Caps 2, Islanders 1 (Overtime)
They pulled out a little magic at the corner of 7th and F on Tuesday night. The Caps hadn’t scored a goal at Verizon Center in 178 minutes, 6 seconds and – to say the least – the home fans were just a little bit miffed.
After a pair of Nicklas Backstrom penalties late in the third period Washington appeared on its way to yet another shutout – what would have been their 10th of the season and this one to someone named Nathan Lawson, one of 114 different goalies the Islanders have employed in 2010-11. A 27-year-old late bloomer, Lawson had appeared in all of eight NHL games prior to tonight’s game.
Not to bag on him too much, though. Washington actually fired 42 shots on goal Tuesday and Lawson proved up to the challenge almost the entire night. Almost. Because when Jason Arnott – in his Caps debut – found Brooks Laich alone in front of Lawson with 48 seconds to play and the goalie pulled for an extra attacker the game was tied. That’s the first time they’ve scored a pulled-goalie goal all season. Just a few minutes into overtime Alex Ovechkin shook off an otherwise lethargic night to lift the Verizon Center crowd out of its seat and Washington to its fifth win in seven games. Check out the details in our game story here.
So how’d the newcomers – Arnott, Marco Sturm and defenseman Dennis Wideman – do? Arnott assisted on Laich’s game-tying goal. In 16:19 of ice time he had three shots and a hit, but lost 6-of-14 faceoffs. Wideman played a game-high 26:44, took three shots and was on the ice for both Washington goals. He also was credited with four hits and two blocks. Marco Sturm played alongside Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the top line. His ice time was limited to 12:01 in part thanks to just 45 seconds on special teams. Sturm took two shots, had a great scoring chance denied early in the first period after a long pass from Ovechkin and won 2-of-8 faceoffs. Here are Bruce Boudreau’s extended thoughts.
“[Arnott] is known for scoring goals as a centerman rather than as a passer, but I thought he made two or three really, really good plays passing the puck, especially on the tying goal. I thought Dennis Wideman played with a lot of poise and he got shots through, which our defense hasn’t been able to get shots through lately. I was happy to see that. They were all nervous. Marco was nervous in the beginning. Anybody that plays with Nicky and Alex has a tendency to overplay – to play to their strengths rather than their own strengths…I thought when he had time and space he made the play all the time.”
Ovechkin actually scored the game-winning and leads the NHL in game winners despite only 25 overall. He now has 10 goals and 10 assists in his last 18 games and 65 points in 63 games. Six times in the last 18 games Ovechkin has posted a multi-point night.
“I thought quite frankly he looked lethargic a little bit in the game. And usually he’s a very good passer and he wasn’t making the good tape-to-tape passes,” Boudreau said. “But he got an assist on the tying goal and then the last goal was vintage Alex. It was a forward back there, but he used his strength and was not to be denied. I was telling [assistant coach] Dean [Evason] sometimes superstars don’t play good, but that’s why they’re superstars – because they can rise to the moment at the right moment and that’s what he did.”
Caps Notes
» Washington appears back on track with its PK. That unit has killed 15 of its last 17 short-handed situations, including all four against the Islanders on Tuesday.
» Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth stopped 28 of 29 shots. His 20th win of the year matches the most by a rookie goalie in Washington since Bob Mason won 20 in 1986-87.
» That assist by Ovechkin late in the third period was the 300th of his career. He is seven shy of 300 goals for his career.
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