What a SNOOOOOOOOOOZEfest.......

Steve Mason continues his hot hand in goal, and the Caps can't connect on simple passes and plays. Sounds about right. Fedorov and Fleishmann are back, Nylander and Fehr the healthy scratches, Sloan is back and Schultz is out with the bad finger again.

I left with 5:15 left 1st complaining that it was "too exciting", and see I didn't miss a thing.....

still 1-0 for the BJs.

Caps have a 5 on 3 for :40 with 6:42 left 2nd....

meanwhile, as Boudreau uses his timeout here, here's a nice Ovechkin articlw from NHL:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=402857>

Semin, Laich, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green..... the 2MA is over....still 1:18 of PP..... Mason still working on his 4th (that's 4th) shutout IN A ROW.....

PP killed.

3:49 left 2nd, the BJs on the PP now- only the second Caps' penalty of the night (the first was that thug Ovechkin in the 1st with a charge they finally called him on).

the Caps have had 9:20 of PP time, and done exactly zippy with it.... SOGs are 27-9 Caps....

2-0 Columbus on a slow deflection.

 

2-0 BJs end 2nd.

On Mason:  The rookie goaltender has been sensational over the past month, going 7-5-0 with a 1.49 goals-against average.

He recorded three consecutive shutouts to close December, blanking Anaheim and Los Angeles to start Columbus' road trip. He made 23 saves on Jan. 2 in a 6-1 win at Colorado (doesn't sound like a shutout, does it? ) .

My bad for parroting the announcers all night (I know I heard Kolbe say the same while at the arena) about going for 4 shutouts in a row- they mean for the season. Here's his game log:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8473461&view=log>

3rd on, and 1:41 in Ovechkin to the box for his second minor of the night- interference, this time....

JB reports Gordon played 1 shift tonight and "has not returned"....

killed.....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Big pad save by Mason on the Caps' 33rd (useless) shot of the game!

"they mean for the season"

Even that is wrong: he had 5 so far. They're only smoking too much.

He got 3 shutouts in a row, but he lost his last 2 games.

I'm just in time to see the Caps reduce the score, then pull Theodore and tie the game, and finally score a big one in overtime.

Sounds like Brashear destroyed Boll in about 3 seconds.

Columbus with 4:00 of PP at 7:24 left reg....

Consequence: double minor for Brashear (holding and roughing), and the Caps on the PK for 4 minutes, with 7:24 left to the game.

First penalty almost killed, and Caps with an opportunity, but the good guy is taken down.

You must stil be dreaming.....

3-0.

And Boll takes his revenge: 3-0 Columbus!

Highway robbery by Mason on a great opportunity for Fedorov, and now Kozlov hits the post!

Well the Caps have been overdue for a stinker at home, so I guess this is it. Mason up to 40 saves now....

I guess when you don't score with 40 shots, it's not entirely your fault. We already know who will be the first star of the game.

42....

Big save by Mason on a shot by Ovechkin, rebound, Green, Mason again!

And seconds later, the 20-year-old rookie denies Ovechkin again!

And now Green with the 45th shot, but Mason makes the save, of course.

45 saves, in the end.

3-0 Blue Jackets final.

I guess the Caps can afford to lose one like this once in a while. Maybe we'll get to see Johnson again next time, by the way. It would be bad to leave him constantly on the bench because Theodore is having good games.

See you next time. Good night.

From NHL.com:

FAN POLL: DANGER AHEAD

Which All-Star is the East's most dangerous weapon?

Sidney Crosby:
13.03 %

Evgeni Malkin:
18.30 %

Alexander Ovechkin:
62.07 %

Vincent Lecavalier:
6.60 %



Ovechkin's still not a starter, though. :P