Caps Finally Capitalize

Well, it wasn't their most glorious game of the season, but it was a significant improvement over their recent play. Or at least the third period was.

The first period was another 20 minutes that they can add to their not-so-new habit of less than impressive starts. A quick sequence in front of the net resulted in Mike Green on the ground, Neuvirth scrambling and the puck in the net; probably one of the worst goals they have given up in recent games. And with that, the visiting Senators had a 1-0 lead just 1:12 into the period. Already trailing with over 18 minutes left to play in the first, the Caps assumed their defeated attitude and finished a forgettable first period with only 5 shots on goal.

The second period was no more memorable than the first, for both teams. Though the Caps did not play poorly, they did not play with any sense of intensity. Ottawa, despite being in the lead, did not have any more intensity than the Capitals. Both teams played an overly cautious game, with all the play on the boards.

The third period was a completely different story. It took seven minutes for Washington to get on the board, but then the energy changed in the building and they took control of the game. Brooks Laich's quick shot from the slot made it 1-0. That was all the Caps needed. They pressured the Senators, established a reasonable forecheck, and snapped their passes rather than just drifting them across the ice. Forty-three seconds later Milan Michalek cross-checked defenseman Karl Alzner, who went head-first into the boards. The image of a player face-down on the ice in the corner is never a good one. But after only a few terrifying seconds on the ice, Alzner was back on his feet of his own volition. He skated to the locker room, but returned to finish the third period. Michalek recieved two minutes for the hit, and it only took two seconds for the Caps to capitalize on the power play. John Carlson buried a slap shot from the point, right off of the face-off. With less than seven minutes left to play, Jason Chimera drifted the puck toward goalie Brian Elliot from behind the goal-line. The odd-angle shot hit the back of the slightly turned goaltender and went in. The Capitals pulled off their first win in the last 4 games.

Bright spots of the game: Bruce continued to change the line-ups through out the game, and while that might not always be the best option, Johansson proved that he could play some pretty significant minutes on the front line. The young Swede has Bruce's confidence, and had the best scoring chance of the five shots on goal in the first period.

Andrew Gordon (#63) is back on the ice. While it's awful that Eric Fehr will be out for 3-4 weeks (seriously, this team does not need another injured player), Gordon brings intensity, creativity and a fresh identity to the line-up.