Superman Alex Ovechkin flies over Thrasher goal crease.
Thrashers 3 - Capitals 5
The Washington Capitals improved their home ice record to 8-0-1 with a win over the Atlanta Thrashers Wednesday evening, on the NHL's 91st Birthday. As of November 27, 2008, the only other team in the league to have no loses within regulation at this point in the season being the San Jose Sharks.
The Capitals managed this convincing win even though they now have eight players, seven regulars and Brian Pothier (out since last season), on the injured list. Four of those players lost after their last game, which prompted a four man call up from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Washington also just returned from a long, rough Western road trip. Netminder Jose Theodore and the Caps played like they were well rested while the Thrashers, who just played a game Tuesday night, looked a little sluggish at first.
Viktor Kozlov (center) celebrates goal with Alex Ovechkin (left)
and Nicklas Backstrom (right).
and Nicklas Backstrom (right).
Alex Ovechkin got the party started with a long range blast from the top of an umbrella formation at 3:29 into the first period, while on the first power play of the game. About four minutes later, winger Eric Fehr scored Washington's second goal at even strength, while on a 3 on 1 breakaway with Tomas Fleischmann and Michael Nylander. Atlanta's Bryan Little answered back with a PP goal at 12:08, off an Ilya Kovalchuk rebound. Down by two goals, the Thrash wouldn't get any closer than that the rest of the evening. At 14:01, Ovechkin scored another Capitals' PPG. As with his first, one of the assists came from Viktor Kozlov.
Just 54 seconds into the second period, Ovechkin snapped in his twelfth goal of the season for his sixth NHL career hat trick. That's three goals in three shots on goal, all within a 17:25 game time span. Atlanta's second PP goal of the game came on Slava Kozlov's 12th goal of the season, which he scored off one of a couple rebounds. The period ended with the Caps ahead by two.
The third period started like the first two, with an early period goal by the Capitals. This time it was Kozlov, assisted by Ovechkin. Ovie served up an outlet pass to Kozzy, who skated smoothly up the middle of the ice and easily deposited the biscuit past Ondrej Pavelec, just under the crossbar of the goal. Atlanta's Nathan Oystrick scored the final goal of the game at 12:28 into the third, when his slapshot deflected off of defenseman Tyler Sloan.
All the Caps played well in this game, including the four call ups from Hershey. It was Karl Alzner's very first career NHL game, and he did very well. Alex Ovechkin now has 12 goals and 17 assists this season, putting him (29 points) ahead of former scoring leader for the team, Alexander Semin (27 points). Ovechkin achieved his hat trick in a total on ice time of 8:20, and he almost had a fourth goal a few times. Obviously, it was good to see Washington score on a couple of power plays. The PP is starting to work well for the Caps. The win is sure to have lifted the spirits of future AHL Hall Of Famer and current Capitals' Head Coach Bruce Boudreau, the players and the fans, after having lost three straight on the road.
All November 26, 2008 Photos by Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP
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