Capitals top Bolts for 10th Straight win

By: Justin Creech
Washington, DC- It took an early third period meltdown and a late goal by Alex Ovechkin, but the Washington Capitals managed to make history on Sunday afternoon against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ovechkin’s late goal, his 35th of the season, gave the Capitals a 3-2 victory after the Capitals allowed the Lightning to score twice in the first 7:42 of the third period to erase a 2-0 deficit. The win, the Capitals 10th straight, ties the franchise record for consecutive wins in a season set by the 1983-84 Capitals.

“It’s kind of fun,” said Ovechkin about tieing the franchise record. “We don’t want to stop. We want to keep winning and playing well.”

The Capitals can set the franchise for consecutive wins Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden, where the Bruins have not won since December 30. The Capitals won their previous trip to TD Banknorth Garden, 4-1, on the opening night of the season.

Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau is not getting to caught up in the winning streak, saying that his emotions after Sunday’s win were dole, and that he wasn’t going to make a big deal about the possibility of winning 11 straight.

“The number 10 is pretty tough to get to and I told the guys this is something you might go your whole career without getting it, so enjoy it,” said Boudreau. “But, I haven’t thought about Boston’s game being any bigger then that it’s Boston.”

The game, however, did end with a bit of controversy as Tampa Bay Captain Vincent Lecavalier was ejected with 2.4 seconds remaining for arguing about being kicked out of the faceoff circle as the Lightning were hoping to get a shot on Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore off the faceoff. Lecavalier was assessed a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct, which forced the faceoff from the Capitals’ defensive zone to the Lightnings, nullifying any chance at a last second shot.

“Yea I was surprised, but I don’t think he thought about the penalty,” said Capitals center Brendan Morrison of Lecavalier. “It’s a stretch that they are going to pull off a play with 2.4 seconds left. It has happened, but it completely killed any thought of them even getting a shot on net.”

The Capitals carried a 2-0 lead into the third period on goals by Nicklas Backstrom and Brooks Laich. Backstrom scored 57 seconds into the second period on a power play after Ovechkin’s initial shot was stopped by Lightning netminder Mike Smith.

Neither Smith, nor Lightning defensemen Mattias Ohlund could locate the puck, which allowed Backstrom to poke it through Smith’s legs. The goal set Backstrom’s career high for goals in a season with his 23rd.

Laich was just as fortunate as Backstrom in that the Lightning, again, failed to locate a loose puck in front of their net.

Victor Hedman blocked Alexander Semin’s shot from the left circle, but was unable to locate it, and Laich skated into the crease for the easy tap in at 12:56.

Laich acknowledged the fortunate bounces after the game.

“You work for your bounces too,” said Laich. “We were able to keep the puck in, and then make a couple nice plays and have some patience and then you do the right things, you shoot the puck and you go to the net and pucks go in.”

The Lightning did make things interesting in the third period, as Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos scored 2:42 apart early in the third period to tie the game.

St. Louis deflected a Kurtis Foster point shot passed Theodore, then with Tomas Fleischmann in the box for hooking, Stamkos fired a slap shot passed Theodore from the left circle.

During the current streak, the Capitals have been solid in the third period, several times blowing the game open with solid third periods. Laich said he thought the Capitals would benefit from the tough third period against the Lightning.

“We’re not going to win every game 5-1, 6-1,” said Laich. “It’s nice to be tested [and] have to bear down and win the game at the last minute, because if you float around winning 5-1, 6-1, then you really don’t find out what your metal is late in the hockey game. I think tonight we found out what it was tonight.”