Caps Survive Without Ovie, Win 3-2

Alex Ovechkin is not invincible. After four relatively-healthy seasons, the Great Eight is looking more and more human after getting injured tonight in a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He's already missed six games this season with a shoulder injury.

Fortunately for the Caps, Ovie's teammates are picking up the slack -- especially Nicklas Backstrom and Eric Fehr. Backstrom had two goals and assisted on Fehr's seventh of the season.

Ovechkin's injury occurred during a knee-on-knee collision with the Canes' Tim Gleason, which led to Ovie's second ejection in three games. The extent of the injury to his right leg will not be known until tomorrow at the earliest.

Carolina took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Joe Corvo that concluded a dominating stretch in which the Canes barely allowed the Caps any offense. Jose Theodore was the reason the Caps stayed in the game, making multiple ten-bell saves while the Caps woke up from whatever slumber overcame them.

Between Theo and the Canes' goal, the Caps finally woke up. Backstrom started the rally after converting a beautiful crossing pass from Ovechkin less than two minutes after Corvo's tally to tie the game at one.

And about five minutes after the Ovechkin incident, Fehr converted a Backstrom crosser to give the Caps a lead they would never relinquish. The only goal in the second belonged to Backstrom, who flung the puck into a vacated net to provide the game-winner. Carolina goalie Matt Leighton had wondered away from the crease, while Backstrom did a little spinarooni before backhanding it into the net.

Carolina's final goal came during the last minute with Leighton on the bench.

Overall, it wasn't the prettiest game but the Caps definitely deserve credit for playing a long stretch of sound defensive hockey. Fehr's play of late has been inspiring and Backstrom continues to build on his legacy.