Winning "streak".... injured players returning.... contract extension....

their best bet now is, rather than the 8th seed, win the division- 4 games in hand on the Hurricanes, and only 7 points behind....

we shall see.

Yes, I said that a few days ago. The division title is not out of reach. We're only two points away from the bottom of the division, but we're also potentially first if we win those four games. The players know that it all depends on them, now.

Game on, and already a good opportunity for Ovechkin, denied by Biron.

Ovechkin again.

And now SEMIN SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!!!!! 1-0 Caps.

And the Caps just got about $100,000 worth of that contract- Ovechkin fights to keep the puck in, Nylander ends up with it along the boards, and feeds it out toward center, where Alexander Semin comes streaking in off the bench.....

BULLSEYE!!!!!

1-0 Caps, very early on. The Caps get a PP now, but it only lasts for :08- they skate 4 on 4.

Caps on the PP, but Backstrom to the box 8 seconds into it. 4-on-4.

And now Upshall goes for a wicked slash across the wrists of Semin, and the Caps skate 4 on 3.

Ovechkin Nylander Clark and Green. Damn.

Green with the slapshot, denied, Green again, save.

And now Backstrom! Biron has been kept very busy in those first minutes. Kolzig hasn't seen any shot so far, I think.

PS: He just made his first save.

Good work, no goal. The Flyers had a chance on the short 4 on 4 but turned it over to Backstrom, who took a hard, wild shot but missed the net... back to even strength. Every game's a playoff game or a 4 point game for this team, from here on out.

Forgot to mention Clark is in the lineup today, as is Poti.

Mike Knuble ties the game, assist by Jeff Carter.

Flyers tie it up- a shot comes from Olie's left and behind the line, get's through him and is loose in the crease, and Knuble streaks in faster than the D around him to poke it into the empty net behind Kolzig.

1-1

Shot by Erskine, Ovechkin jumps on the rebound but he's cross checked.

D-men on Knuble's goal were Poti-Erskine.

Flyers score on the rebound, with 2 seconds left to their powerplay.

So you're saying the defensive reaction to Knuble's move was old, and slow.... lol. Poti will take a few games to get back up to speed. Clark's doing ok so far...

Flyers on another PP, the Caps doing a good job of pursuit, but a poor job of clearing the zone.... finally the puck trickles out of the zone, two guys get changed after 1:38 of zone time for the Flyers, they get it back in quickly, and Knuble drives it home from a very sharp angle, again to just off the goal line to Kolzig's left.

2-1 Flyers, 4:13 left 1st.

edit: actually there was a slapshot from almost the blueline, and no one picked up Knuble as he drove toward the side of the net- the rebound came right to him, and there was little Kolzig could do at that point.

Ovechkin Backstrom Kozlov
Semin Nylander Clark
Laing Steckel Gordon
Brashear Laich Bradley

Poti Erskine
Morrisonn Green
Schultz Jurcina

Kolzig
(Johnson)

Harder, sharper play the rest of the way, but the period ends 2-1 Flyers.

Poti-Morrisonn on Knuble's second goal.

Kolbe says that Clark might have injured himself again.

So Ovechkin and Backstrom had been on the ice for 6 seconds when Knuble scored on the PP. Why that change at such a wrong moment? To try to have the top line as soon as PP ends? You need the puck first, maybe. Next time, let's defend for the entire two minutes.

Why that change at such a wrong moment?

Well, the whole first line killers had been on for over 1:30... and it was bad luck that, when to puck finally was cleared, the Flyers got it over to the far side of the ice quickly, with most all the Caps changing at their bench on the other side.

You know I don't make excuses for these guys, this season- but it was an extremely fortuitous play for the Flyers all around.

If they let it get them down, then they don't deserve to win anyway.

Short-handed chance for the Flyers, they score! 3-1.

Bradley creams Kapinen with a hit, Smith takes offense and instigates, and when they separate the Caps get the PP.... Clark is back on the ice....

Semin loses the puck, the Flyers gang up on Kolzig again, and it's a SHG for a 3-1 Flyers' lead.

That's two extremely fortuitous plays, hehe.

Looks like Poti is involved again. Is this guy our worst defenseman? He does seem to be involved in a lot of goals against.

Now, Umberger! 4-1. Grrrr.

Mike Fucking Green scores! From the blue line. This guy is a gem. 4-2.

And now a third... Umberger with an outside shot Kolzig sees all the way, but... Jurcina gets the tip of his stick on it, deflects it, and Kolzig can't recover to the change in direction in time.

It's 4-1 quickly.... but not for long!

4-2 just as quick!

Green is leading all d-men alone again with 12 goals.

Didn't realize Boudreau pulled Kolzig after that 4th goal.... Caps on the PP again.

Laing and Gordon for the assists.

They added one to Clark on the first goal (there was already one for Nylander).

Yeah, if it's official- Laughlin said he thought it got tipped, but didn't say by who.

Lots of pressure again, no result again. Back to even strength.

It didn't sound like it was Kolzig's fault, at least from Kolbe's comments and yours. Especially on that last one.

I've not seen the goals, but I'd say it was Poti 3, Jurcina 1.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!

Totally wicked wrist shot!!!

4-3

Erskine gets a double minor for hook/rough, Cote and Dowd get roguhing calls, and Brashear puts the Caps one man down with an unsportsmanlike takedown on Timonen.... and they kill it off.

Still a goal down, but could be in a lot worse shape. As usual, if they stay out of the box now and in the 3rd, it's their game to win.

Great diving save by Johnson on a shot by Simon Gagné.

Ovechkin's 33rd goal was from Kozlov and Green.

Green, a back hander, great save by Biron!

The Flyers owe a lot to Biron so far.

I hope you saw or get to see that save (by BJ)- it's an ESPN top 10 easy. Killing more penalty... killing themselves.

4-3 Flyers, end 2nd.

Ovie interview:

Koken: Congrats on the contract, does anything change?

Ovechkin: No....

Koken: you played hard that period

Ovechkin: first 10:00, we didn't play our system/game, last 10:00, we played our way

Koken: let's look at your goal

Ovechkin: yeah, Kozlov draws 2 guys, leaves me lots of space, I shoot

Koken: what to do

Ovechkin: play hard 3rd, keep playing our game

I'll get to see that save later tonight, I guess. I can only listen to Kolbe, now.

Mike Richards scores on his own rebound! 5-3. It will be hard, now, but it's not over.

Rats. Good play for almost half the period, but another seeing-eye bounce of a rebound right to Downie's stick, and no chance for Johnson to recover.

5-3, 11:37 left in regulation.

D-men were Jurcina and Schultz. 3rd rebound goal we give up, I think?

Nylander makes it a one-goal game again! Yay!

PS: Goal #200 for Nylander. Congrats.
2nd PS: Assists by Backstrom and Ovechkin.

And that was a fine pass by Backstrom on the goal, too!

Yes, Kolbe mentioned the nice pass, hehe.

Green is 1-1-2 and + 3. He was on the ice on the Caps' 4 goals, and also on the SH goal we gave up.

PS: He also tried his chance 9 times: denied 5 times, blocked twice, and wide twice, only second to Ovechkin, who took one more shot.

Johnson pulled, extra attacker. Flyers score into an empty net from their own zone. Game is (almost) over. 6-4.

Final score. Another good game by the Caps, I'd say, but not enough defensive presence on the rebound.

Good to score 4 goals against a goalie that sounded hot, but defense was not as solid as offense, once again.

Green tried his chance twice more at the end (1 blocked, 1 wide). Ovechkin and him played more than 25 minutes, including 7 on the PP (out of 8).

Green is the 3rd star of the game, behind Knuble and Timonen.

morning games Suck !
just got back from my chores and the game is already over !
too bad the Caps lost but what can you do ?