Caps-Pens Live

It's a playoff atmosphere for a regular season game here at Verizon Center. Jose Theodore and Marc-Andre Fleury are the starting netminders. Brooks Laich is not playing tonight due to the gash near his eye that he suffered during practice yesterday. Other scratches are John Erskine, Boyd Gordon (also injured), Milan Jurcina (ditto), Scott Walker (dinged a bit) and Tyler Sloan. Eric Godard, Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin are out for the Pens.

First Period
The game got off to a fast and furious start, with both teams coming out strong. But most of the shots on goal were headed towards Theo, who has been stellar so far. The Pens got an early power play after Tom Poti got called for delay of game. The Caps killed it off, though, but couldn't sustain any pressure.

The Caps look a step off so far, their passes not as crisp and they haven't been able to sustain as much pressure in the Pens' zone. Fortunately, Theo remains sharp, his rebound control perfect and he's been able to keep the Pens off the board. He's really turned into an elite-level goalie this calendar year, something the team certainly has needed.

The Pens went back on the power play at 14:03 when Tomas Fleischmann got called for tripping, sending a Pen into Theodore as Pittsburgh was threatening (again). The PK did a good job of limiting opportunities and the Caps escaped unscathed. Theo maintained his strong play as well.

After Theo robbed Pascal Dupuis twice with 2:50 remaining, tempers began to flare -- but no penalties were called. The Caps certainly are trying to turn the tide on what has been a very one-side game so far. Although they've had some opportunities, the Pens have dominated in both shots and zone time.

Shot totals in first period: Pens 17, Caps 9.

After one: Caps 0, Pens 0.

Second Period
The Caps quickly put away the barrage of the first period and struck in the period's first 69 seconds. Nicklas Backstrom threw the puck at the net and Mike Knuble put the puck (and himself) past Fleury to give the Caps a 1-0 lead. Backstrom notched his 60th assist on the play. Ovechkin's helper, his 53rd of the season, is one short of his career high.

But the Pens struck right back, when Max Talbot deflected a Brooks Orpik shot past a helpless Theodore to tie the game almost as fast as the Caps had seized ahead. Unfortunately, the cheers for both goals resulted in about the same noise level.

(Another marriage proposal during the first TV timeout of the period. I think that's about half-dozen so far this season. And it was during the kiss cam no less.)

The Caps finally earned their power play when Ovechkin was tripped by Kris Letang at 6:01. The Caps did get some opportunities but couldn't really establish any offensive-zone time and didn't score. Immediately after the advantage ended, Eric Belanger almost chipped the puck past Fleury, but the Pens' goalie managed to make the save.

The Pens got their third power play of the night when Alex Semin was called for high-sticking at 10:12, prompting the first "ref, you suck" chant of the game. The Caps killed it off with relative ease, but the "ref, you suck" chants got louder to the point of substituting that chant for the more familiar "Let's go Caps" when the corresponding organ tune was played (by Bruce, of course).

Fuel was added to the fire when Flash was called for tripping at 13:44. It appeared the Caps were going to get a power play (John Carlson apparently was clothes-lined) but that wasn't happening. The Pens now have four PP opportunities to the Caps' one.

And they made it pay off. Bill Guerin was wide open in the left slot (with Joe Corvo and Jason Chimera out of position) and put it past Theo after a nice feed from the ever-popular Sidney Crosby, who has been booed every time he touches the puck tonight. The Pens lead, 2-1.

That seemed to awaken the Caps, though, as they turned up the pressure and nearly tied the game when Carlson hit the post with just more than three minutes left. That was part of an onslaught that didn't result in too many shots but certainly showed the Caps are hardly out of the game and have increased the intensity.

After two: Pens 2, Caps 1.

Third Period
The Caps were able to even the shots-on-goal tally but haven't been able to sustain pressure for any long stretches. Fortunately, the Caps have outscored the Pens, 14-1, in the third period over the last two years (regular season only) so the team certainly hopes to build on that.

However, their penalty-infested ways continued when Jeff Schultz was sent to the box for holding at 4:11 -- further exacerbating a problem that has haunted the Caps for a while. You can have the best PK in the league, but if you keep taking too many penalties, it's not really going to help you because of other factors, such as reducing Ovechkin's playing time.

But, all that aside, Semin (of all people) tied the game shorthanded when he got a two-on-one and weaved around before unleashing his signature wrister past an unsuspecting Fleury at 5:36. It was Semin's 34th goal of the season, tying last season's total, and only the second "shorty" of his career.

And the Caps didn't stop there. Belanger took a circuatous route around the net and found Mike Green at the point, who ripped it to Eric Fehr, who put it past Fleury to give the home team a thunderous lead. The Caps scored two goals in less than two minutes after only scoring one in the previous 45. It certainly was an odd goal as Belanger basically skated around the perimeter of the Pens' zone without barely being touched. Fehr also faced little resistance.

The tide continued to go the Caps' way as they started to look more in-sync and turn up the pressure on the visitors. (Cue "unleash the fury" during the TV timeout.)

Theo's play early now stands even bigger, as the Caps certainly needed a while to get their mojo on tonight. They're certainly playing championship-caliber hockey now, even if they don't every game. But true contenders get breaks and other things to go their way -- such as a goalie keeping them in a game until the offense can get their act together. That's what is happening tonight and they might have two more points to give to Theo in appreciation.

But the Pens probably have more fight in them yet. And Theo came up even bigger as he made save after save to deny Pittsburgh. The crowd offered a loud "Theo, Theo" chant that showed they're quite supportive of their goaltender.

However, Pittsburgh found a way to even the score. Off a faceoff, the Pens cycled the puck to Chris Kunitz, who found Jordan Staal in the slot. Staal beat Theo high, glove-side to tie the score and take away some of the good the Caps had built. It was only the Pens' second third-period goal against the Caps over the last two regular seasons.

The Caps tried valiantly to tie the score after the Pens' goal, but more often than not either missed the net or had their shots blocked.

After three: Caps 3, Pens 3.

Overtime
The extra session, as expected, was chock full of up-and-down action. Ovechkin had a breakaway and nearly scored as he was being hauled down (no call, natch) and Chimera also had a semi-breakway that was fruitless. The Pens had a few opportunities that Theo quelled.

Ovechkin nearly ended the game when he passed it to himself and just missed a wide portion of the net with Backstrom standing right there. But, alas, we're heading to a shootout.

After OT: Caps 3, Pens 3.

Shootout
The Caps, for a change, will shoot second.

Letang -- goal.
Backstrom -- no goal.
Crosby (to huge boos) -- goal.
Ovechkin -- goal (sick move).
Guerin -- no goal.
Semin -- goal (triple-deke).
Kunitz -- no goal.
Knuble -- goal (game over!).

Final: Caps 4, Pens 3 (SO).