THE RESULT: In the first game back from the All-Star break, the Washington Capitals came out guns blazing, scoring twice in the first period and looking like the team that won the President's Trophy last season as the top team in the league.

The rest of the game however, they fell back into the same uninspired, lackadaisical play that has plagued them since Dec. 1, allowing Brian Gionta and the Montreal Canadiens to tied the game in regulation, and eventually win the shootout to take the extra point in an important Eastern Conference matchup.

The 3-2 final score was gracious, compared to the Caps level of play in the final two frames.

It was a disappointing performance after such a scintillating start.

It would be easy to blame the coaching staff on this one.  The Caps jumped out quickly and took their foot off the gas, allowing a beaten team to come back and take the extra point in their barn.

But that's not the case.  What happened was two defenseman made undisciplined plays at inopportune times trying to go for the throat instead of making fundamentally sound plays. 

On two occasions Gionta, the diminutive Montreal captain, broke free of the defense and beat Semyon Varlamov, left alone to his own defense.  On the first, defenseman John Erskine was caught trying to pinch in on the play and Gionta was sprung for a breakaway.  The Habs second goal came after John Carlson attempted a drop pass, which was stolen and turned around the other way, and once again Gionta took advantage of the mental mistake.

These Capitals have yet to learn how to put away a team on the ropes.  Let's not mince words here, the Montreal Canadiens are not an exceptional team.  Gionta, their 35-year old forward, is still their best offensive player.  Their backend is a mix of older veterans (Hall Gill, Roman Hamrlik) and youth (uneven but talented P.K. Subban) and goalie Carey Price is average at best.

Bottom line:  you have this team down two after one, you have to bury them.  The Caps did not.

The Caps, wearing white throwback jerseys honoring Hall of Famer Dino Ciccarelli, stopped doing the things that made them successful in the first.  They sat back and allowed Montreal to carry the play, defensemen made mistakes in the offensive zone and there were no forwards covering on the plays.

Erskine was out of position, trying to play a game he's not equipped for.  Carlson is a rookie that needs to learn that if he has speed entering the zone he needs to commit, not gain the zone and try a back pass that can only result in no offensive opportunity that puts him -- and his teammates -- out of position.

Coach Bruce Boudreau was more resigned than agitated after the game.  "It wasn’t a letdown as much as it was mistakes. We made two bad mistakes and it’s in our net. We’re playing desperate. We killed off penalties. They took it to us. We battled and we lost in the shootout. I wish we could’ve scored a little bit more.”

Yes, the Capitals were outshot 38-29.  Yes, after the two-goal lead they retreated into a shell.  But on this occasion, the loss can be pinned on two defensemen trying to do too much.

“It’s tough, but the answers are in this room and they aren’t going to come from anywhere else," said forward Matt Hendricks.  "We know that we have the opportunity to change things and we’re working hard at it.”

The Capitals better hurry up.  They only have 30 games left to figure it out.

THE GOOD: Mathieu Perreault, upon his recall from AHL Hershey, had a goal and assist in the Caps two-goal first period.  Stop me if you've heard this one before.

THE BAD: Brooks Laich.  On his first shift, he and his linemates did a great job cycling and keeping the puck deep.  After that...well, lets just say Brooks did not distinguish himself.  Three minor penalties, including one that wiped out a Caps power play.  He has just nine goals through 52 games, and his struggles are symptomatic of the Capitals troubles this season.

Adding injury to insult, Laich limped off the ice late in the game late after being struck in the leg by an Alex Ovechkin line drive.

THE UGLY: Six two minute minors taken, including three of the four calls after the first period.  They killed all the power plays, but that kind of undisciplined hockey just can't be sustained.  Some of these players need to be held accountable for their poor play.

Also:  Tampa beat Philly 4-0, so the lead in the Eastern Conference is now five points.  Oh, the ignominy.

THE STATS: Mathieu Perreault (6) unassisted at 2:29 of 1st.  Mike Knuble (12) from Mike Green (15) and Mathieu Perreault (4) at 7:49 of 2nd (PP).

NEXT GAME: Friday at 7:00 pm at Tampa Bay.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Mike Knuble.  Goal, six shots, two hits.  Nice game from the old man.

2. Semyon Varlamov.  36 saves on 38 shots.  Was huge in the second and third periods.

1. Mathieu Perreault.  Goal, assist.  Maddening that he can't play with this effort every game instead of just when he gets recalled.

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals shut out the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in their last game on the 2010 calendar and last home game filmed by HBO.

The Caps faced the Habs on Tuesday night for the first time since the devastating loss in game seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the spring 2010. 

Many of the Caps took this game to heart. "We've had these guys marked on our calendar for a while" said Mike Green after the win. "They [Canadiens] broke our hearts last summer and we all had to live it with it through two to three months and we don't forget that."

This was just one of eighty-two regulation games for the season, however, one Caps player got an opportunity for redemption and played like it was the playoffs.  Semyon Varlamov was the goaltender in game seven losing by one goal and on Tuesday night, completely shut down the Habs.  It appears as though Varly may have earned a start at the Winter Classic.  It should be noted that Jaroslav Halak is now playing for the St. Louis Blues and Varly beat Halak earlier in December.

Defense was key to the Caps win.  It was no coincidence that Jeff Schultz returned to the ice the same night that the Caps get a shutout.  Schultz broke his finger on December 6 and has been working very hard to get back on the ice. He doesn't want to miss the Winter Classic and his defensive skills were greatly missed.  Welcome back Mr. Nasty.  “We missed him. He’s so consistent. He hasn’t played in however many games and he comes back and he’s solid just like he always is" said teammate Mike Green. "You have to admire that.” 

Kudos to all of the recent call-ups from Hershey.  Jay Beagle played in his seventh game since being recalled from Hershey. "There's a guy who is making a great case to stay here." Coach Boudreau continued, "It's his fourth year professionally (his first in the NHL), and his work ethic is second to none."

Beagle scored his second goal of the season and the first of the night in the first period.  “I throw a lot of backhand, but I don’t think shelf like that." Beagle said of his "Ovechkin-esque" goal. "I knew that [Carey] Price was a big goalie and I just wanted to put it on net and try to get it up." "I’m trying to [make an impact in the NHL]. I’m working hard. When you work hard, good things are going to happen. It’s fun playing with Chimmer [Jason Chimera] and Fehrsie [Eric Fehr]. They make it easy."

Check out Beagle's pretty goal at around 50 seconds.

Caps recalled Keith Aucoin from Hershey to take Marcus Johansson's spot.  After the game, Andrew Gordon tweeted that he was heading back to AHL. He has played well for the Caps and will hopefully get callled up again soon.

Photos 2010 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/

Caps News Network. All Rights Reserved.

The Caps continued their strong play on the penalty kill, killing all five penalties.  The same cannot be said about the 0-for-8 Power Play.  Coach Boudreau said in post-game presser, "They’re doing really well [on the penalty kill]. I think the power play is a little different – we are not scoring goals, but we must have had seven or eight really good chances.”

It should be mentioned that the Caps dominated in face-off 36 to16. Nicklas Backstrom may not be scoring goals, however, he won 10 out of 12 of his face-offs and David Steckel went 15-for-22.

The win gives the Caps 49 points (22-12-5) through 39 games to take over first in the Southeast Division and second in the Eastern Conference behind Pittsburgh. "We played a solid game," Green said, "We played our system to a tee and when we do that, we're usually sucessful no matter who we play."

"It was more important for us to protect the lead and not be too aggressive and play a solid game. And we did that tonight," said Mike Green.

It was a solid effort for the Caps and they should be ready for the weekend in Pittsburgh. Mike Green spoke about the momentum building for this weekend's Winter Classic, "Yep, yep, but we can't get too high now, we have to feel like we have over the last week where we keep building and building and building."

When Coach Boudreau was questioned about Winter Classic roster decisions, he said, "There's a lot of guys trying to make their case and I am trying to not think about playing somebody just because he is who he is. I am just going to put the best lineup that there is to win that night."  Is Bruce excited about the Winter Classic? "I just want to get it over with and I hope it doesn't rain." 

THE GOOD: Jay Beagle. Congrats on his first hard hat!

THE BAD: Habs' P.K. Subban. He tried very hard to get into a fight, however, the Caps didn't bite. He was after Chimera and Hendricks most of the night. 

THE UGLY: Power Play. 0-for-7. Ouch. 

THE STATS: Jay Beagle (2) from Eric Fehr (8); Matt Hendricks (7) at 16:20 of 1st.  Mike Green (7) from Nicklas Backstrom (25) at 19:22 of 1st.  Alex Ovechkin (14) empty net from Karl Alzner (4) at 19:28 of 3nd.

NEXT GAME: Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 1:00 pm vs. Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA for the Fourth Annual NHL Winter Classic.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Mike Green. Another strong defensive game and goal.\
2. Jay Beagle.  Scored his second goal of season with "Ovi-esque" style and earned first hard hat.
1. Semyon Varlamov.  Shutout with 25 saves.

I have a friend, who is not a big hockey fan, who has a saying about playoff hockey:  "Hot Goalie Wins.  Period."

It's not a particularly nuanced or sophisiticated outlook on the game, but one could surmise from last night's statistics that is exactly what happened.

Hot Goalie Wins.

Jaroslav Halak made 53 saves on 54 shots last night in defeating the Capitals 4-1, sending this series to a previously unthought of seventh game.

By all accounts, Halak played a hell of a game.  Veteran Montreal scribe Red Fisher told Mike Wise of the Post, "That's the best goaltending I've seen next to Patrick Roy against the Rangers in overtime [in 1986]".

A review of the shot chart, though, shows that the bulk of Washington's shots came from above the circles.  And while they might have been shots on goal, they certainly wouldn't qualify as scoring chances.

Sure, sometimes a floater from the blue line, such as Joe Corvo's Game One goal, will get through a screen and go in.  More often than not, though, those long range shots only serve to bolster the confidence of a net-minder.

If fact, the shot charts for Games Five and Six look an awful lot alike.  And if you look at the series--excluding the empty net goals of Game Four, the Caps have scored a grand total of three goals from past the top of the circles.

So credit where it's due, but it doesn't tell the entire story.

Halak's opposite number, Semyon Varlamov, hardly distiguished himself last night.  Just nine minutes into the game the Caps were down two goals.

The young goalie only faced 22 shots, and allowed three past him, including Maxim Lapierre's first career playoff goal early in the third period, further deepening the hole the Caps had to dig out of.

For what seems like the millionth time in this series, the Caps defenseman covering Lapierre (this time, Shaone Morrisonn) retreated toward his own goal instead of challenging the shooter, and Lapierre, who had a grand total of seven goals all season (and was minus-14), fired the puck past Varlamov.

It was a routine, run-of-the-mill, not-screened slap shot from the right wing circle that Varlamov just whiffed on with his catching glove.  That's a save that has to be made.

Goaltending is not the only problem the Caps have.  The vaunted power play went 0-for-6, and is now 1-for-30 in this series.  The Caps had a five-on-three late in the first, down 2-0, and did not even register a shot on goal in 1:15 with the two-man advantage.

Montreal blocked 23 shot attempts, further adding to the mounting frustration of the Capitals goal scorers.

In sum:  Hot Goalie Won, but the Caps didn't help themselves.

Thus, we move on to another agonizing Game Seven.

Capitals fans across the blogosphere, in message boards and in the twitterverse are besides themselves.  Some are taking the fatalistic view, some are downright angry and vindictive, some in downright panic, relying on superstitions, and some retain a postitive, "We can do it," attititude.  But the last group is the smallest in number.

The way the Caps have played the last two games, when advancing was all but a given, give no one--including themselves--any confidence heading into the elimination game.

The Washington Capitals have one more game to prove that the President's Trophy, and all the post-season award nominations, and regular season highlight reel goals mean something.  A loss Wednesday, at home, to the eighth seed, will only reinforce the opinions of outsiders and naysayers about this team.

If the Caps can't find the will to win Game Seven, maybe the critics have merit.

________________________________________________

Here are some stats for you to either embrace or stew about:

In Game Seven playoff history, the home team has won 62% off the time.

A No. 1 seed has never blown a 3-1 series lead to a No. 8 seed since the NHL adopted the current playoff oformat.

Every one of Bruce Boudreau's playoff series have gone to seven games.  His record is 1-2.

WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau was not happy.  In fact, quite the opposite.

He took the podium for the post-game press conference, and from the get-go you could tell it was not going to be long, pleasant or pretty.

Asked if he thought his team let one get away, he responded curtly, “Of course … What do you think? We have Game Five in our building, and we play like crap the first 10 minutes and the game is over.”

It was a brutal, but honest assessment.

The Caps got down quickly, 2-0, and unlike other games this series, never caught up, losing Game Five of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series with the Montreal Canadiens 2-1, before a sold out, but disappointed, Verizon Center.

Washington simply didn't put out enough effort, skill or detemination to hold back a desperate Montreal squad.

"We're not getting 20 guys playing. We are getting 13 and 14 guys every night rather than everyone coming to play.”

"Tonight was had five or six passengers again."

It's a fairly damning statement that your head coach is willing to appear on a nationally televised press conference and essentially call out a third of the team for not showing up.

Again, brutal but true.

It would be very easy to speculate on which players Boudreau was referencing with those comments.  But his words carry more weight than mine.

Asked if he would contemplate a roster change, considering the five-man taxi squad the team has carried thus far in the playoffs, Boudreau replied, "We'll think very deeply about it the next two days."

Boudreau's criticism of enigmatic winger Alexander Semin was blunt. "How many goals and assists did he get?"  The answer:  zero.  "If we don’t get him scoring, then it is too easy to check certain guys. He just has to come through.”

"That's 12 games in row now in the playoffs he hasn't got one."

Not that anyone is counting.

For the second game, the team took a too many men penalty at a critical juncture, this time as the team tried to get Semyon Varlamov off the ice for an extra attacker at the end of the game.  It just speaks to the lack of attention to details that could end up crippling this team.

So far against Montreal, the Capitals have been able to 'turn it on' for a period, despite some lackluster play at times, and salvage three wins, poised to move on to a second round match-up with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Friday night, however, the Caps couldn't find the switch.

They got one goal from their captain, another crease-crasher, but there were no typical long-range bombs, no wicked wrist shots, no one-timers on the power play.

Extra-man play in Game Five was especially disappointing.  Washington was 0-for-5 on the power play, extending a brutal streak for the team, which is now one for its last 24 in this series.

There's just no guidance at all on the power play, no cohesion, no urgency.

Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak should be given some credit for the victory.  He made saves on 37 of the 38 shots he faced.  But a large majority of the shots he was were from an easy range.  Except for a brief flurry in the second period, there were not too many close-in attempts from the Capitals.

The Caps still hold a 3-2 lead in the series, and took both games in Montreal earlier in the week.  But what once was an enviable position has now turned into a dangerous proposition.

The Canadiens can only be empowered by what happened in Game Five, and momentum is a dangerous thing.

CAPS NOTES:  The Capitals are now 2-7 in Game 5s when leading the series 3-1.

The Capitals were a perfect six-for-six on the penalty kill, the first time his series they have held Montreal without a goal on the power play.

Semyon Varlamov made 26 saves and fell to 10-7 in 17 career playoff games. Varlamov has allowed two goals or less in seven out of 17 games in his playoff career.

The Washington Capitals return to Verizon Center tonight with the hopes of closing out their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup with the Montreal Canadiens tonight at 7:00 pm. 

By virtue of a short-handed goal late in the second period in Game Four and a furious four-goal third period, the Caps hold a three games to one lead over the eighth seeded Canadiens.

This franchise has had some noted failures in series with big leads before, but that type of history lesson should be of no concern to this team. 

This generation of Washington Capitals are built differently: the best player on the planet, a dynamic play-maker at his side, the enigmatic sniper, a Norris Trophy candidate, and an emerging stud defenseman with the nickname 'Captain America'.

The Canadiens looked ovewhelmed the other night.  Carrying a 2-1 lead late into the second period and on a power play, the building was ready to erupt at the horn with the idea of Les Habitent equaling the series. 

But beat-up Boyd Gordon and grizzled vet Mike Knuble--added to this team for this time of year specifically--combined for the short-handed goal that crushed the spirit of everyone associated with Le Blue, Blanc,et Rouge.  That the Caps then dominated the third period came as no surprise.

This team can turn things on almost at will, and it's a shame that they don't play that way for three periods every night, because then we could actually witness something historic.  For the last 20 games or so, they've been playing one period of terrific hockey per game, and it's been enough to carry the day on most occasions.

But I'm not complaining.  They have also shown that they will turn their game up for quality competition (4-0 against Pittsburgh this season, anyone?).

They are even getting help from outside forces.  The crippled Philadelphia Flyers managed to defeat disappointing New Jersey 3-0 last night, ensuring the Caps--should they advance--will face a team missing most of their leading scorers due to injury and a goaltender that would have a hard time making the roster in Hershey.

On top of that, Ottawa extended their series with the Penguins, beating the Pens in three overtimes last night, essentially forcing either team to play eight games in a seven game series. 

The little things mean a lot in the playoffs.

Back to matters at hand.

Montreal will turn back to Jaroslav Halak in goal, after Carey Price was victimized--then lost his marbles--in Game Four.  It's an unenviable task for the young goalie, having to come into Verizon Center down three games to one with the hopes of an entire province pinned squarely on his shoulders.

Good luck with that, kid.

The Montreal Canadiens fairly dominated play in the second period of tonight's Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.  They outshot the Washington Capitals 21-9 in the frame, setting a team record for most shots against in a period for a playoff game.

And when the Caps took a bench minor for too many men on the ice at 18:05 trailing 2-1, things looked pretty bleak.

But with seven seconds remaining, Boyd Gordon made a terrific saucer pass over a sprawled defenseman right to the tape of Mike Knuble, who calmly finished the play by redirecting the pass into the net behind goalie Carey Price. 

The short-handed goal turned the momentum, which had been squarely with Montreal, back to the Caps favor as the teams headed into the locker room for intermission.

After the break, the game took a different tenor, with the Capitals taking control of the game, and quite possibly this first round series, scoring four goals and outshooting the Canadiens 20-6 in the third.  The final score, 6-3, was as impressive as it sounds.

The dramatic turn-around would not have been possible without the outstanding play of goalie Semyon Varlamov, especially in that second period.  The young netminder made three terrific glove saves late in the period, robbing Mike Cammelleri point blank from the bottom of the circle, keeping the game close until the Caps' offense could catch up.

Varlamov made 36 saves on 39 shots, most of which were in the first two periods when the outcome was still very much in doubt.

The captain, Alex Ovechkin, scored twice and added an assist.  He started the scoring, notching a power play goal in the first period, ending an 0-for-15 skid in this series.  And his tally in the third period was the straw that broke Montreal's back.

Alexander Semin, who has been mostly invisible in this series, dug a puck off the board at the end of his shift and hit a streaking Ovechkin coming through the neutral zone.  The reigning back-to-back Hart Trophy winner faked out Hal Gill, turning the defenseman inside out, and sent a laser past Price to break a 2-2 tie.

Less than a minute later, Matt Bradley did some terrific work behind Price, brought the puck out above the goal line, and whipped a back-hand no-look cross-crease pass to Jason Chimera, who simply banged the puck into the open net.

Just like that, a tense, competitive game turned into a decisive decision for the league's top scoring team.

Mike Knuble and Nicklas Backstrom both added empty net goals for the final count.

Price took two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the third period, both times firing the puck into the Caps players celebrating goals that he could not stop.  Price, brought in to replace Jaroslav Halak in Game Three and given the start in Game Four, did not look particularly sharp.

It will be interesting to see which goalie Montreal coach Pierre Gauthier turns to with his team down 3-1, heading back to Verizon Center, one of the toughest places for visiting teams to walk out a winner this season.

Whoever that goalie is, he'll face Varlamov, who finally has played himself into shape.  It's no underestimation that this game would have had a different result had Varlamov not been his absolute best in that second period.

Momentum is fickle, to be sure.  But it swung hard at the end of that second period, and it swung to a team that many finally be finding their killer instinct.

The Washington Capitals had to scramble a little bit in the first period of Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the raucus Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens.

Montreal outshot the Caps 10-7, with Semyon Varlamov making several outstanding saves early to keep his team in it.

The Caps weathered the early storm, came out and took control with four second period goals, and eventually cruised to a 5-1 victory, sending the Montreal fans home unhappy.

Coach Bruce Boudreau turned to Varlamov to start this game in place of Jose Theodore, who was lifted in Game Two after allowing goals on the first two shots he saw.  It was a risky call, sending a young goalie into probably the most hostile atmosphere for a road team in the league.

But Varlamov proved up to the task, making 26 saves and leading his squad through a rough first period, where the Canadiens really took the play to the President's Trophy winners.

Varlamov is now 3-0-0 with a 1.63 goals against average and a .940 save percentage at Bell Centre in his career.  Maybe poutine agrees with him.


The second period told a different story.

Boyd Gordon, who did not dress for Game Two, sparked the team, scoring a short-handed goal just 1:06 into the frame.  He and Mike Knuble broke in and had a couple stuff attempts on Jaroslav Halak, and Gordon eventually was able to get it past.

Brooks Laich tallied a few minutes later, taking a pass from Mike Green at the top of the RW circle, turning and snapping a quick shot through traffic for the 2-0 lead, taking some of the starch out of the Canadiens.

Eric Fehr would add to the tally, bouncing a shot off Halak, getting his own rebound and flicking it over Halak's catcing glove.  Fehr's second goal of the playoffs sent Halak to the bench.

Montreal coach Pierre Gauthier summoned Carey Price to stop the bleeding, but Price didn't have much more success than Halak.

Captials captain Alex Ovechkin scored the fourth goal of the frame, banging home a feed from his running mate Nicklas Backstrom.

Matt Bradley finished the scoring, jamming home a bouncing puck with less than a minute remaining for the clincher.

The Caps have an uncanny ability to score in bunches, and that was certainly in evidence in the second period.  They feed off each other, and they took control of a tight game with a destructive blitz against a team that confounded them in Game One of this series.

What's even better, is that in this game, it was mostly secondary scoring that did most of the damage.  Eric Fehr is stepping up in this series in a big way.  Brooks Laich got on the scoresheet for the first time in the series.  Fourth liners Gordon and Bradley chipped in.

And it was important that Mike Green finally registered a point, and he and his pairing Jeff Schultz played much better than they did in Game Two.  They both finished +2, and Schultz blocked three shots.

It was a much-needed performance by a team that might have been a little shaken the way Montreal came into Verizon Center in Games One and Two and gave the Caps all they could handle.

The Caps responded in Game Three, showing that they were not going to be intimidated, either by the crowd, the building, or the Canadiens themselves.

Game Four is Wednesday night.

(ed.--two mintes after posting this article Damien Cox reported Semyon Varlamov would be the starter for the Cpas tonight)

Sometime very soon we will know who is starting in goal for the Washington Capitals tonight in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Centre Bell in Montreal this evening.

At least we'll know by 7:00 pm.

It's well documented that Theodore did not start any of the four games the Caps against Les Habitents in the regular season.  And it's widely suspected that should Theodore get the nod, he'll be subjected to loud, constant chants of "Tey-O" by the Centre Bell faithful.

But he should get the start.

Folks have been debating since he was pulled about who should get the nod for Game Three.  I've got three reasons they should stick with Theodore.

1)  Though the first goal was soft, the second was legit.  Boudreau had to pull him more for momentum than anything else.

2)  He was good in Game One.

3)  If you change now, you remove the option of changing later.

Boudreau said the other day he plans on playing both goalies during the playoffs.  But this is more about confidence in the veteran that has carried you all season.  It's true Boudreau abandoned Theodore in last year's playoffs, but he played much better this season than he did late last season.

And again, he played well in Game One.

This team has won all season with Theodore as the main goalie.  Boudreau should stick with him here.

Now, about getting Green and Schultz to stand someone up at the blue line...

Not quite eight minutes into Game Two of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup with the Montreal Canadiens, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals found themselves two goals down in their own barn.

After dropping Game One 3-2, it was not how the Caps wanted to get out of the gate.

Throughout the game, they found themselves down 3-1, 4-2 and 5-4 to an opportunistic Canadiens attack.

It mattered not.

Nicklas Backstrom scored 31 seconds into overtime for a 6-5 Caps win, sending the series to Montreal tied at two.

The overtime winner completed a hat trick for the 22-year old Swede, his first of this season and his first career playoff hat trick.

It was a fairly non-descript wrist shot that just seemed to fool Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak.

"[I was] a little bit [surprised it went in], but if you are going to score, you have to shoot, right? I was trying to get it on the net and I was lucky it went in."

Backstrom also assisted on the goal that sent the game into overtime, a John Carlson blast that sailed just under the glove of Halak (31 saves on 37 shots).

The play started in the defensive end, as Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (one goal, three assists) started a breakout, but was slashed by Montreal forward Michael Cammilleri, triggering a broken stick and delayed penalty call.

The puck ended up on Backstrom's stick, and he carried through the neutral zone.  Carlson joined the rush and Backstrom dropped the puck near the blueline for the streaking defenseman.  Carlson collected and utilized the Montreal defenseman and Backstrom as confusion and screen for the shot, which tied the game with 1:21 remaining in regulation.

"There's just something about him.  I mean, glory follows him" Coach Bruce Boudreau said about his 20-year old defenseman.  "Some guys get that.  I've said it before, they come up in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and they're the ones that do the damage.  I think John Carlson in his career is going to be like that."

This game did not start out happy for the Caps, though, and the ramifications could linger throughout their playoff run.

Starting goalie Jose Theodore allowed goals on his first two shots faced.  And though they were both tough attempts, Coach Bruce Boudreau needed to change the momentum and went to backup Semyon Varlamov.

The first was a long shot from Brian Gionta that Boudreau called a "knuckleball", and on the second Mike Green and Jeff Schultz kept retreating, which allowed Andrei Kostitsyn to walk into the slot and beat Theodore glove-side.

Not quite eight minutes in, the Caps were down 2-0 and pulling a goalie that had not lost in regulation in three months.  Things looked bleak.

Eric Fehr halfed the lead a but later, as he took a long breakout pass from Tomas Fleischmann and beat Halak with a quick wrist shot on a breakaway.  The first period ended at 2-1 Habs, and all things considered, things didn't look too bad.

But Montreal scored the next two goals (both by Kostitsyn, completing his own hat trick) to take a 4-1 lead with just 2:16 to go in the second period. Again, bleak.

But that's when the Caps' stars, Backstrom and Ovechkin, went to work.

Less than a minute later, Backstrom collected a rebound from a Joe Corvo shot and unleashed a slap shot from a tight angle that somehow managed to get through a Mike Knuble screen and past Halak.

Ovechkin drew the team to within one less than three minutes into the third period.  Carlson kept a clearing attempt in the zone and fired toward the Montreal goal.  The puck deflected off Matt Bradley and onto Halak, but the goalie could not handle the puck cleanly. 

Ovechkin jammed his stick between Halak's pads and rammed the puck home for The Great 8's first goal of these playoffs.

The first tying goal came at the 9:47 mark, with Backstrom knocking in a cross-crease pass from Ovechkin from the corner.

But the celebration would be short-lived, as Tomas Plekanec would surface again.  Mike Green tried to clear the puck from his own end, but put the puck right on Plekanec's stick.  He fed Michael Cammelleri, who either shot or passed back to Plekanec, who tipped it behind Varlamov to regain the lead, 5-4 with just over five minutes remaining.

CAPS NOTES:  The Capitals are now 16-22 all time in playoff overtime games, and won their first playoff overtime game at home since a 3-2 OT win against Buffalo on May 25, 1998, ending a five-game losing streak in home overtimes.

Alex Ovechkin added three assists and now has 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 25 career playoff games. With four points in the contest, Ovechkin established a playoff career high.

Ovechkin finished the game with eight hits, two shy of his regular-season single-game high.

Semyon Varlamov, who started 13 of 14 games in last year's postseason, made 22 saves on 25 shots to pick up his eighth career postseason victory in 14 games. Varlamov has three wins in three games played against Montreal in the regular season and postseason combined.

The Montreal Canadiens entered Game One of the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs with one goal in mind:  shut down Alex Ovechkin.

They did that and more, keeping Ovechkin without a shot on goal and holding him pointless for the third time this season, defeating the President's Trophy winners 3-2 in overtime.

Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau was frank in his assessment of his superstar's game.

"He didn’t play good. I mean, they gapped up on him really well, but I don’t think Alex played very well. I can’t put my finger on it right now, but when you get 50 shots on goal and Ovechkin doesn’t get any and you have four power plays..."

"They took him away pretty good, but I just didn’t think he was very good tonight.”

Tomas Plekanec sent in the game-winner from the top of the circles at 13:19 into overtime on an awkward shift change and defensive lapse.

Montreal coach Jacques Martin praised his troops on the overtime goal.  “It was a good play by [Montreal defenseman Jaroslav Spacek] to move the puck quickly to set up the two-on-two situation and [Montreal forward Tomas Plekanec] made an excellent move using the defenseman to screen their goaltender and got a great shot away.”

Boudreau saw it differently.

 

“We were screwing around with it (the puck) instead of taking it back and setting it up and coming out. I think when Joe [Corvo] threw it across the ice, it got redirected and Alex [Ovechkin] was changing and Nicky [Backstrom] got beat and Mike Knuble was caught on the other end of the boards."

 

"They came up and our defense was caught in transition so they backed up so Plekanec got a chance to walk into the top of the circle and he had a perfect shot.”

 

Goalie Jose Theodore had a very strong game tonight, making 35 saves on 38 shots.  He was instrumental in keeping the game close--in the second period especially--while the Caps could not musted much offense.

 

"I thought he kept us in it," Boudreau said.  "In the first period we were really good. In the second period, when they were putting a big push on, he made some big saves to keep it a tied game.”

Washington got out quickly in the first period, taking it to Montreal physically and at the net, outshooting the eighth seed 19-7 after one.  But the score at the end of the frame was tied at one, which Montreal had to take as a confidence boost.

 

Montreal utilized a power play to open the scoring.  With Nicklas Backstrom in the box for a retaliatory cross-check on Jaroslav Spacek, Caps defenseman Tom Poti failed to make a clear, and seconds later Mike Cammalleri snapped a shot over Theodore's left (blocker) shoulder.

 

Joe Corvo got the Caps on the board just a few minutes later.  He made a nice play to avoid a Canadien forward, then lofted an easy wrist shot toward the goal that drifted past a screened Jaroslav Halak (45 saves).

 

After a scoreles second period that was owned by Montreal, the Caps came out in the third and finally looked like they were ready to take control of the game.  Just 47 seconds in, Backstrom made up for his earlier infraction by taking a nifty touch pass from Mike Knuble and slipping past Halak to give the Caps a 2-1 lead.

 

That lead would last until 7:34, when Scott Gomez banged home a cross-ice pass from Brian Gionta to tied things up, setting up the overtime period, where Montreal would get their last laugh.

 

Veteran forward Mike Knuble, who was brought in for his playoff experience, said what many in the locker room alluded to.  "We didn’t execute. We need to play better and harder all the way around. We need to bear down a little more right around the net.”

They'll get their chance Saturday night, down one game to none.

 

CAPS NOTES: 

In the history of the franchise, the Capitals have won five of nine playoff series in which they have lost Game 1.

With 19 shots in the first period, the Capitals tied a team playoff record (five times) for most shots in a period.

 

Washington was 0-for-4 on the power play.  Montreal was 1-for-4.

Brooks Laich wore shield instead of cage in a game for first time since injury.

Mike Green starting his playoff mohawk

Another sellout crowd, but with playoff energy

Fans in the spirit of the playoffs

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

Despite Brooks Laich's first NHL hat trick and another three-goal third period, the Washington Capitals saw their franchise record 14-game winning streak fall to the Montreal Canadiens, 6-5.

Montreal's Tomas Plekanec scored with less than eight seconds remaining in overtime, putting a dagger in the longest winning streak in the Capitals 35 year history.

That the Caps were playing in overtime at all was surprising, as Laich completed his hat trick with 18.4 seconds left in regulation.  Montreal forward Glen Metropolit took a late penalty with 2:32 left and while the Caps failed to register on the power play, they lifted goalie Jose Theodore (21 saves on 25 shtos)  for the extra attacker as time wore down.

When Laich solved Canadiens goalie Carey Price (33 saves), the Caps had to feel like they'd won the game, stealing a point in a game they once trailed 5-2.

Overtime was back-and-forth, and when the Caps couldn't convert on a rush with less that 30 seconds, it looked like the game was going to penalty shots.  But Sergei Kostitsyn carried deep into the offensive zone, and found Plenkanec behind defenseman Jeff Schultz for the tap in on Theodore.

It was a brutal ending to a fantastic comeback.

Washington played it's way into the three-goal deficit.  There were blown defensive assisgnments, lack of concentration by goalies Theodore and Michal Neuvirth (who left the game without explanation early in the second period), and lazy stick penalties by forwards Alexander Semin and Brendan Morrison, the latter resulting in a Montreal power play goal, and another one just 12 seconds after that.

But a power play goal by Mike Green 16 seconds into the third got the Caps off on the comeback, and Laich tallied two more times in the stanza to send the game into the extra period.

Washington also had a goal inexplicably waived off in the second period.  Montreal defenseman Hal Gill had the puck at his feet in the slot in front of Price.  Alex Ovechkin lowered his shoulder into Gill, sending the large defender into his goalie, puck and all.  When the puck slid under Price and into the goal, the referee originally, and emphatically, signaled goal.

But after the play, the officiating squad met at the scorer's desk, and without replay, overturned the goal. 

Montreal came in short-handed, missing five regulars and top scorer Mike Cammalleri, and lost Josh Georges late in the first period when he went down to block a shot from the point by Green and took it off his right cheek.  Georges lay motionless for several moments in a pool of blood, but eventually left under mostly his own power and is listed as day-to-day for Montreal.

The Capitals seem to be getting banged up now too.  Jason Chimera missed the game due to a strained groin suffered in practice Tuesday, and Tom Poti missed much of the third period.  The Caps are expected to make a couple call-ups from Hershey today in case either player can't go tonight againt Ottawa.

The Washington Capitals entered Tuesday night's game with the Montreal Canadiens on a three game regulation losing streak and in need of a spark. 

They got that and more, as Alexander Semin scored twice, Tomas Fleischmann registered a goal and two helpers, and Michal Neuvirth pushed aside 24 of 26 shots, as the Caps completed a 4-2 victory over the Habs before a sellout crowd at Verizon Center.

The biggest news of the day, however, was the biggest spark that could have been provided.  Earlier in the day, and announced just at game time, two-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin was named as the 14th captain in Capitals' history, ending a three-game captainless stretch, the result of the trade that sent Chris Clark to Columbus.

Ovechkin was held without a point in his first game as captain, making it two games in a row the prolific scorer has been held off the scoresheet.  But it was of no matter, as his countryman, Semin, tallied twice, including the icing on the cake with just over two minutes remaining.

To illustrate the point of leadership, coach Bruce Boudreau had his captain take the ice as time dwindled with the Caps fighting off the extra skater with less than a minute left.

Fleischmann played a complete game in his first start at center in the NHL, scoring the first goal of the game -- unassisted -- on the power play.  He also helped out on both of Semin's goals as well.  The flourishing touch?  He even won the majority of his faceoffs, something he needed extra practice for with faceoff specialists David Steckel and Biyd Gordon in yesterday's practice.

Perhaps the only blemish on the victory was two third period penalties by veteran alternate captain Mike Knuble.  He was whistled twice in the final frame, and the first ended with Benoit Pouliot's fifth goal of the season, which brought Montreal within one.

But the Caps killed the second infraction, then Semin notched the insurance goal at 17:58.

Ovechkin becomes just the sixth Russian born player to captain an NHL team.  He is the second youngest captain in Capitals history, and the third youngest captain in the league.

Boudreau heaped praise upon his newly minted leader. 

"I talked to him a few days ago about it," Boudreau said. "He said, 'I would accept the responsibility, but only if my teammates want me to. If they're happy with me as a captain, I'd be glad to be captain.' So he was already thinking about the team rather than thinking about himself, which is what captains do."

Ovechkin was circumspect in the locker room following the game.  "We have a lot of guys who can speak and talk. But if I have to say something, I say something."

Notes:  After the game, the Washington Post reported that David Steckel has signed a contract extension.

In the World Junior Championships in Saskatoon, Team USA defeated Team Canada in the Gold Medal game, winning 6-5 in overtime.  Caps' prospect John Carlson had two goals in the game, including the game winner on a 2-on-1 breakaway in overtime.

The Capitals took 43 shots -- a season high -- and marked the eighth time this season they've recorded 40 or more. They are 7-0-1 when taking 40 or more shots.

Photos From Habs v. Caps; Ovi wears C (C) C. Nichols 2010.

Montreal Canadiens (21-20-3-45, fourth in Northeast)

v.

Washington Capitals (24-11-6-54, first in Southeast)

______________________________________________________

The Washington Capitals come home after a brutal road trip, losing to Los Angeles and San Jose by a combined 7-3, on the heels of getting routed in their last home game, 6-3, by Carolina. 

Washington has not won since the trade that sent then-captain Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina to Columbus for winger Jason Chimera.

The Caps have not suffered four consecutive regulation losees since Nov. 2007, which triggered the move to bring in coach Bruce Boudreau.

Montreal lost Sunday, 1-0 to Buffalo, but has won their previous two games, over Florida and Tampa Bay.

Semyon Varlamov, who was sent to AHL Hershey to get back into playing shape, instead reinjured himself Sunday in a 4-1 win for Hershey and will miss perhaps another two weeks.

Nicklas Backstrom, who left the L.A. game with a migraine, practiced yesterday and should be available for the game with Montreal.  Alexnader Semin missed practice with an undisclosed injury, but pronounced himself fine for the game.

The teams have split two games this season.  Montreal won 3-2 in D.C. Nov. 19 and the Caps returned the favor, winning in Montreal 4-3 in a shootout on Nov. 27.

The Washington Capitals stormed out of the gates, going up 2-0 midway through the first period.  But the homestanding Montreal Canadiens scored three straight goals in the second and third periods and looked to be controlling the game. 

But Eric Fehr snuck a rebound attempt underneath Carey Price with 11.4 seconds remaining with the Caps playing six-on-four, and Nick Backstrom beat Price with a snap shot in the third round of the shootout to lift the Caps over the Canadiens, before a raucous, sellout crowd at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Things got off to an encouraging start for the Capitals (15-5-6).  Fehr and Alex Ovechkin scored 1:12 apart in the first period to take a serious 2-0 lead, and minutes later, Ovechkin came in alone on a breakaway on Price.  The "Great 8" put a quick deke on the netminder and went to his forehand, but Price was equal to the task, keeping his team in the game long enough to get them started.

Montreal (12-12-2) answered pretty quickly in the second period.  With Jay Beagle in the box for a "light" tripping penalty, Jaroslav Spacek landed a blast from the point to cut the deficit in half at 5:40. 

Ten minutes later, Tomas Plekanec lifted a backhand past Semyon Varlamov (21 saves on 24 shots) after a scrum in front of the net.  Plekanec got behind Karl Alzner in the confusion, but it was a hiccup in the rookie's otherwise terrific game, just his second of the season.  In 16:57 of total ice time, he had an even rating, and assisted on Fehr's first goal.

Montreal took the lead at 5:34 of the third, with Travis Moen getting credit for a tip-in of Marc-Andre Bergeron's booming slap shot from the point.  The goal came at the end of a power play, one where the Caps played over a minute down two men.  They killed off the five-on-three, but long their energy just at the end of the shift to give up the big shot.

Things looked bleak in the dwindling minutes of the final frame.  Price came up huge on several occasions, but he himself almost made the fatal mistake.  With less than two minutes remaining, he tried to clear a puck along the boards, but sent it right to the tape of Brendan Morrison. 

The veteran pivot put the shot on net, but Price got just enough of it to push it out of the goal.

The Caps would get the last, best chance though.  With Varlamov off for the extra skater at the 1:30 mark, Washington got good pressure on the Montreal net.  At 19:44, Paul Mara was whistled for high-sticking, giving the Caps an offensive zone draw.

Nick Backstrom got tied up on the draw, but turned his body into Plekanec and kicked the puck back to Mike Green at the point.  He sent the puck across the rink to Ovechkin at the opposite point, who unleashed a blast that Price turned away.

But Fehr was in the right place at the right time, and slid the puck just underneath Price for the equalizer.

Overtime was scoreless, then both goalies stopped the first two shooters in the shootout.  Varlamov then stoned Plekanec after the Canadien went way wide and then tried to go short side, but the young Russian netminder got his left pad down to close the door.

Backstrom then got his chance, and he did not disappoint.  He went straight at Price, and fired a snap shot stick side that left the goalie defenseless.

The Caps now head down to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes Monday night at 7:00 pm.

________________________________________________________

THREE STARS

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

2. R. Hamrlik - MON (Goals: 0, Assists: 2)

3. E. Fehr - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)

BOX SCORE//GAME SUMMARY//EVENT SUMMARY

John Carlson making his NHL Debut

Photo © 2009 Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

With 19 seconds remaining in the game and trailing by one, Mike Green hit the right post flush and the puck gently came to rest underneath Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, and the Washington Capitals best chance to tie up a game they struggled in was whistled dead. 

Two ensuing faceoffs provided no more help, and the Caps (13-5-4) fell 3-2 before a capacity crowd at the Verizon Center Friday night.

Washington played the final 1:52 on a power play, and much of the time played with a six-to-four man advantage.

"There was a lot of red out there," Price said about the last two minutes to the media after the game.  "Especially when I lost my stick. I've got six players against four with no stick. That makes it pretty tough."

Tough, but obviously not impossible.

The Capitals found themselves down 3-1 midway through the third period due to an uneven, sometimes sloppy performance.

With several players wearing jerseys numbers in the 70s and 80s, Washington resembled a traveling pre-season squad.

Missing from the lineup were such regulars as Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble, Boyd Gordon, Quintin Laing, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn and Jose Theodore.  In were 21-year old Michal Neuvirth, 19-year old John Carlson and others that started the season in AHL Hershey, such as Mathieu Perrault, Jay Beagle.

Michal Neuvirth started at Goalie.  Photo © 2009 Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

It's no wonder the Capitals looked like a different team in the first period of the game.  They are a different team.

"It's easy to rip on your players when you lose to a team that's below you in the standings," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said, "but I thought Montreal played a strong game. The biggest thing was I didn't think we were ready at the start of the game. "

Regardless, you have to play with what you have, and tonight the Caps just weren't ready out of the gate, despite taking the early lead.

"We got the sense of urgency in the last two periods," he added. "Sometimes it's too late when the other goalie is on top of his game."

Eric Fehr struck with the only goal in the first period.  After good forechecking by Perrault and David Steckel, Fehr beat Price with a rising wrist shot as Steckel skated right in front of the Montreal goaltender.

But Les Habitents registered the next three tallies, including two goals in 2:47 in the second period.  There was a deflection and a bounce off a Capitals player, so youngster Neuvirth (19 saves) can't really be faulted too hard one either.

"He did what a starting pitcher is supposed to do," Boudreau said of the goalie, making his first start of the season.  ""He kept us in the game. And we didn't take advantage of it."

The Canadiens' last goal was a rocket by Mike Cammilleri on a questionable power play midway through the third period.

It was at that time the Caps woke up, but it was too little, too late.

Washington got it's second goal off a terrific shot-pass from Green to Brendan Morrison, who then beat Price with a backhander as he skated through the crease, setting up the final two-minute flurry.

Despite the onslaught, the Caps never did get the equalizer.

There is no rest for the weary, though.  The team loaded up for their charter immediately after the game for a 7:00 pm road faceoff with the woeful Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow.

Hopefully they find their legs earlier Saturday evening than they did Friday.

NOTES:  Carlson made his N.H.L. debut and acquitted himself well.  He led the team in hits and rang a shot off the post in the first period in a bid for his first goal.  "I thought [he] played well," Boudreau commented.  "He's going to be a good player in this league for a long time."

D Tom Poti left in the second period with an undisclosed upper body injury.  He is listed day-to-day, and Boudreau indicated the team will call up another player for Saturday's game, implying that Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina and Poti all will be unavailable.