dirty work.

THE STATS:  Jason Chimera (2), unassisted at 9:27 of 3rd.  Semyon Varlamov 30-of-34.

NEXT GAME:  Saturday at 7:00 pm v. Atlanta Thrashers at Verizon Center.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3.  Mike Knuble.  The oldest guy on the team was the only one showing anything along the boards.  Had five SOG and broke up a 2-on-1.

2.  John Erskine.  Rugged defender blocked three shots, has two hits, and knocked down two passes that could have ended up in the goal and was +1 for the evening.

1.  Marcus Johansson.  The young centerman was the Caps most effective player, and was acknowledged as such by Boudreau after the game.  "Marcus was probably our best forward."

Washington Capitals (4-2-0-8, 2nd SE) v. Boston Bruins (3-1-0-6 3rd NE)

7:00 pm, TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA

_________________________________________________________

The Washington Capitals travel to Boston to complete their early season home-and-home against the Bruins in their home opener.  Over the past three weeks, Boston has traveled from Northern Ireland to the Czech Republic to Newark, NJ to the nation's capital, all for the sake of four regular season and two pre-season hockey games.

Tonight, they finally get to play before their home crowd.

"It's going to be good to be home," coach Claude Julien said. "We've had our fair share of road games."

It's remarkable that the Bruins have gotten off to such a strong start, including stopping the Caps four-game win streak Tuesday night at Verizon Center.  A stifling defense and strong goalie play by Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask have led the way for the B's.  Reports from morning practice have Rask starting in net tonight.

Boston is spreading the offense around, with Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic and David Krejci each having at least one point in each game this season for Boston. Horton and Krejci are tied for the early club lead with six points apiece.  Krejci, Lucic and D Matt Hunwick scored for Boston Tuesday night, and the B's first line gave the Caps fits in the first period, when Boston built a 2-0 lead.

Washington brings a lethal, but slumping, offense and a new-found stinginess on the penalty kill into tonight's game.  They haven't allowed a goal in 25 short-handed opportunities this season, and will try to join the 2008-09 Minnesota Wild as the only teams not to give up a power-play goal in their first seven games since the league expanded in 1967.

As successful as the PK has been, that's how much the offense, and in particular the power play, has struggled.

The Caps PP is ranked 16th in the league thus far, a far cry from successes of past season, with just four PP goals in 26 attempts (15.4 percent).  The Caps average exactly three goals per game this season, which places them eighth in the league, but with all the weapons on this team, the results are expected to be higher.

Part of the problem is the Caps continue to miss one of their top playmakers, defenseman Mike Green, who will miss his third straight game with an upper body injury, believed to be a strained shoulder.  Also out are grinders Matt Bradley and Boyd Gordon, whose presence would come in handy against a physical team like Boston.

Semyon Varlamov got his first game action Tuesday night after Michal Neuvirth pulled himself from the game with dizziness and a headache.  The young Czech goalie, who has played brilliantly thus far, trying to gut his way through the game, but after two first period goals he didn't want to let the team down because he was not feeling well. 

Neuvirth practiced the last two days, and will back up Varlamov tonight.  Varly played well in his season debut, making 13 saves on 14 shots.  The lone goal came on a floater from the blue line that disappeared in a maze of bodies in front of the net.

_________________________________________________________

LEADERS

BOS:  Nathan Horton (3-3-6, +3), David Krejci (1-5-6, +3), Tim Thomas (3-0-0, 0.67, .979)

WAS:  Alex Ovechkin (4-4-8, even), John Carlson (1-5-6, even), Michal Neuvirth (4-2-0, 2.45, .921)

INJURIES

BOS:  C Marc Savard (concussion-OUT), F Marco Sturm (knee-OUT), F Trent Whitfield (achilles-OUT)

WAS:  D Mike Green (shoulder-OUT), F Matt Bradley (LBI-OUT), F Boyd Gordon (undisclosed-OUT)

STATS

BOS:  3.00 GF/G (T-8th), 1.75 GA/G (2nd), PP 1-for-15, 6.7% (T-27th), PK 1-for-11, 90.9% (5th)

WAS:  3.00 GF/G (T-8th), 2.33 GA/G (10th), PP 4-for-26, 15.4% (16th), PK 0-for-25, 100.0% (T-1st)

THE RESULT:  Well, it finally caught up to them.

The Washington Capitals played hard most of the night, but still not particularly well.  They had very little cohesion in their offensive attack:  missing passes, having trouble digging pucks off the boards and out of the corners, and generally losing physical battles all night to the bigger, stronger Boston Bruins.

Unlike the four previous games where brilliant bursts of individual talent carried the Caps to wins, the Caps came up empty tonight, falling to the Bruins 3-1 before 18,398 stunned Caps fans at Verizon Center.

"We're not terrible," Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We had a tough game. I thought we outplayed them pretty good for the most part. They were opportunistic, and we get a chance to play them again Thursday."

As has been the theme all season long, the Capitals' vaunted power play unit went scoreless in four attempts, looking disorganized and listless.

Boston goalie Tim Thomas made 35 saves on 36 shots to lead the Bruins to their third win in four games.  Thomas has allowed just three goals in three games, all wins.

The Caps (4-2-0) came out firing in the first ten minutes, playing some of their most complete hockey of the season.  They just couldn't find the mark against Thomas.  Then, at 9:12, Boston scored their first goal and the tenor of the game changed.  When the Bruins got their second two minutes later, everyone in the building could feel it.

“We had good chances to score goals but we didn’t,” laments Ovechkin. “They used two chances in the first period [to take a lead]. We made mistakes in our zone, I made a mistake and we had a mistake when they scored the first goal.”

Ovechkin was a minus-2 for the night, scoreless for the first time this season.  Boston's first line was responsible for their first two goals, converting a 2-on-1 and banging in a big rebound in the slot as goalie Michal Neuvirth got out of position making a save.

Neuvirth left the game abruptly after the second goal, complaining of dizziness and a headache.  Boudreau indicated after the game the first he'd heard of Neuvirth feeling poorly was when the rookie netminder pulled himself from the game.

“After the second goal,” explains Boudreau, “he complained of dizziness and a headache. So the next whistle he came off.

“That’s the first I knew about it. If he wasn’t feeling good, we wouldn’t have started him. But we had no indication. He was feeling fine after the pre-game warm-up.”

Semyon Varlamov came on for his first action in 2010 and played well, stopping 13 of 14 shots faced, the lone goal coming through multiple screens on a shot from the blue line.  "He did a great job,” says Boudreau of Varlamov. “The goal that went in, he couldn’t see.”

Marcus Johansson converted a great pass from Chimera to cut the lead in the second period to 2-1, scoring his first NHL goal in the process.  But that would end up the lone tally for the Capitals in this match.

This team is going to score.  There's just too much talent here not too.  Right now, this team looks like it takes the ice expecting to win, and with all the pre-season talk about the Stanley Cup and avenging last season's first round playoff loss, maybe the doldrums of playing regular season games just doens't have the same panache.

But they were outmuscled tonight.  They lost physical battles.  They weren't manhandled, but it wasn't far from it.  "We had a tough time along the boards, but that happens against a good team like the Bruins," Jason Chimera said from a quiet locker room after the game.

Don't ya just once want to hear someone say that about the Caps?  During the second intermission, I reminisced with a fellow blogger about the "old days" of Kelly Miller and Mike Ridley, when the Caps were less skilled than the squad assembled now, but were very rarely outworked or pushed around.

The Caps are built for speed, not mucking things up.  You can't re-tool the entire roster -- nor should you -- when the formula was pretty good last season.  But Boudreau and GM George McPhee are faced with a dilemma:  How do you wake up a complacent, veteran -- though young -- team?  Where do you find a little more toughness along the boards?

Is it too soon to shake things up a bit?  Is it prudent?  I don't know the answers, but I suspect McPhee and Boudreau might be working on it already.

THE GOOD:  The penalty kill.  0-for-4, including :53 of 5-on-3 time.  Guys are buying in, putting their bodies in passing lanes, blocking shots, picking up for their teammates.  It's not going to last forever, but six games without a power play goal against is pretty darn impressive from a team that "can't play defense".

THE BAD:  The first two goals were both because defensemen were caught out of position.  The first goal Karl Alzner was pinching up and did not get back in time to help Tyler Sloan, who then played the resulting 2-on-1 poorly anyway.  The second came on a big rebound off a dizzy Neuvirth where Jeff Schultz didn't play the body of the forward and paid for it.

THE UGLY:  The power play.  It's beyond problematic at this point.  0-for-4, with :24 of 5-on-3 for naught.  No cohesion, no urgency, no passion.  For all the success the penalty kill is having, that how badly the PP is failing.  Granted, the squad is missing Mike Green while he's out, but the Caps can't use that as an excuse. 

THE STATS:  Johansson (1) from Chimera (1) and Hendricks (2) at 7:42 of 2nd.

NEXT GAME:  Thursday in Boston at 7:00 pm.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK CAPS THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

3.  Semyon Varlamov.  13 saves and one goal against in emergency relief effort.
2.  Alex Semin.  10 shots, three hits, two takeaways.  Most effective forward on the ice tonight.
1.  Marcus Johansson.  Score your first NHL goal, win the first star of the game.

Boston Bruins (2-1-0-4, 3rd NE) v. Washington Capitals (4-1-0-8, 1st SE)

7:30 pm, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.

_________________________________________________________

It hasn't been pretty much of the time, but the Washington Capitals ride a four-game winning streak into tonight's game against the Boston Bruins, winners of two of their first three games of the young season.

Boston opened their season with a pair of games in Prague against the Phoenix Coyotes, splitting those games and beating a deflated and undermanned New Jersey team 4-1 Saturday night. 

The Bruins have two very capable goaltenders in Tim Thomas and Tuuka Rask, and Thomas is expected to start in net tonight.  He's won two straight games, shutting out Phoenix 3-0 and getting the win against the Devils.

Boston’s biggest off-season move was the acquisition of RW Nathan Horton in a deal with the Florida Panthers. Horton paces the Bruins’ scoring with three goals and five points in three games. Horton also scored Boston’s lone power play tally in the campaign.

The Caps are banged up pretty good right now.  There's a deep list of players nursing nagging injuries, but from this morning's skate, it sounds like Coach Bruce Boudreau will get at least Tom Poti (LBI) back on his blue line, but Matt Bradley (LBI) will miss another game up front.  Boudreau called Mike Green (shoulder) and Boyd Gordon (undisclosed) game-time decisions, while Marcus Johansson (foot) and D.J. King stayed out on the ice with Semyon Varlamov after practice.

D John Carlson left Monday's practice early with soreness resulting from a blocked shot against Nashville Saturday night, prompting Brooks Laich to practice with the defensemen, preparing for an emergency assignment.

Boudreau confirmed that Michal Neuvirth will start, and with good reason.  The rookie netminder has been terrific thus far, putting up a 2.16 GAA and .930 save pct. in the first five contests.  Neuvirth is the first Caps goalie to start and go the distance in each of the team’s first five games since Olie Kolzig did so in 1999-00.

Tonight will mark the first game Varlamov will dress, and the Caps' coach wants to get him into a game in the near future.   “I’m hoping he is going to play soon,” Boudreau said of Varlamov. “But Neuvy is playing pretty well.”

Something to look for:  Washington has killed off all 21 shorthanded situations it has faced through five games, one of two teams -- with the Florida Panthers -- perfect on the penalty kill this year. It is the longest stretch the Capitals have gone without allowing a power-play goal (in terms of games) since a six-game stretch from Feb. 8-20.

Despite the half-hour later start, doors at Verizon Center will open at their normal time of 6:00 pm.

_________________________________________________________

LEADERS: 

BOS:  Nathan Horton (3-2-5, +1), David Krejci (0-4-4, +1), Tim Thomas (2-0-0, 0.50, .984)

WAS:  Alex Ovechkin (4-4-8, +2), John Carlson (1-5-6, even), Michael Neuvirth (4-1-0, 2.16, .930)

INJURIES: 

BOS:  D Andrew Ference (Thumb-PROB)

WAS:  RW Matt Bradley (LBI-OUT), D Mike Green (sholder-QUE), Boyd Gordon (undisclosed-QUE), Marcus Johansson (foot-PROB), Tom Poti (LBI-PROB), John Carlson (LBI-PROB)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Semyon Varalmov made 31 saves on 34 shots.

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

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

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

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

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

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


PHOTOS FROM CAPS WARMUPS:

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

Jose Theodore made 28 saves, Alex Ovechkin had two assists, and Brooks Laich banged home the game winner in overtime as the Washington Capitals defeated the desperate Boston Bruins 3-2, in what could have been a preview of the first round of the playoffs.

The Capitals entered the game as the newly crowned winner of the President's Trophy, presented to the team that totals the most regular season points.  It assures the Caps home-ice advantage for the entirety of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Bruins, on the other hand, came in fighting for the final spot in the playoffs, the eighth seed. 

Boston gained a point, by virtue of taking the game to overtime, and moved into seventh place with 85 points. Montreal is sixth with 86 points and Philadelphia is in eighth place with 84 points.  Any of the three could still end up in the eighth seed and face the daunting task of trying to unseat the Capitals.

The game was suited to Boston's strength much of the game.  It was a slow, plodding game for much of the affair, with scoring chances coming from rebounds and bouncing pucks instead of laser shots and dipsy-dos.

The game-winner from Laich, still wearing the full cage as a result of the facial injury sustained a couple weeks ago, was an "ugly" goal.  On a 4-on-3 power play in the extra frame, courtesy of a Dennis Wideman high-stick on Tomas Fleischmann, Alexander Semin wound up big from the left wind circle on Boston goalie Tuukka Rask (27 saves).

Semin misfired and the puck came up into Laich's midsection.  Laich knocked the puck to his feet and slapped it past the out of position Rask to end the affair.

It was a fitting ending, and the outcome was made possible by the stellar goaltending by Theodore.  He controlled his rebounds all night, and was sharp on pucks coming through traffic.  He made two consecutive highlight reel pad saves on Michale Ryder in the slot, the second of which was an old school double stack laying on the ice.

Coach Bruce Boudreau praised his goalie after the game.  "It's hard to say which was his best. He's made some great saves to keep us in. He's had his couple of a bad games [and] now he's back in the groove I hope. He was real good."

Boudreau rested his star defenseman in this one.  Mike Green was given a night off in preparation for the playoffs. Despite missing their top D-man, the Caps killed all thre penalties assessed on the night.

There's no rest for the weary though, as the Capitals travel to Pittsburgh tonight for a matchup with the Penguins.  The Caps are trying to sweep the Pens, having won all three previous meetings this season.

Jose Theodore was tremendous in goal, leading the Washington Capitals over the hosting Boston Bruins, 4-1, setting the franchise mark for consecutive victories with eleven straight.

It was Boston's eight straight defeat.

The Capitals broke the club record set from Jan. 27-Feb. 18, 1984 and have the NHL's longest winning streak since the San Jose Sharks also won 11 in a row from Feb. 21-March 14, 2008. During their 11 wins, the Capitals, who lead the Eastern Conference, have outscored opponents 51-22.

Theodore was really on his game tonight, and he needed to be, especially in the first period, when the Caps took four penalties and was shorthanded for a good chunk of the frame.

The veteran goalie finished with 41 saves, including one on Blake Wheeler where, from the ice, he reached back with his stick to sweep the puck off the goal line.

It was another sparkling effort for Theodore, who won his personal-best eighth consecutive game.

"It's fun to be part of franchise history. Getting that 11th win, and beating the old record, it's great," Theodore told reporters after the game.

"Not bad," Boudreau said of Theodore. "He was in a complete zone today and I hope he stays there."

Theodore needed to be in the zone, as few of his teammates played up to his level for the first couple of periods.  It didn't help that the Caps took four minor penalties in the first and another in the second, three against winger Alexander Semin.

Semin was plagued with games like this early in his career and earlier this season.  He took two hooking calls, resultant from lack of effort and determination.  He was fortunate that the penalty kill is playing so well, mitigating the damage done from his infractions.

Washington got balanced scoring once again.  Mike Knuble tied the game in the second period, and Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon and Alex Ovechkin all scored in the third period.  Tom Poti had two assists on the evening.

So the win streak goes to 11 games, and it's on to New York to face the imploding Rangers Thursday night.  If you've been a Caps fan since the beginning, picked it up during the playoff years in the '80s, or joined the Red Army after the lockout, it's a proud night to be a Capitals fan.

Enjoy it.  Then get ready for Thursday.

Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich each had a pair of goals, and Jose Theodore made 19 saves, as the Washington Capitals knocked off the Boston Bruins 4-1 before a capacity crowd at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Capitals played an almost flawless game against one of their main challengers for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.  They built a 4-0 lead, played terrific on the power play, netting two goals, and was stingy on defense the entire contest.

Washington definitely got into the Bruins heads, as they seemed to be talking to themselves in the game's latter stages, trying to pump each other up.  They were momentarily successful, when Patrice Bergeron tallied on a breakaway after a David Steckel turnover on the Boston blue line.

But that was Boston's lone strike, as Theodore brushed aside the few shots that made it through the defense.

The Capitals best players produced.  Laich had an assist to go with his two goals, Nicklas Backstrom had three helpers, and Alexander Semin had a pair of assists.

The first goal was early in the the first period -- a power play marker by Laich -- set up with nifty cross-ice passing by Ovechkin and Backstrom, who fed Laich right on Tim Thomas' (30 saves) doorstep.  Ovechkin's first of the night came in the second.  Backstrom took control of the puck along the dasher, fed Semin at center ice, and the talented Russian dropped a back pass for Ovie in the slot.

Ovechkin made no mistake.

Laich scooped up a loose puck just as Thomas was about to sit on it for his second goal of the night 16 seconds into the third period, and Ovechkin put a wrist shot past Thomas off a great cross-crease pass from defenseman Tom Poti to close the scoring.

The Caps out shot the Bruins 34-20 for the game, and 12-3 in the third period, as Boston was frustrated in their comeback bid.

Instead of scoring goals, Boston decided to fight in the third period instead, as Shawn Thronton mixed it up in a pretty fair draw with John Erskine.

The Capitals host Toronto, who lost 4-3 in overtime to Montreal tonight, in the home opener Saturday night at 7:00 pm.

_____________________________________________________

SCORESHEET

1ST PERIOD

17:15 Power Play - Brooks Laich (1), Snap Shot. Assist: Backstrom, Ovechkin

2ND PERIOD

09:31 Alex Ovechkin (1), Snap Shot. Assist: Semin, Backstrom

3RD PERIOD

16.0 Power Play - Brooks Laich (2), Wrist Shot. Assist: Backstrom, Semin

01:56 Alex Ovechkin (2), Wrist Shot. Assist: Poti

07:56 Short - Patrice Bergeron (1), Backhand Shot. Assist: Begin, Stuart

_______________________________________________________

THREE STARS

1. A. Ovechkin - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 1)

2. B. Laich - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 1)

3. N. Backstrom - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 3)

_______________________________________________________

NOTES

Washington's last regulation victory in Boston was Dec. 2, 2000. The Capitals went 3-0-1 against the Bruins last season.

The Caps were 2-for-4 on the power play.  Boston went 0-for-5.

The Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins were the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference last season, and start the 2009-10 campaign facing one another again.  After an off-season that was spend in great anticipation for this very day, the start of the new hockey season, it's finally arrived.

And it has arrived with much fanfare and high expectations.  Never before in the team history has so much attention and press been dedicated to pucks in the off-season in Washington.  It's been non-stop, starting with last year's disappointing playoff ouster by eventual champion Pittsburgh, through the awards season, free agent period, then the start of training camp, and coming to a head at last weekend's first-ever Capitals Convention.

Good crowds showed for the home pre-season games, so much so it reminded of weekend games in the not-so-distant past.

But Washington has arrived as a "hockey town", and it's now time to drop 'em for real and get this show on the road.

These two teams join the Penguins and Philadelphia as the class of the East.  Boston has a very balanced line-up, and was second in the league in goals scored.  They welcome the return of Marco Sturm, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, but will miss their leading goal-scorer, Phil Kessel, who was traded Sept. 18 to Toronto after a contract dispute.

The Bruins return Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara and Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas as well.   They are coached by last year's Jack Adams winner Claude Julien.

"I think we've got to work our way to the top just like we did last year," Julien said. "There's nothing different except the challenge will be bigger, there's more respect toward our team this year."

Washington, of course, starts and ends with Alexander Ovechkin.  The two-time Hart Trophy winner (56-54-110 last season) came into camp with 20 pounds of extra muscle, so he's primed for a long season of bumping and grinding to go along with his dynamic scoring.

He'll get help up from his running mates, Nicklas Backstrom (3rd in assists) and Alexander Semin (1.3 points per game).  The team added reinforcements with Mike Knuble (27-20-47, +5) and Brendan Morrison, who was given a one-year, $1.5 million contract to prove he's healthy as a second-line center.

The Caps are loaded with young, but experienced, defensemen.  They are led by Mike Green, the NHL's leading defensive scorer.  Green finished with 31 goals and 42 assists despite missing 14 games due to injury.

Backstopping the Caps will be Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov.  Theodore had an up-and-down season last year, but did win 30+ games, while Varlamov was spectacular in the playoffs before finally wearing down in the Pittsburgh series.

Here are tonight's lines (courtesy of Captials Insider):

Offense:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin

Laich-Morrison-Knuble

Laing-Steckel-Clark

Kane-Gordon-Bradley

Defense:

Morrisonn-Green

Poti-Jurcina

Erskine-Pothier

Boudreau did not announce a starting goalie as of this post.

________________________________________________________

SPECIAL TEAMS

WAS: 2008-09:  GF:  3rd (3.27); GA-19th (2.93);

PP-2nd (50/177, 28.2%); PK-17th (34/184, 81.5%)

BOS:  2008-09:  GF:  2nd (3.29); GA-1st (2.32);

PP-4th (44/157, 28.0%); PK-12th (29/148, 80.4%)

________________________________________________________

INJURIES

WAS:  Eric Fehr (shoulders), Tomas Fleischmann (blood clot)

BOS:  David Krejci (hip)

________________________________________________________

NOTES

The team lost RW Chris Bourque to Pittsburgh off of waivers.  They recalled Boyd Kane from AHL Hershey to replace him on the roster.

Michael Nylander, who did not play all pre-season, will be a healthy scratch, as will Tyler Sloan and Jeff Schultz.

Shaone Morrisonn had to know the second the puck hit his right leg that the game was over. Trying to stop a crossing pass from Boston's David Krejci, instead Morrisonn redirected the puck past a stationary Jose Theodore and into his own net, allowing the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins (35-8-5-75, first in Northeast, first in East) to escape overtime with a 3-2 win over their next closest opponent in the standings.

Krejci admitted after the game he was trying to pass through the low slot to center Marc Savard, who was wide open on the far post on the four-on-three power play.

The Washington Capitals (30-15-4-64, first in Southeast, second in East) scored twice in the first period, but were shut down the rest of the way by all-star goalie Tim Thomas. Thomas knocked away 34 of the 36 shot he faced, and made a highlight reel kick save on Niklas Backstrom early in overtime to keep Boston alive.

The Caps continue to have problems on the penalty kill, as Boston went two-for-five with the extra skater, including the winning goal. Backstrom was off for hooking Zdeno Chara, on somewhat of a debatable call, as Chara was diving to the net. Several Caps after the game thought Chara embellished his fall a bit.

Coach Bruce Boudreau was not as charitable. "It was a good penalty to take if it was in [regulation]."

Boudreau continued, "These were two good teams. All three games against these guys, we battled them. It was a hard fought game. We have to limit [the penalties] to just three because right now we're fragile killing penalties. The guys are trying so hard, but things aren't working."

Washington finally tallied at even strength after going three-plus games without one. Mike Green (13) opened the scoring at 2:08 of the first period with a slap shot just after Savard's high-sticking penalty expired. Michael Nylander added his fifth of the season right before the first intermission, tipping one in after Tomas Fleischmann charged the net, then wrestled the rebound away from Thomas and a defender.

Caps goalie Jose Theodore had another strong game in net, including a tremendous glove save in overtime before the game-winner. He made 24 saves in the losing effort.

The Caps had a scary moment at the end of the second period, as NHL leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin took a hard fall, slamming his right shoulder into the low boards as he came crashing to a stop. He was assisted from the ice and missed the last 5:35 of the second, but returned to take his regular shifts in the third period. The team described the injury as a "stinger" and that he was "ok".

Washington is now off until a Saturday matinee at the Verizon Center against the Detroit Red Wings. Game time is 12:30 pm.

Photo by Getty Images.
________________________________________________
SCORESHEET

1ST PERIOD
02:08 Mike Green (13), Slap Shot. Assist: Semin, Ovechkin
09:26 Shawn Thornton (4), Backhand Shot, Unassisted.
19:39 Michael Nylander (5), Tip-In. Assist: Fleischmann, Clark

2ND PERIOD
14:12 Power Play - Marc Savard (17), Wrist Shot. Assist: Bergeron

3RD PERIOD
None

OT
01:55 Power Play - David Krejci (18), Wrist Shot. Assist: Wideman, Chara
________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. T. Thomas - BOS (Saves: 34, Save Pct: .944)
2. M. Savard - BOS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
3. S. Thornton - BOS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
________________________________________________
NOTES

Ovechkin went scoreless in the game...Alexander Semin extended a seven-game scoring streak (4-4-8)...Boudreau was honored Monday at the AHL all-star game and inducted into the league's Hall of Fame...Washington was zero-for-six on the power play.

After what seemed like an interminable break for the all-star festivities, the Washington Capitals (30-15-3-63, first in Southeast) are in Boston to face the Bruins (34-8-5-73, first in Northeast), the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

Washington owns a couple of home victories over the B's this season already, a 3-1 win on Dec. 10 and a 2-1 victory Jan. 17. The Caps, though, are 11-12-2 on the road this season and most recently suffered a 3-2 loss just before the break to Ottawa, a team struggling to get back into the playoff picture.

The Bruins come into this game healthier than they were for either of the previous two contests, but are still missing a couple of important pieces.

Forwards Phil Kessel (mono), Michael Ryder (flu) and Marco Sturm (knee) are all out, as is backup goalie Manny Fernandez (back).

The Bruins are strong on both sides of the ice. They lead the East with 3.51 goals per game and 2.15 goals against average.

All-star goalie Tim Thomas has been phenomenal this season. He is 20-5-8 with a 2.09 goals against and .934 save percentage. He will be backed up tonight by Tuuka Rask, who appeared in four games last season (2-1-0, 3.26).

Up front, Boston is led by all-star center Marc Savard (16-40-56, plus-28) and David Kejci (17-35-52, plus-25). They have seven players with double-digit goals, including all-star defenseman Zdeno Chara (11-18-29, plus-22).

The Capitals are on pace for 108 points, which would be a franchise record. All-star Alex Ovechkin (31-28-59, plus-13) leads a dynamic and explosive offensive squad, with seven double-digit goal scorers of their own. However, the team was having trouble scoring at even strength coming into the break, having gone three-plus games without a five-on-five goal.

The team has also struggled recently on the penalty kill, allowing a power play goal in each of the last eight games, which was a point of emphasis for coach Bruce Boudreau at practice this week.

Jose Theodore (17-9-2, 2.81, .898) will start in goal and is backed up by Brent Johnson (11-6-3, 2.75, .909)

David Steckel and Eric Fehr are healthy scratches for tonight's game.

The game is at 7:00 pm from TD Banknorth Garden.
_________________________________________________________
SPECIAL TEAMS

WAS: PP-5th (22.7%, 46/203); PK-24th (78.9%, 48/228)
BOS: PP-3rd (25.0%, 45/180); PK-8th (82.9%, 30/175)
_________________________________________________________
INJURIES

WAS: D Shaone Morrisonn (Lower body-Out); D Brian Pothier (Concussion-IR); D Tom Poti (Groin-IR)

BOS: G Manny Fernandez (Back-Out); RW Phil Kessel (Mononucleosis-IR); RW Michael Ryder (Flu-Questionable); LW Marco Sturm (Knee-IR)

Enjoy!

All photos (c) C. Nichols 2009.

Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Semin scored an unassisted goal mid-way through the third period to lead the home team past the Boston Bruins, 2-1, before a capacity crowd at Verizon Center.

Semin had tried the same move twice earlier in the game with no success. But with the game in the balance, and less than nine minutes remaining in the game, Semin played the puck off the boards to himself at his own blue line, maneuvered around a flat-footed defenseman, and blew a slap shot past all-star netminder Tim Thomas for the game-winning goal.

Semin's unassisted goal broke a 1-1 tie and was the culmination of a strong third period performance that saw the Caps take control of a tense, tight-checking contest pitting two of the highest scoring--and winningest--teams in the NHL.

Boston had won four straight and seven on the road, their last road loss coming in the very same building to the Capitals on Dec. 10.

Washington, winners of back-to-back games, now trail Boston by nine points in the Eastern Conference. The teams have two games remaining, both in Boston.

Washington out shot the Bruins in all three periods, and for the game held a 30-24 advantage. The Caps, paying heed to coach Bruce Boudreau's mantra, got skaters in the Bruins crease in front of goalie Tim Thomas all night. The strategy made for more quality chances and better sustained attack on the offensive end of the ice all game long.

After an evenly-played first period, the Bruins scored first in the second period, as Boston leading scorer Marc Savard knocked in his 16th goal of the season. Savard gathered a rebound in the face-off circle to the left of goalie Jose Theodore and buried the shot past the Caps backstop. It was the only shot out of Boston's 24 that would beat Theodore on this evening.

Washington answered back 1:10 later. Mike Green took a beautiful cross-crease pass from center Michael Nylander and put a wrist shot past a helpless Thomas. It was Green's 12th goal of the season.

The Capitals have two games remaining before next weekend's all-star break, both on the road. They travel to Nassau County to face the New York Islanders on Tuesday, and the following night play in Ottawa against the Senators.

_________________________________________________

SCORESHEET

1ST PERIOD
None

2ND PERIOD
01:49 Power Play - Marc Savard (16), Slap Shot. Assist: Kobasew, Chara
02:59 Power Play - Mike Green (12), Snap Shot. Assist: Nylander, Laich

3RD PERIOD
11:48 Alexander Semin (18), Slap Shot, Unassisted

__________________________________________________

THREE STARS

1. A. Semin - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)

2. J. Erskine - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 0)

3. T. Thomas - BOS (Saves: 28, Save Pct: .933)

__________________________________________________

NOTES

Caps Captain Chris Clark was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row.

Boston was without LW Milan Lucic for the fifth straight game due to a shoulder injury.

C Boyd Gordon (back) and D Shaone Morrisson (lower body) were out for Washington.

The Washington Capitals (28-14-3-59, first in Southeast, second in East) host the Boston Bruins (33-7-4-70, first in Northeast, first in East) from the Verizon Center at 7:00 pm.

Boston is seeking its fifth win in a row and eighth straight road win tonight.

This is the second of four meetings between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. If the Capitals want to close the 11-point gape between the two teams, each of the remaining three games are of vital importance. Washington won the first game 3-1 on Dec. 10. The final two games of the series, Jan. 27 and Feb. 28, are both in Boston.

Boston features a balanced attack and excellent goaltending. The Bruins have six players with double-digit goals, led by RW Phil Kessel with 24. Kessell, however, will miss the game with mononucleosis. The Bruins actually come into this one limping, missing five other regulars in addition to Kessel.

Despite the injuries, the B's are still plenty dangerous, with the league's fifth leading scorer, Marc Savard (15-38-53, plus-30), David Krejci (17-31-48, plus-25) and Michael Ryder (17-15-32, plus-21) all enjoying career seasons.

Tim Thomas is the number one goaltender. and an all-star to boot. He is 19-4-6, 2.00, .937 for the season. Backup Manny Fernandez could start for most teams as well. In 19 games, his record is 14-3-2, 2.07, .928. It's an embarrassment of riches for the Bruins between the pipes.

The Caps have seven player with double-digit goals, led of course by the "Great 8", Alex Ovechkin. He notched two goals and an assist in Washington's 6-3 victory in Pittsburgh Wednesday night. His 57 points (29 goals, 28 assists) are good fro third in the league in scoring.

The other double-digit goal-getters are Alexander Semin (17), Tomas Fleischmann (15), Nicklas Backstrom (12), Mike Green (11), Brooks Laich (11), and Viktor Kozlov (10).

Jose Theodore should start in goal tonight. in 27 games he is 15-8-2 with a 2.94 GAA and .893 save percentage.

Tom Poti (groin), Chris Clark (healthy), Boyd Gordon (healthy) and Shaone Morrisonn (lower body) will be the scratches tonight.
______________________________________________________
SPECIAL TEAMS

WAS: PP-5th (22.8%, 43/189); PK-23rd (79.7%, 43/212)
BOS: PP-3rd (23.8%, 40/168); PK-8th (83.5%, 27/164)
______________________________________________________
INJURIES

WAS: D Brian Pothier (Concussion-OUT); D Tom Poti (Groin-IR); RW Boyd Gordon (Back-OUT); Shaone Morrison (Lower body- Day to Day)

BOS: D Andrew Ference (Leg- IR); C Patrice Bergeron (Concussion-IR); RW Phil Kessel (Mononucleosis-IR); LW Milan Lucic (Undisclosed-Questionable); LW Marco Sturm (Knee- IR); D Aaron Ward (Leg-Out)

Brent Johnson spent several minutes on the ice after doing a partial split to stop a follow-up shot from Chuck Kobasew after thwarting a break-away by Patrice Bergeron. He aggravated his nagging hip injury on the play, and you can't blame coach Bruce Boudreau if he was thinking the worst.

But the Washington goalie managed to get back to his skates and stay on, played perhaps his best game of the season, and carried the Capitals (16-10-3-35, first in Southeast) to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins (19-5-4-42), leaders of the NHL's Northeast Division.

Johnson stood on his head several times during the game, but none more spectacularly than robbing Bruins rookie Blake Wheeler with a diving stick save. Wheeler made a nifty move to get to his backhand and tried to slide the puck under Johnson, which in reality gave Johnson the opportunity to get in front of it.

"He made a really, really good move," Johnson said. "I just got lucky there."

In truth, it was a highlight reel save on a night full of clutch saves for the long-time backup. Johnson allowed just one goal on 34 shots. He is riding a three-game win streak with a .952 save percentage during the streak.

For the season, Johnson improved to 8-4-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.

The Caps received goals from Niklas Backstrom (9), Alexandre Giroux (1) and an empty netter from Alex Ovechkin (15). Milan Lucic was the only Bruin to dent Johnson, netting his eighth in the second period after a defensive end give-away.

Backstom redirected a shot from the point from Ovechkin on the power play in the first period and Giroux's goal was his first NHL goal since the 2006-07 season.

The Caps were bolstered by the return to the lineup of defenseman Tom Poti and Alexander Semin. Poti had missed the previous six games with a groin strain and Semin the past 12 games with an upper back/neck injury. The team hopes to get D Mike Green back for the weekend games.

But for one night, this collection of Caps and Hershey Bears held the third highest scoring the team in the league to just one goal for a much needed and well deserved home victory.

Photos (c) C. Nichols 2008.
____________________________________________________
SCORESHEET

WAS: Backstrom (9) from Ovechkin and Kozlov (1-3:53-PP); Giroux (1) from Kozlov and Poti (2-4:52); Ovechkin (15) from Semin and Backstrom (3-19:08-EN)
BOS: Lucic (8) from Kessel and Chara (2-19:25)
____________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. B. Johnson - WAS (Saves: 33, Save Pct: .971)
2. A. Giroux - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
3. P. Kessel - BOS (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)
____________________________________________________
NOTES

Washington is 11-1-1 at the Verizon Center this season.

Tomas Fleischmann missed the game with a "lower body" injury. The team recalled Oskar Osala for his NHL debut.

The loss is just Boston's second regualtion loss in the last 17 games and first time the Bruins were held to one goal since an Oct. 28 1-0 win over Vancouver.