Caps 6, Lightning 3
Can these two teams play once a week? Great skill on the ice from both sides, but in the end the Caps shook off another sketchy first period and pulled away for the victory. Alex Semin had the hat trick, Nicklas Backstrom produced four assists and Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists. Read all the details in our game story.
The Lightning, at least trying to mount a credible challenge to Washington in the Southeast Division, were right with it early in the third period after a Ryan Malone power-play goal. Steven Stamkos added a sweet tally of his own to up his league-leading total to 14 and cut the lead to 4-3 with 7:17 to play. But the Caps’ top line was too much. Semin, Ovechkin and Backstrom combined for four goals and 12 points total. Semin now leads Washington with 12 goals and is putting together a monster first five weeks of the season – in another contract year, no less.
“He’s a great player with a lot of skills. He’s a sniper out there,” Backstrom said of Semin. “He can score. I haven’t seen Alex play as well as he is right now.”
Semin recorded his fifth career hat trick and extended his points streak to six games. He has 13 points during that stretch and overall sits at 21 points in 16 games. That was also his second hat trick of the season. Semin is just the second NHL player this season to have a five-point game. San Jose’s Joe Thornton did it as well.
It was a big night for Backstrom, too. He has 12 points in his last six games and tonight recorded the 200th helper of his career. Backstrom has four goals and 14 assists. He is just the third NHL player with a four-assist game so far in 2010-11.
Ovechkin made up a little ground on Stamkos in the scoring race with his three-point night. But only a little. Stamkos had two points himself and is at an NHL-best 26. Ovechkin has 23 points, including at least one in eight straight games.
Bad news for Tampa Bay forward Vincent Lecavalier, who suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right hand in the first period and could miss 3-to-4 weeks, according to the Lightning. The injury seemed to occur in the first period. But while Lecavalier missed some time while trainers tended to his injury in the dressing room he also returned to play 7 minutes, 30 seconds – nine shifts total – in the second period. But the pain became too much in the third as Lecavalier stayed off the ice.
“[Lecavalier] played for a long time with it because he didn’t want to come off,” said Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher. “He’s a warrior, this guy. I’m impressed.”
Caps injury news is for forward Boyd Gordon. He seemed to pull up on an icing call in the first period, his second shift of the game. But however it happened, Gordon returned later in the first period, lasting just 20 seconds before calling it quits for the evening. Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said Gordon could miss a week and that this is an aggravation of a previous injury. That means center Marcus Johansson (hip) should be ready to go for Saturday’s game at Buffalo. He was recalled from AHL Hershey on Wednesday, but scratched against the Lightning.
Caps Notes
» Congrats to Caps radio voice Steve Kolbe for calling his 1,000th game on Thursday night.
» Brooks Laich had an assist in the second period and leads the entire NHL at +13.
» The Caps are an absurd 9-3-0 even after allowing the first goal of the game.
» Big props to Washington center David Steckel, who had 20 faceoff wins in 29 attempts. The last Caps player to reach 20 was local boy Jeff Halpern, who had 21 on Nov. 6, 2005 against Toronto.
» Washington maintains the NHL’s best record with 24 points in 16 games – two ahead of rival Philadelphia (10-4-2, 22 points). The Caps are already at 12 with back-to-back games set this weekend at Buffalo and at home vs. Atlanta.
» Special teams: Caps were 1-for-1 on the power play and killed three of four Tampa Bay penalties.
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