Photo - Getty Images
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Tonight, the Edmonton Oilers brought their speed skating style of play into DC, and the Washington Capitals brought it right back. The Oilers also brought their stick swinging and down right dirty brand of play in. This season, dirty seems to be just fine with the refs. The Capitals fought back with a cleaner, yet just as physical style of play, beating another Canadian team as usual.
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The Oilers, who've never won at Verizon Center, got on the board first. Shawn Horcoff knocked a rebound in for his 20th of the season. Right after that, Washington's Brooks Laich put a good clean hit on an Oiler at the wall. However, he was called for boarding, putting the Oilers on the Power Play. Odd that the ref's saw it that way. Yet, a little earlier when Cap's Alexander Semin got popped in the face, no problem. Then again, these same ref's didn't notice Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson play the puck (well, misplay actually) in the restricted area about two minutes into the game. Well anyway, the Capitals' penalty killing unit got the job done..
Later on, Semin went down, but was still dangling and stick handling the puck while on his bum. No lack of effort to be seen from him in this game. At 13:35, Washington's Mike Green did what he had to do, getting called for interference when he stopped an Oiler forward (Ales Hemsky ?) on what looked like a pretty good scoring chance. However, the Oilers' Robert Nilsson put in the PP goal soon after. The puck found his stick off a Jeff Schultz clearing attempt. The period ended with the Oilers leading 2-0.
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Before play resumed, Comcast SportsNet's Smokin' Al Koken hinted that as soon as the Cap's got into the dressing room after the first period, Head Coach Bruce Boudreau let them have it. Whatever happened in the intermission, it seemed to have immediate results. At 1:01 into the period, Washington's Nicklas Backstrom got his nineth goal of the season, shooting the puck over an already sprawled Roloson. Just 38 seconds later Alex Ovechkin got his 35th. He had just picked up a replacement stick at the Caps' bench. Oilers' Head Coach Craig MacTavish was left with his mouth hanging open in total disbelief. He shouldn't be too surprised, as Alex is averaging over a point per game this season.
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Just before Dustin Penner put the Oilers back ahead, I was yelling at Tom Poti to clear him from the front of the net. He repeatedly gave him lame little love taps. That's just not going to get the job done. John Erskine skated over and rudely shoved Penner as if to show Poti how it is done. In between a bunch of non called Oiler Slashing and a Hemski dive, Mike Green got his 14th goal of the season, keeping him atop all NHL defenseman. He was assisted by Ovechkin, who sent him a rink wide pass while holding off what looked like the entire Edmonton Oilers team. Less than 52 seconds before the end of the period, Semin picked his knocked down stick up off the ice and put the Cap's back on top with a behind the goal line shot, banking the puck off an Oilers defenceman. Period two ends Caps ahead 4-3..
Period three had more of the same back and forth, end to end play that we had seen for most of the game so far. Lots of scoring chances in this one. Even Cap's Matt Bradley got a chance. he made a nice move, taking the puck to the front of the net. But his attempt was turned away by Roloson. The Oilers' Horcoff rang the post on one shot. Then, on his next chance, he put the puck in the net for the second time in the game. Oilers' sticks still flinging around. No call again, with Ovie getting popped in the mouth. And plenty more end to end action. The Caps fourth line didn't see much action in the period, as Boudreau wanted to give his higher scoring forwards more chances to put this one away in regulation. Even so, this game would require OT.
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Overtime wasn't enough to get it done either. It was full of more of the exciting play that had been going on all night. There were some nice chances by both sides. I thought Tomas Fleischmann had done it on one of his beautiful moves, but no. And again it was no on an Ovechkin shot right before the horn. Both goaltenders did an exceptional job. And that exceptional work would continue in the shootout, as it took 12 rounds before the Capitals' Matt Bradley would be the one to get the puck past Roloson. Then, Olie Kolzig stopped Sheldon Souray, as he had stopped the other 11 shooters before him. I think Kolzig showed all the recent complainers that he's not quite ready for the pasture yet. Godzilla still rules!
Photos 2, 3, 4 - AP / Evan Vucci _____ DVD Graphics - Unknown
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