Just a side note before the game starts- Lepisto has a lacerated spleen now, and is probably done for the Bears' playoffs. Another- Atlanta had snow flurries earlier today....

Lots of games with East playoff implications tonight, too, so I'll probably pay closer attention to them than I do the Caps.

Koken/Laughlin the TV guys tonight (Joe B must be doing college lacrosse) somewhere)...... scratches are Poti/Gordon/Brashear, Varlamov in goal.

Game on.

D pairings are Morrisonn-Green, Erskine-Pothier, Jurcina-Schultz.

Caps have had a few good shots already against Pavelec. Another stop on Fehr, this time. Bradley splits the D, but shoots high... S. Kozlov gets decked by Jurcina on a clean hit (he's off to the locker room)... Varly stops Little on the first Thrash chance....

Ovechkin on a rush loses his stick, then loses his balance in the corner and goes down... the fans go wild.

Now Pavelec denies Nylander.... wow- Kovy broke in and "undressed" Schultz, who ended up on his butt, but Kovy lost control and didn't get a shot off.... Slava is back....

TV timeout with 13:24 left 1st.

 

Icing Thrash at 12:08.... Fleishmann drives, goes past the goal line and throws the puck back over the line, and it's off Reasoner's skate and in!

1-0 Caps!

Peverly beats Varlamov- it's 1-1.

V. Kozlov gets it right back off a fine pass from Backstrom (and Fleishmann)!!

2-1 Caps!!

Assists on the first goal were Pothier and Backstrom.... Ovie and Semin try to do the shake and bake, but the thrash deny them, then Armstrong hits pipe but no goal.... another TV timeout (missed the time).

Other games, Toronto up 3-0 over the Devils, 'Canes lead the Isles 2-2 with 4:44 left 1st, Panthers-Flyers no score mid-1st, Habs-Rags no score, rest of the games just starting.

Semin!!! 3-1 Caps!!! Assists are Ovechkin (because it bounced off his leg) and Schultz. Ovie 1 point from a tie for the League lead....

 

Varlamov BIIIIIG save on Kovalchuk..... another glove save.... another off a faceoff with :07 left....

3-1 Caps, end 1st.

2nd on, and they're lauding steve Kolbe, who is working his 900th radio game tonight....

1:05 in, it's 3-2 as Bogosian gets the goal (although it looked like Reasoner deflected it in, and now the scoring is changed to Reasoner's goal).... almost another....

 

Green behind Varlamov's net, tries to clear, breaks his stick, and tries to clear it with the shaft.... penalty. First one of the game either way.... TV timeout.

Varly with another BIIIIG stop on Kovy.... and now a glove save on Kovy with :20 left in the penalty....

and the Caps clear and kill. This time Feds goes for hooking, another Thrash PP....

Faceoff League leaders for April, 30 or more- Steckel, with over 70%, Backstrom 2nd, with over 67%. Nice.

And the Caps have killed again!

Elsewhere Toronto still leads NJ 3-0.... NYR leads Montreal 3-1.... Florida leads Philly 1-0 (oops, Flyers have tied it now), Carolina 6-0 over the Islanders, and Ottawa leads Boston 2-0.

7:45 left 2nd here.... Thrash lead SOGs in the 2nd 8-2.... Varlamov denies S. Kozlov now....

another Cap to the box. TV guys say except for Varlamov, this one could be over as the Caps have "let him down in the 2nd".

Killed. The Pens have scored, but no point for Malkin.... Ovechkin a shot with about :30 left in the period.... Erskine a shot....

3-2 Caps, end 2nd.

Crosby has scored, Malkin with an assist on it, so it's back to a 2 point lead for Geno....

edit: Crosby has scored AGAIN.... Malkin another assist. 3 point lead....

3rd on, 2:00 gone already.... in the Hurricanes' game, Staal has a hat trick....

Varlamov under pressure again- if Boudreau talked to them in the break, they didn't listen. Varlamov gloves it for a faceoff at 16:10 left regulation....

finally at 15:38 the Caps go on the PP for the first time tonight.... Ovechkin doesn't keep it in, the Caps go back to regroup. Pavelec a stop at 1:42 left PP.... so much for that- Fedorov to the box for boarding.

1:13 of 4 on 4.... Kovy taken down, but no call.... now the Thrash to the PP.... and killed with 12:50 left in regulation....

 

Fedorov a shot, thinks it goes in, but the Dman pokes it out, then Ovie pokes it in!!!!

4-2 Caps!!!! Now Erskine saves one at the other end.... 9:37 left reg, the Thrash go "offline"....

TV timeout.

 

Boulton hurt, colided with someone but didn't see who- he almost crawled through the gat to get off.

Now they've given the goal to Fedorov, so Ovechkin gets the assist....

under 6:15 left reg.... 5:38 the Thrash go up a man, and a TV timeout. Caps on the PK when they return.

Took some effort, but killed.

3:36 left reg.... Atlanta with a TOTAL of 5 SOGs on their 5 PPs.... 3:11, another Cap penalty (Fedorov for holding, his 3rd minor of the evening)....

Little takes a Kovalchuk slapshot off his ankle, and now he's hurting on the bench....

1:17 left and :06 on the PP, the Thrash pull the goalie for the 2MA.... killed.... still EN.... :46.3, Varlamov save....

4-2 Caps final.