Caps could reach a playoff berth tonight by beating the Preds, if the Flyers lose (they're tied with the Thrashers 1-1 at the first intermission).

It's the first of a season-high six-game road trip. "After facing Chicago on Wednesday, the Capitals will meet every Southeast Division rival on this road trip before closing 2007-08 with home matchups against Carolina, Tampa Bay and Florida" (NHL.com's preview).

The Caps are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. I think they need at least 7 wins in their last 9 games to make the playoffs, especially since the 'Canes are 8-2-0 and the Panthers 7-2-1. Beating these two teams twice is mandatory, I think. But coming back from the West with 4 more points would be nice too.

Go, Caps!

Huet vs. Ellis in goal. Comcast had a blurb about how effective Ovechkin is against western teams- something like 38 points (including 21 goals) in 26 games....

Kolbe said Kolzig should start tomorrow. But I guess if Huet has another outstanding game, he'll start again.

2:49, no shot.

Ovechkin fires one wide.

More than 4 minutes, now.

Big check by Jordan Tootoo on Morrisonn.

Huet makes the first save, an easy one it seems.

14:26 left 1st, brashear and Arnott having words and a push, but nothing called (yet). 

Laich trying to go five hole, taken down it seems, Caps on the PP.

And the Caps go on the PP...

SEMIN SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!!! 1-0 Caps.

Semin "dancing by defensemen", said Kolbe, hehe.

Still 1-1 in Philadelphia, mid-game.

Great goal- wait until you see this! He fakes the D out of position, "walks" around him, and then beats Ellis like a rented mule....

Rangers lead Pens 3-2, mid-game too. No point for Malkin yet.

Caps on the PK, now.

Great save by Huet. Kolbe: "How he saw that one, I have no idea."

Killed.

Assists on the goal- Ovechkin, and Green.

BACKSTROM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!! BACKSTROM, THE BACKHANDER. 2-0. Mwahahaha!

Assist for Ovechkin on Backstrom's goal. That's two primary assists so far.

I almost went to this game- relatives in Madison (just outside Nashville), and a niece's birthday within days. Just couldn't get away.

Could have been something. Well, let's not rejoice too early, though. There are 50 minutes left to play, hehe.

Forgot to mention: points #100 and 101 for Ovechkin: first player in franchise history with two 100-point seasons.

True story- the Preds killed that penalty, and when the next was called a few seconds later, my amateur lip reading skills caught Barry Trotz saying "Fuck me!"....

SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!!!! BRADLEY!! ONE-TIMER! 3-0.

I almost feel sorry for those guys.

Assist: Laich.

And Bradley makes them pay again.... 3-0.

Yeah, and if they'd given him any help at all LAST season, he'd have been the first EVER in the league with 50 goals his first 3 seasons, and 100 points in each as well.

Flyers scored on the power play with 3 seconds left to the second period, and are leading 2-1.

And still Rangers 3, Pens 2, at the second intermission.

Caps apparently decided a 3 goal lead is enough, so they've started the box parade....

Killed, to a chorus of boos from the Nashville crowd.

Ellis has been pulled, Mason is in goal.

Another Caps' penalty with :01.4 left in the period.

3-0 Caps, end 1st. Preds on the PP to start the 2nd....

Pens-Rangers game was actually over [... NOT!]. No point for Malkin, but two for Rangers, who have 85 points in 73 games, now, and are probably out of reach for the Caps.

So right now, it's (with Carolina where it should be):

5) NY Rangers, 85 pts in 73 games (in progress)
6) Boston, 83 pts in 73 games
7) Carolina, 83 pts in 74 games
8) Philadelphia, 82 pts in 74 games (in progress)
9) Washington, 80 pts in 74 games (in progress)
10) Florida, 78 pts in 74 games

misto says hi, and wants you to know the Pens-Rangers game is not over yet.

Killed that, and now back in the box.....

Oh, they had made a mistake at NHL.com, hehe. They said PIT-NYR was over and it was at the bottom of the list with "FINAL" on it. But it wasn't (I was correct about second intermission). It's now 4-2 Rangers.

Third time's the charm, for the Preds on the PP.

3-1

Say hi to Misto, hehe. And yes, I guess she follows that one. The guys at NHL.com had a brain fart and I followed them. Oh, and the Caps radio crashed, like the other day.

Too bad the Caps radio doesn't work anymore. These Nashville guys have a thick accent, I hardly understand them. (Well, I may be exaggerating.)

"That's a big defenseman, Jeff Schultz. 6'6, 245." Said in the same way he'd talk about cows.

"Yah! Ovechkin, Kozlov... the top line... and a strong candidate for rookie of the year."

"Predators trying to create some bit of attack," they say, but it's mostly Caps with the puck, it sounds.

Great chance for the Preds, but save by Huet, then Poti blocks a shot on the rebound, if I understood. And a pad save by Huet, now.

Rangers 5, Pens 2, now, with less than 5 minutes left to the game.

And Flyers 3, Thrashers 1, with 6:42 left.

Preds have been the aggressors now, and another penalty? Yes, Cap-in-the-box...

Oops- 4 on 4.

Wow- Dumont with a steal and a breakaway, and missed the net...

J.P. Dumont on the breakaway, all alone, but he shoots wide.

The Predators are actually fighting for a playoff spot too. They're 9th in the West with 80 points, behind 3 teams with 84 points. But they're 4-6 in their last 10. Looks like they gave their seed to the Avalanche (7-3 in last 10).

Month of March, the NHL +/- leaders:

Kozlov, Caps....  +10

Ovechkin, Caps.. +10

Thornton, Sharks  +9

3-1 Caps, end 2nd.

Announcers say the Preds have "badly outshot" the Caps 9-4 in the second period, that just ended.

Looks like they're impressed with Huet (game has resumed).

5-2 Rangers is final. Thrashers scored one more, but Flyers won 3-2.

Morrisonn trips Huet, hehe.

A fast, fairly boring 3rd period so far.... Huet with a few more saves, the Caps as dead as they were in the 2nd.

3-2, on a delayed penalty 6 on 4 situation....

Arnott scores! He woke up the announcers. 3-2.

And another Preds' PP....

A shot takes Huet's mask right off his head....

Dumont knocks Huet's helmet off on a quick shot. Cristobal's OK.

... and killed.

"The-helmet-off is not a Russian player." Hahahaha!

They called our four Russian players the Russian Revolution, earlier, hehe.

At least they didn't call them bullshitviks.....

"The helmet off" counts as a save by Huet, though, it seems.