Game #53 Recap: Caps 5 Tampa Bay 2

The Washington Capitals had a game plan and they stuck to it. For the first time in a couple of years the Caps played a SE Division game where they were not leading the Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning held a 5-point advantage in the standings and were looking to extend a 6-game winning streak. The Caps would have none of that. They attacked the Tampa trap with an unorthodox method of dumping the puck at long range on the goalie to negate icing or held the puck between defensemen to force the trap to make the first move and counter the play. The Caps were determined and patient even after Semyon Varlamov allowed a soft goal on Tampa's first shot. The Caps swarmed the net and got under Tampa goalie Dwayne Roloson's skin. The work paid off as the Caps tied the game at 1-1 halfway through the first when Nicklas Backstrom put a loose puck in the net from the door step. Brooks Laich gave the Caps the lead early in the second after some hard work from Jay Beagle and Mathieu Perrault. Alex Ovechkin extended the lead on the power play with a wicked wrist shot as Mike Knuble battled a defenseman in front of the net. The Bolts drew within one when they scored on deflected power play shot with less than a minute remaining in the second. The Caps didn't waver and Backstrom restored the two goal advantage when he put a rebound into the net with 8-minutes remaining in the game. Jason Chimera added and empty net goal to seal the deal. For the first time in a long time the Caps played a full 60-minute game and came away just three points out first in the Division.

Of Note:

• 5 goals is the most Washington has scored in their last 17 games.
• Alex Ovechkin: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points, +3, 10 shots on goal and 4 hits. Now that sounds like and Ovechkin line.
• Nicklas Backstrom: 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points, +3, 5 shots on goal, 1 hit and 3 blocked shots. See above.
• The power play went 1 for 4 and the penalty killers went 3 for 4.
• Semyom Varlamov stopped 23 of 25 shots fir the victory.
• Kudos to Matt Hendricks and Matt Bradley who brought the intensity with a first period fight for each.
• Jason Chimera chipped in 1 goal and 1 assist and Mike Green and John Carlson each had an assist from the blue line.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary