It was another one of those games again, the game sthat are driving Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau slowly crazy.  On the road, the Caps came out against a wounded Atanta Thrashers squad and dominated through about 35 minutes.

Unfortunately, they once again took their foot off the gas and watch as their opponent scratched its way back into a game they had no business being in.  Time ran out before Atlanta come complete their comeback, though it was not for lack of effort.  At least, not lack of effort by Atlanta.

It's tough to be so negative, as the win marks Washignton's sixth straight, and they sit atop their division and near the top of the conference.  But against tougher foes, this now-common recipe isn't going to cut it. 

Boudreau told the assembled media following the game, in no uncertain terms, what he thought of his team's performance in the second half of the game.

"I thought with about seven minutes to go in the second period, we thought this was going to be easy," Boudreau said. "And then we stopped skating and stopped playing. But I knew once [Atlanta] got one goal, just like last time, they would be flying. It's not like a faucet. You can't turn it on and off when you want."

"We need to be able to finish teams off when we have the chance," he said. "We need that killer instinct and we haven't had that killer instinct. We let teams right back in the game."
 
The bad taste left from an almost-comeback spoiled what should have been a game worth celebrating.  Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the first period and Brendan Morrison added a power play marker four minutes into the second period. 
 
Almost immediately following, you could see the adrenaline leave the bodies of the Capitals, signaling Atlanta to put pressure on goalie Semyon Varlamov (38 saves on 41 shots), who was outstanding in place of Jose Theodore, given the night off in preparation for the game Friday night against the New York Islanders.
 
"I wasn't happy for Varly," Boudreau said. "He plays an outstanding game and ends up with three goals on him. Nothing he could do. He kept us in the game in the third period. It's ridiculous how we just let up and let the other teams back into the game. It's very frustrating."
 
Altanta (4-4-1) out shot Washington 33-19 in the final two frames, despite missing leading scorer Ilya Kovulchuk, out serveral weeks with a broken foot.  It was the second consecutive game the Caps surrendered 20 shots in the third period, and over 40 for the game.

Atlanta got three third period goals, two by Zach Bogosian -- the last coming with less than one second on the game clock.  As it turned out, Mike Knuble's empty net goal at 19:07 turned out to be the game-winner. 

That's a margin that is much too close, especially on a night that started with such dominance.

Washington hosts the Islanders (2-4-5) at 7:00 pm at Verizon Center tonight.  The Isles beat the New York Rangers Wednesday night 3-1, but lost their three previous, including a home 3-2 loss to the Caps Oct. 24.
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THREE STARS

1.  Alex Ovechkin (Goals: 2, Assists: 1)
2.  Zach Bogosian (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)
3.  Semyon Varlamov  (Saves: 38, Save Pct: .927)
________________________________________________________
NOTES

Tomas Fleischmann was activated for the game and played surprisingly well.  He logged 16:07 of ice time, was credited with three shots, including a close on against Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec.   "Every shift I felt more comfortable on the ice," he said. "He made one really good save on me. I should have scored that one. It will go in eventually."

***Quotes for this story were selected from muliple sources***

CAPS GAME NIGHT--GAME 12: Back Down to Atlanta

Posted by Dave Nichols | Thursday, October 29, 2009 | , , , | 0 comments »


Washington Capitals (7-2-2, 16 pts, 1st in Southeast Division)
v.
Atlanta Thrashers (4-3-1, 9 pts, 2nd in Southeast Division)
7:00 pm from Phillips Arena
________________________________________________________
PREVIEW

This is the second consecutive Thursday these two teams meet, but both are significantly different teams than the last meeting, a 5-4 Caps win, Washington getting five goals from five different player, none names Ovechkin.

Atlanta now finds themselves missing their top player, Ilya Kovalchuk, who scored twice in last week's melee.  Kovalchuk will be out several weeks with a broken bone in his right foot.

The Capitals will be without shot-blocker extraordinaire Quentin Laing, who was diagnosed with H1N1 and sent home from the team.  Eric Fehr missed Thursday's win over Philadelphia with an "upper body injury", believed to be bruised ribs from blocking a shot the other night.

Returning for this contest, though, is Alexander Semin, who missed out in the fun in Atlanta last week while nursing an undisclosed illness/injury, and the possible return of Tomas Fleischmann, who was activated by the team yesterday in is return from a blood clot in his leg.

Alexandre Giroux was returned to AHL Hershey to make room for Fleischmann.

________________________________________________________
EXPECTED LINEUP

Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Morrison-Knuble
Fleischmann-Aucoin-Clark
Sloan (Fehr)-Steckel-Bradley

Defense
Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Schultz-Pothier

Goalie
Theodore
Varlamov

Scratches: Fehr, Laing
________________________________________________________
TEAM STATS

WAS: GF: 2nd (40/3.64); GA: 13st (31/2.82); PP: 21st (9/52, 17.3%); PK: 10th (10/54, 81.5%)
ATL: GF: 4th (28/3.50); GA: 14th (23/2.88); PP: 4th (9/32, 28.1%): PK: 3rd (5/36, 86.1%)_______________________________________________________
LEADERS

WAS: G: Ovechkin (11) A: Backstrom (12) P: Ovechkin (19) +/-: Ovechkin (+11)
ATL: Kovalchuk (9) A: Antropov (7) P: Kovalcuk, Peverley (10) +/-: Kubina (+4)
________________________________________________________
INJURIES

WAS: D John Erskine (IR-hand), F Boyd Gordon (DTD-back), Quentin Laing (DTD-Flu), Eric Fehr (DTD-Ribs)
ATL:  LW Ilya Kovalchuk (IR-Foot), D Boris Valabik (IR-Ankle), G Kari Lehtonen (IR-back), C Nik Antropov (QUE-groin)

BOX SCORE//GAME SUMMARY//EVENT SUMMARY

For moments in the second period, it looked like the Washington Capitals were not going to be able to match the Philadelphia Flyers intensity physically. 


Richards has Backstrom in a headlock, which was not called. 
An example of how the crease looked most of the night.

But after a television timeout, Jeff Schultz laid into a Flyers forward, and moments later Tyler Sloan did the same.  After that, what had been a sub-par defensive performance turned into a flurry of offensive activity, and the Caps rallied from two goals down to overcome and defeat the hated Flyers, 4-2, before a capacity crowd at Verizon Center Tuesday night.

Jose Theodore sparkled in net as well.  He stopped 41 of 43 shots he faced, even stopping a penalty shot.

He allowed just two power play goals during the second period of the game, when the Flyers were owning the Caps, physically and offensively.

Philly was able to keep the puck in the Caps zone seemingly at will for most of the period, often looking like they were running a power play, though the teams were even strength. 

Even a two-man advantage for 1:42 couldn't get the Caps to shake a leg.

But things changed during that TV timeout.  Whether coach Bruce Boudreau said something to his troops, or the players finally realized on their own that if they put out physically, things would finally open up offensively -- as it did -- is unknown.

But what is known is that as soon as the Caps stood up to their personal bully, they almost automatically found more room to operate.  And room to operate meant scoring goals.

"We got a little bit angry," Nicklas Backstrom said. "It was good for us."

Alex Ovechkin started the comeback with just under four minutes to play, snapping a shot past Flyers goalie Ray Emery (33 saves on 36 shots).  Two minutes later, it was his running mate, Backstrom, that one-timed a shot past Emery from the top of the circle on a power play, breaking the Capitals 0-for-14 skid with the man-advantage.

Alexander Semin, who returned from his mysterious illness/injury of the past two games, tallied third with a wicked wrist shot from the left wing circle that might have deflected of a shin pad on the way.  And Ovechkin capped things with an empty-netter, the first of the season for Washington.

Ovechkin now has 11 goals in 11 games, and Backstrom assisted on all three goals he did not score.

But the first star belonged to Theodore, who is playing some really inspired goaltending right now.  On several occasions he was the only resistance to the Flyers onslaught of shots, and he turned back very even-strength offering, including 20 saves in the closing period.

He was remarkably calm, putting his skate against the post to close the door on at least three occasions.  And he's perfecting that little snap-catch on the rebounds that pop up right in front of him.

"Theo kept us in the game," Boudreau said matter-of-factly.


Photo © 2009 Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

So the Caps got scoring from their top line, strong goaltending and even some much-needed physical play when they really needed it.  They gave up 43 shots, and on most nights that's a cause for alarm, but with the way the Flyers were buzzing, it's a testament to Theodore that things did not get out of hand.

The Caps historically don't match up well with the Flyers, and it's because of the physical play.  Hopefully when they watch the tape of this one, they'll notice the timing of when the ice opened up for them late in the second period.  Because that's when they started to give as good as they were getting.
________________________________________________________
THREE STARS

1. J. Theodore - WAS (Saves: 41, Save Pct: .953)
2. N. Backstrom - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 3)
3. A. Ovechkin - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)

________________________________________________________
NOTES

Eric Fehr (ribs) and Quentin Laing (flu) were scratched.  Tyler Sloan skated at left wing with David Steckel and Matt Bradley, with ALexandre Giroux on the third line with Keith Aucoin and Chris Clark.


Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-1, 11 points, 4th in Atlantic Division)
v.
Washington Capitals (6-2-2, 14 points, 1st in Southeast Division)

7:00 at Verizon Center
________________________________________________________
PREVIEW

The Washington Capitals, winners of four straight, come home to host the rival Philadelphia Flyers.

The Caps have been winning, but it hasn't been very pretty, especially coming from behind in two road games in Atlanta and Long Island.

Washington's vaunted power play went 0-for-11 in those two games, not coincidentally the two games Alexander Semin missed with an undisclosed illness/injury.  The enigmatic winger should return to the top line for tonight's matchup, providing a spark to countryman Alex Ovechkin, who contributed a single assist on the two-game road trip.

Jose Theodore has played well in his return from back spasms that forced him to miss two games.  He mad 28 saves, sometimes spectacular in nature, in the 3-2 win over the Islanders Saturday night. 

Mike Green was the star of that overtime thriller, with a big booming slap shot for his second goal of the season, and a deft assist to Brooks Laich, streaming for the crease, for the OT winner.

The Flyers lost Sunday night to San Jose 4-1 at home, using backup goalie Brian Boucher.  Starter Ray Emery ought to be between the pipes for tonight's game though.  He is 5-2-1 with a 2.57 GAA this season, but has lost his last three games to the Capitals.

Philadelphia won the series opener Oct. 6 in Philly, 6-5.  Mike Richards netted three in regulation, and Danny Briere scored in overtime for the winner against a shaky Semyon Varlamov.  The game, of course, featured numerous penalties, a regular occurence when these two teams get together.
________________________________________________________

EXPECTED LINEUP

Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Morrison-Knuble
Giroux-Aucoin-Clark
Sloan-Steckel-Bradley

Defense
Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Schultz-Pothier

Goalie
Theodore
Varlamov

Scratches: Fehr, Laing
________________________________________________________
TEAM STATS

WAS: GF: 4th (36/3.60); GA: 15st (29/2.90); PP: 20th (8/48, 16.7%); PK: 8th (8/49, 83.7%)
PHI: GF: 10th (30/3.33); GA: 14th (26/2.89); PP: 9th (11/44, 25%): PK: 5th (6/41, 85.4%)
________________________________________________________
LEADERS

WAS: G: Ovechkin (9) A: Backstrom (9) P: Ovechkin (17) +/-: Ovechkin (+8)
PHI: G: Richards (6) A:  Carle (8)  P: Carter, Richards (10) +/-: Carle (+7)
________________________________________________________
INJURIES

WAS: D John Erskine (IR-hand), F Boyd Gordon (DTD-back), Quentin Laing (DTD-Flu), Eric Fehr (DTD-Ribs)
PHI: C Blair Betts (IR-Shoulder), D Ryan Parent (OUT-Lower Body)