Capitals Edge Penguins in shootout

By: Justin Creech
Washington, DC—Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau tapped Mike Knuble on the shoulder Wednesday night and said “you’re next.”
The veteran forward has made his name in the NHL by being the gritty forward who will stand in front of the net and take the rough checks in order to score a goal, not by his shooting ability.
So, you can imagine Knuble’s surprise when Boudreau pegged him to enter the shootout in the fourth round against the Capitals arch-rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I couldn’t believe Bruce gave it to me,” said Knuble. “I didn’t play in overtime at all, so I thought my night was over.”
Knuble did not disappoint as he skated in on Penguins netminder, Marc Andre-Fleury, flinched once, then beat Fleury top shelf to give the Capitals a 4-3 win, and complete a wild come from behind effort that saw the Capitals overcome a 2-0 deficit in the shootout.
“No, I don’t enjoy that one bit,” said Knuble jokingly when asked if it felt good to get the game-winner. “I told [Bruce] when I got off the ice, ‘I don’t like you when you do that. Don’t do that stuff to me.”
The goal was the first shootout goal of Knuble’s career as well as his first career shootout winner. Knuble also tallied at 1:09 of the second period for his 26th goal of the season, which gives him 20 goals in his last 34 games.
Boudreau had a very simple explanation for picking Knuble.
“When you don’t have time to think, I think it’s an advantage,” said Boudreau. “You see that a lot when a goalie gets pulled-the other goalie goes in and they shut the door because there’s no time to over think the game. Mike just went in and did what he does which is shoot the puck and he scored a goal. I just felt that he was going to score.”
Knuble’s tally followed goals by Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin after the Penguins had taken a 2-0 shootout lead.
Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby scored in succession before Ovechkin was able to get the Capitals on the board. Ovechkin deeked right and beat Fleury with a forehand shot to keep the Capitals alive.
Theodore followed by stoning Bill Geurin, and Alexander Semin tied the shootout on a pretty forehand to backhand goal that beat Fleury top shelf.
Theodore responded by stopping Chris Kunitz before Knuble sealed the game for Washington.
“I’m playing the way I should every day,” said Theodore, who finished with 39 saves to improve to 17-0-2 since Jan. 13. “Then in the shootout, we scored some big goals.”
The Capitals have made many thrilling comebacks this season with one of them coming in their last meeting with the Penguins on Feb. 7. However, none of them had the Capitals trailing 2-0 in a shootout.
“It was awesome you can feel it on the bench with the skills we have we are never done and we showed it tonight,” said Eric Belanger. “This is something that’s not going to be there in the playoffs so nice to be able to do it and get some points right now.
The win allowed the Capitals to tie the franchise record for points in a season (108), which they set last season. The Capitals tied that mark with nine games remaining this season.
The Capitals roared back early in the third period on goals by Alexander Semin and Eric Fehr after the Penguins had grabbed a 2-1 lead late in the second.
With the Capitals shorthanded, Semin intercepted a pass from Crosby in the Capitals zone and raced up ice. Semin cut to the middle of the slot and fired a wrist shot top shelf passed Fleury’s glove to tie the game at 5:36 of the third.
Less than two minutes later, the Verizon Center crowd was again on their feet cheering.
Belanger skated hard through the neutral zone and skated all the way around the Penguins net before sending a pass to Mike Green, who was in the left circle. Green fired a hard slap shot that was tipped by Fehr in front and passed Fleury at 7:32.
Fehr had his 21st of the season, and the Capitals were back in the lead.
It looked like the Capitals were going to be able hang on until Jordan Staal beat Theodore high to the glove side with 3:06 to go to tie the game at 3.
“This is a team if we want to go deep in the playoffs we are going to have to face, so we want to show them it’s going to be a tough building to play in,” said Belanger. “To get the win tonight, I think it’s good for our confidence.”