Escape Artists: (Red) Caps 4, Blue Jackets 3 (OT)

It was an interesting night at Verizon Center. After the Washington Capitals scored at 1:39 of the first period, about 30 minutes ellapsed before any other goals were registered. Four goals were then scored in just 2:17 during the second period, which was followed by another dormant period before the Columbus Blue Jackets scored at 14:23 to send the game to overtime.

Finally, former Blue Jacket Jason Chimera won the game for the Caps on a tap-in goal after a Brooks Laich shot was blocked in front by former Cap Sami Lepisto and trickled right to Chimmer for the game-winning goal at 2:30 of overtime to give the home team a dramatic 4-3 victory.

Columbus' tying tally was notched when Scottie Upshall got open in the face-off circle and ripped a wrister past Michal Neuvirth. The reason Upshall got the puck in the first place was because the Caps failed to clear the zone as the Jackets spent a long while in the offensive zone.

The busy stretch in the second period began with the the Jackets' first goal -- when Antoine Vermette found himself wide open and poked it past Michal Neuvirth to tie the game at one at 11:10.

But the Caps struck back quickly. On a broken play, Mike Knuble was wide open in front of the net after the puck trickled past Mason and rested in the crease. Knuble took the gift to provide a 2-1 lead for the homestanding red, white and blue at 12:32.

Fedor Tyutin shot it past Neuvirth from the face-off cirlcle with Vermette providing traffic in front of the net less than a minute later. It was a broken play from a defense that was stretched thin all night due to the injuries to Mike Green and Dennis Wideman, and the fact that John Erskine didn't return to the game after taking a shift early in the second period.

In fact, TSN's Bob McKenzie is reporting that Wideman is being treated for a hematoma in an area hospital. If he's out for the rest of the season, including playoffs, and Tom Poti isn't healthy enough to return, then the Caps could be leaning on Tyler Sloan a whole bunch during the postseason. The Caps better hope that Green can return really soon and Poti isn't far behind.

The Caps regained the lead late in the second period when Mason failed to clear it and the puck trickled right to Marco Sturm, who found Jason Arnott in the slot. Arnott fired it past a helpless Mason to give the Caps the lead just 13 seconds after Tyutin's goal.

Laich began the scoring with a shot from just inside the blue line, Mason couldn't grab it and it bounced right to John Carlson, who poked it into the net for the Caps' first goal. That came moments after Alex Semin nearly scored on a similar play, but over skated and shot the puck right into Mason's pads. It was Carlson's seventh goal of the season at just 1:39 of the opening frame. It's also the young defensemen's 100th career game -- and he's only 21.

Erksine's only contribution of note occurred when he dropped the gloves at 17:00 of the first period. It was a pretty quick and dirty fight and Boll should be declared the victor.

So the Caps escaped but there are certainly bits of concern, especially when it comes to healthy defensemen, heading into the final four games of the season. But, for tonight, it's another two points for a team that's about to become the four-time defending Southeast Division champs.