Game on Comcast for me, JB and Laughlin at the microphones.

The Caps had better be ready from the gitgo tonight, or this series could be over. Philly is quick, physical, and home for the next two games.

Once again, Huet vs. Biron in goals. The crowd is loud, proud, and wearing orange.

Game on. Flyers crack one off the net within seconds. Backstrom tries to stuff at 18:40 left, no can do....

Huet a glove save on a hard shot.... Caps have spent very little time in the O zone in the first 4:00....

two more minutes, probably less than :15 on O for the Caps....

13:39 left 1st, TV timeout.

Ovechkin gets taken down away from the play, and the Caps get the first PP of the evening.

The only lineup change I can discern is Fehr in, Fleishmann out.

Caps not doing much with this PP, after Boudreau said publicly they need to get it going.... finally Laich with a decent shot, denied....

3 SOGs on this PP....

killed. 

 

10:24 left 1st, and the Caps on the PP again.... Semin a shot- Biron down. Right in the throat, maybe right side of his neck, it looked like. Trainers out to attend. He's up, and staying in.

Killed again. Not a good sign- Caps' PP now 0-8.

SOGs are 6-4 Caps..... and Steckel to the box, the Flyers get the PP now.

The first 1:27 almost entirely in the Caps' zone, until the Flyers put it out themselves... :26 more in the Caps' zone, but killed. One good chance by Knuble that missed.

 

4:38 left 1st, Kozlov hits the crossbar.... then hatcher comes close at the other end.... and next time down, on a 3 on 2, Briere puts the Flyers up.

1-0 Flyers 3:50 left 1st.

Just over 1:00 later....

FEHR TIES IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1-1 2:39 left 1st.

 

And now at 1:34 left, Hartnell rips one past Huet again....

2-1 Flyers.

Wow- turnover and another goal, :17 later.

3-1 Flyers, end 1st.

Not a good period for the Caps.

THIS IS UGLY.

________________________

'NO' to drugs; 'YES' to mirrored visors.

100% PureAgression

Meanwhile, the Caps have signed Francois Bouchard:

http://capitals.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=360519

2nd on, and at 1:55 gone Laich hits the box for goalie interference. Flyers on the PP....

killed.

And right back on the PP for the Flyers- Erskine for elbowing. Richards shoots wide, then Hartnell gets called for goalie interference- they skate 4 on 4 for 1:46.

The Caps go PP for :14, and :02 in they go up 5 on 3....

The 5 on 3 gets nothing, but just after they go 5 on 4, Green blasts one in!

3-2 Flyers, 12:32 left 2nd.

I paid for one more month on N54. They better not disappoint me.

(They = the Caps, of course, hehe.)

Green listened to me.

Assists: Semin and Ovechkin.

Lol!

Good to see Thoresen playing (that was his shot that Huet just ate for dinner). And Green saves everyone's ass..... but another Caps' penalty, and the Flyers on the PP after this TV timeout. 

Schultz only played 2:00, and they just said last shift on D was..... Morrisonn and Fedorov.

edit: Schultz has not skated in the 2nd. He had 4 shifts in the 1st, the last one just :11.

Now Laich, Semin, and Fedorov with a great possession shift.... Green jumps in too, and draws the penalty- Caps to the PP after this latest TV timeout.

Wow- Hartnell runs Huet again, no call.... so Huet knocks him down, THEN the matching calls come. 4 on 4

Now a call against the Caps- 4 on 3 for the Flyers, for about :36.... Huet save with :17 on the 4 on 3.... 5 on 4 for 1:23 now.... less than 1:00 left in the 2nd....

Briere again, :09.8 left 2nd.

4-2 Flyers....

A little better, but still ugly.

________________________

'NO' to drugs; 'YES' to mirrored visors.

100% PureAgression

Caps once again two goals behind at the second intermission. They better not play this game all the time.

3rd on, and the Flyers on the PP again, no idea how- Comcast had some "technical difficulties" for a few.....

killed, and back to ES. Time is running out for the Caps in the game, and honestly, in the series.

Philly is the much better team.

Let's keep in mind that the Caps only have to win 1 of the 3 games in Philly plus their two other home games to make it to the next round. So losing tonight would not be that bad, as long as they show heart.

Fedorov on D again, paired with Erskine this time. Schultz is back on the bench.

Why Eminger hasn't played the last 2 games, I'll never know. I think the team record with him in is 15-5-1....

Caps to the PP with 14:38 left in regulation. Do or die time, guys.

The first PP was due to Green slashing Upshall, then a fight between them. 5 min each, plus 2 to Green (these served by Ovechkin). That was 17 seconds into the third.

But that's just it, Marc- they've shown no heart. Flyers have been running Huet for two games straight now, with no one standing up for him. Defensive breakdowns in front of him have led to what- 6 of the 10 goals against?

Kozlov = invisible so far.

Backstrom = getting manhandled for the 3rd straight game

Ovechkin = shadowed to the point of ineffectiveness

Semin = trying, but not a factor

Huet = looks human, when the other team runs him down at will

Fleishmann = never should have suited up for the playoffs

Fedorov = playing D, because the 6-7 guys they suit up each night can't

.... and now the Flyers to the PP again.

This one's over.

Shots last game 41-24 Flyers....

shots tonight, something like 29-14 Flyers..... that's not going to get it done.

edit: and just as I posted that, the Caps get their first shot of the period- over 10:00 into it.

Now Ovechkin goes down hurt, Richards got him left ankle to left ankle.....

Semin with a good opportunity on the PP, but nothing.

Ovechkin back on ice, but looks like his leg still hurts.

SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!! Morrisonn.

4-3 Flyers with 4:34 left.

Oh, under review.

Morrisonn scores, but under review- Laich may have got it with a high stick. It does change direction, but the question is Laich's stick, or Biron's glove?

I think glove, but replay is really hard to determine which.....

4-3 Flyers with 4:34 left in regulation.

Goal counts: Laich, from Morrisonn and Green. Guess it was not taken too high.

Richards a steal (a turnover, really), Huet stops him, but it's a penalty shot....

Morrisonn takes Richards down. Penalty shot.

... and he scores.

5-3 Flyers

Empty net, extra attacker.

Kozlov, Ovechkin, Semin, Fedorov, Green and Laich.

Knuble into an empty net. 6-3 Flyers.

Another mistake (it gets by Fedorov on D) with the EN, and Knuble makes it 6-3.

Caps had outscored their opponents 13-1 in the final period in their last 9 games, Kolbe said (if I'm not mistaken).

Final score.

Let's forget this one. Gotta tie the series in two days.

Fix the Power Play or lose the series.

________________________

'NO' to drugs; 'YES' to mirrored visors.

100% PureAgression

Ovechkin was on the ice for 24:49, and took his chance 11 times (5 times blocked, twice wide, and 4 times on target but denied by Biron).

Second in time of ice was rookie Backstrom (24:09). Then come Green (24:03), Morrisonn and Fedorov.

Line changes coming tomorrow night, and Eminger back in for Schultz (where he should have been LAST night).....

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/2008/04/fedorov_on_top_line.html