Caps 3, Hurricanes 2 (Shootout)
The Caps escaped this week with two hard-fought wins over Carolina by the same margin. This one was a little more unconventional. They again blew a 2-0 lead – this time with the tying goal coming from nemesis Eric Staal with three seconds to go in regulation – but recovered to take a shootout win. Check out all the particulars here in our game story. Marcus Johansson and Alex Semin had the goals for Washington in the first period and that lead held up for a long while. Alex Ovechkin had the only goal during the shootout period.
For Semin, it was his 18th goal of the season – tied for second in the NHL with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and behind only Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos (21) – and his fourth in two games after Friday’s hat trick. Semin now has 16 goals in his last 18 games. He didn’t score his 18th of the season in 2009-10 until Jan. 9 en route to a career-high 40.
Let’s give it up for Washington’s penalty-kill unit, too. The Hurricanes aren’t very good with the man-advantage. But the Caps went 3-for-3 on Sunday and have killed 20 of the last 23 they’ve faced. They currently rank eighth in the NHL overall (84.3%). Hey, fans wanted this team to improve in some key areas – well, that’s absolutely one of them.
Can’t win them all, I guess. David Steckel has been great on faceoffs again this season. He won eight of 11 tonight and helped Washington take 33-of-59 (56%) overall against Carolina. But Staal beat Steckel cleanly with eight seconds left in the game and then drove the net hard. When defenseman Joni Pitkanen had his shot blocked Staal was right in front, fought off Washington defenseman Tom Poti and lifted home the game-tying goal.
As for Ovechkin, he may have “just” 10 goals in 25 games this season – and none in the last seven – but he is on a record-pace for assists. His pass to Semin on a 2-on-1 with 71 seconds left in the first period was a thing of beauty. Ovechkin has 22 assists, including six in the last three games. In fact, his last eight points have all been assists. Ovechkin is tied with Crosby and only Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin (25) has more.
“Well, something new. I thought I had two [goals tonight]. But probably it’s not my time right now,” Ovechkin said. “I think I have a good chance to score goals and haven’t scored. But most important games are in the future. So right now we win it and that’s most important thing…No, it’s not frustrations. Like I said, I have chances. If I don’t have chances that will get frustrating.”
Ovechkin is on a pace for 72 assists, which would shatter his career best of 59 set last season and also rank second in Caps history. Only Dennis Maruk has done better with 76 assists in 1981-82. Incidentally, if Ovechkin did hit 72 assists that would be the most by any left wing in NHL history. So, yes, Ovechkin isn’t likely to put up 60 goals this season unless he gets super hot sometime soon. He seems okay with that.
“I think teams are just more on him this year,” said teammate Nicklas Backstrom. “I mean, they’re always two guys on him all the time. It makes it a little bit tough for him. But it doesn’t matter. We win hockey games. I think he doesn’t care, either. As long as we win he’s happy. He’s a great passer, too.”
Added Caps coach Bruce Boudreau:
[Ovechkin] has been an elite goal scorer his whole life. He’s struggling scoring goals and you can see he’s pressing a little bit. But the good news is he’s getting chances. He’s not losing the puck off his stick like he was a week ago. And he’s driving [the net]. You just know once it breaks it’s going to break. But he’s always been a great passer. He’s just never been noted for being a great passer.”
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