Second of the six big topics:

GREEN PARTY
Washington's defenseman is making a case for the Norris trophy

Article:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=407725&navid=DL|NHL|home

"Green's career-high 12 power-play goals have been a result of his being able to find the open areas with the man advantage. He's also benefitted from having three of League's finest playmakers dishing him the puck in Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom.

"Hey, it's great that we have guys who can pass the puck," Green grinned. "I just have to sneak into the open spaces and these guys just put it on my stick."

Morrisonn knows it's never that easy, but Green has that ability to make the tough play look simple."

It's true that Semin's pass on the Caps' first goal, last Tuesday, was great.

Most of Green's goals are like this, on the PP but also at ES. He manages to get forgotten by the opponents, and then he skates in all of sudden, when only his team mates know that he will, and he gets a puck in an open space with all the time to adjust his shot.

Johnson's out hurt, so Neuvirth is up (but Theo continues in goal).... Kozlov is scratched, and fehr is on the top line with Ovechkin and Fedorov.... Semin scores :15 into the 1st, right off the opening faceoff....

and it's all downhill from there for the Caps.

I left with a few left in the 1st, score was 1-1 but the Caps looked, how can I put this diplomatically- lethargic. By the time I got home, it was 4-2 Kings, and is that way end 2nd. At the end of the period, for the 2nd time in 5:00 they go 4 on 4....

ugly game. Mr. Hyde is back with a vengeance.

They started the 3rd on a PP, nothing.... the first 10:00, nothing....

9:28 left in reg.....

OVECHKIN OFF THE FACEOFF!!!

4-3!!! (Ovechkin's 200th goal in his first 4 seasons- only Bossy, Gretzky, and Lemieux did it in their first 4 seasons).

Fleishmann breaks in alone.... poke-checked away.

Green with a fine pass to Steckel, in alone- Downey makes the play.... rebound, Quick blocks it away...

we're under 3:00 left in regulation, with a TV timeout (and this has been a VERY fast game- it's only 9:23 here, game started just at 7:08)...

Backstrom wins the draw, Ovechkin can't get the shot off... Green does, blocked... Kings get it all the way down twice, the Caps try to come back.... Kings drive down, get low...

insurance goal.

5-3. 

1:10, faceoff...

GREEN!!!! 5-4!!!! 1:06 left....

EN.... Backstrom can't get a rebound in.... Feds saves a goal.... :29.1, Quick covers....

Boudreau explaining something during his timeout....

still EN, faceoff (Fedorov) in front of Quick.... the refs check the time, and add :02....

Quick dives on a Laich shot, :23.2....

faceoff, backstrom digs at it, Quick again at :15.8....

Quick a kick save on Ovechkin with about :04 left, and another marvelous save against Green with under :01....

5-4 final.

Couple of sloppy plays early on, and only playing just less than half the game, they made a game out of it. They better learn soon, it's a 60:00 game.