Caps 4, Thrashers 3 (OT)
A wild one at Verizon Center as the Caps rallied from a 2-1 deficit only to see Atlanta score with 33 seconds left. Tomas Fleischmann took care of that with his game-winner in overtime. Alex Semin had a hat trick – the fourth of his career – and rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves and got his bell rung by Atlanta forward Dustin Byfuglien. Read the details here in our game story.
Meanwhile, AHL recall Mathieu Perreault had himself a pretty nice night. Playing in Washington for the first time this season he had two beautiful assists on Semin goals. That makes for a nice problem at center. Perreault was filling in for center Marcus Johansson (hip flexor), who himself played his best game of the season on Thursday night against the Bruins. The game before he recorded his first NHL goal. There were questions up the middle for Washington entering the season and everyone knew it. Nights like this make that issue seem a lot less pressing. Perreault was the last player cut as training camp ended and desperately wanted to make a good impression in his first NHL game this season.
“[Perreault] played pretty good. He was the catalyst in the third period,” said Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. “On the other hand, the best game Marcus played was the last game, too. And then [Fleischmann] got the overtime winner and [David Steckel] won every faceoff down the stretch and [Nicklas Backstrom] is Nicky. I think if we put Nicky on waivers someone would claim him. So it’s tough decisions, but like we said coming out of training camp – we’ve got a lot of good forwards.”
Neuvirth played well, but was knocked to the ice by Byfuglien late in the second period. Defenseman John Erskine took exception and flew in to defend his goalie. That drew a two-minute roughing penalty – not a great idea with a team playing just five defenseman at even strength. But according to Caps players and coaches it had to be done.
“No, I applaud him. That’s what you need to do to protect your teammates,” Boudreau said. “Sometimes as a coach you sit back there and say ‘Ah, we’ve only got five.’ But if you start using that as a criteria then your players don’t get protected. He did what he was supposed to do.”
Green still doesn’t look close to 100 percent, fighting what’s believed to be a shoulder injury – though the team reports it only as an upper-body injury. He did score a goal in the second period only to see off-ice replay officials in Toronto rule that he directed the puck into the net with his skate with a distinct kicking motion. That one could have gone either way – though for what it’s worth the on-ice officials told Boudreau they thought it was a good goal.
Green at one point even made a diving poke check to break up an Atlanta rush. He played a total of 5:39. The next-closest defenseman in ice time was Tyler Sloan at 16:28. Green is one of many walking wounded. Johansson missed the game. Matt Bradley (lower-body injury) is still on injured reserve. The Caps had to recall goalie Dany Sabourin before the game thanks to an injury to goalie Semyon Varlamov, who has been fighting groin troubles since training camp. He is listed as day-to-day. Defenseman Tom Poti was deemed too sore to take part in warm-ups. Boyd Gordon should be back with the team on Monday, though he isn’t listed as injured.
“With three days off it’s really going to help because we’ve played a lot of hockey,” Boudreau said. “As you know we’ve got a lot of banged up bodies. It’s going to really help and give us two good practice days on Monday and Tuesday before we go to Carolina.”
Alex Ovechkin was held pointless and took a goalie interference penalty in the third period. But he also had nine hits – a sure sign No. 8 was involved in the action.
“He was getting mad. His will come. There’s once a year where he goes through a stretch and he doesn’t get any points and he doesn’t score any goals,” Boudreau said. “And then he scores in 30 games out of 33. That’s just the way he is. He’s getting a little frustrated, but he’s also getting a little closer.”
Caps Notes
» Washington improved to 5-3 and now have 10 points heading into a three-game road trip beginning at Carolina on Wednesday night. The Thrashers are 3-4-1 with seven points – but have at least taken three of a possible four points from the Caps.
» Semin last recorded a hat on Feb. 11, 2010 in Ottawa. He ranks fifth in career hat tricks by a Caps player with Peter Bondra, Dennis Maruk, Mike Gartner and Ovechkin ahead of him.
» Fleischmann’s third goal of the season was the 11th game-winning tally of his career and his third overtime goal.
» Washington is now 3-0 in overtime games this season with wins over the Thrashers, Ottawa and Nashville. The Caps are also now 4-1 at Verizon Center.
» John Carlson led all Caps players in ice time (26:32).
» A jersey auction for Capitals’ Hockey Fights Cancer raised $35,075. Ovechkin’s went for $1,800. A team-signed red guitar went for $7,000.
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