Caps 7, New York Islanders 2
The winning streak continued as the Caps routed the Islanders in New York on Tuesday night and have now won seven games in a row. That’s a season-best stretch and they have done it three different times since Bruce Boudreau took over early in the 2007-08 season. Those streaks all match the franchise’s longest since 1988-89. Comcast SportsNet analyst Craig Laughlin called this one “an old-fashioned whooping.” Can’t argue with that. The Caps were dominant early and never really let up. They improved to 34-12-6 and have an Eastern Conference-best 74 points. They tied Chicago (74 points) for second-most points in the NHL and keep creeping on San Jose (78 points) for the league’s overall lead.
Forward Alex Semin was the best player on the ice tonight. His backchecking – yeah, I said his backchecking – led directly to his two goals in the first period. The second was a total killer – a steal, splitting two islanders defensemen and then popping home the rebound with just over five seconds left in the first period to make it 4-1. New York never recovered. Semin is in the midst of a scorching streak with 18 points over the last 11 games. He also had three takeaways on Tuesday and was a +3. Overall, his numbers are 23 goals and 28 assists in 43 games (1.17 points per game). Oddly, both of Semin goals were unassisted. He hadn’t scored an unassisted goal all season. Despite the offensive fireworks, Alex Ovechkin was held pointless – though he had a ton of good chances and seemed active most of the night. Finished with 10 shots. Of course he did. Mike Green didn’t have a point either. Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle didn’t really need to hear that. In fact, I think he just got sick. The Ducks visit Verizon Center on Wednesday night fresh off a loss in Atlanta on Tuesday.
“I’m touching wood all the time hoping that we can continue,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters afterwards. “Things are going well right now and four lines are rolling and it’s hard to take guys out of the lineup. But even strength we were, what, plus-five or something like that? That’s why everybody’s plus-minus is getting so much better.”
Congrats to defenseman John Erskine, who scored his first goal since Jan. 19, 2008 – a stretch of 109 games overall. The longest drought now belongs to defenseman Shaone Morrisonn with 63 games and no goal (tip of the hat to Caps writer Mike Vogel for that one). Erskine added an assist, too. Didn’t get a fight in for a Gordie Howe hat trick, though. Was waiting for that in the third period. Erskine’s last multi-point game? March, 17, 2009 against Florida. It’s just the fourth time he’s done that in his career.
Some concerns: Obviously, the status of Islanders defenseman Jack Hillen. An Alex Ovechkin power-play shot slammed off his face. It was a sickening sight – and sound – and Hillen was taken to a local hospital for treatment. It certainly didn’t look good. Tough break for a guy whose having a nice season.
Meanwhile, Caps goalie Jose Theodore did not return after the second period and was not seen in the usual backup goalie’s spot in the tunnel leading to the dressing room. After the game, Boudreau said Theodore was “day-to-day” with a lower-body injury. The Caps have to hope it’s nothing serious. Remember, rookie goalie Semyon Varlamov did not skate at Kettler Iceplex in Arlington on Tuesday and doesn’t appear to be getting better with his knee and groin injuries. Theodore stopped 18 of the 20 shots he saw through the first two periods. Just as a precaution you would expect Michal Neuvirth to get the start Wednesday night against Anaheim. But the Caps just started a stretch of 11 games in 19 days before the Olympic break. Not the best time for an injury. Neuvirth made 11 saves on 11 shots in the third period.
Caps Notes
» Center Brendan Morrison matched his point total from all of last season with his goal and assist. That’s 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 overall. Last year – his first back after a serious knee injury the year before – Morrison had 16 goals and 15 assists in split duty with Anaheim and Dallas. That first-period tip in was Morrison’s first goal since Dec. 23 against Buffalo.
» Washington topped six goals for the 10th time this season. Did that just five times in 2008-09.
» Brooks Laich added a pretty third-period goal. That’s goals in two straight games and 15 overall.
» I actually thought Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson looked okay. He made several good saves on a Caps power play before Mike Knuble jammed home a goal to make it 3-1. Maybe “okay” is too strong. He did only stop 8 of 12 Caps shots. But I didn’t see a soft one in the bunch at all: A tip-in, a sick wrister from Semin when the Islanders “D” gave him too much space, another breakaway from Semin and the Knuble goal. Either way, Rick DiPietro took over to start the second period and didn’t fare much better. He gave up three goals on 21 shots.
» Jason Chimera scored his third goal as a Cap and 11th overall this season, including his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chimera, Erskine, Semin, Laich, Tom Poti, and Eric Fehr were all +3 on the night. Fehr assisted on two goals.
» Washington still not seeing much love from NHL officials. It’s a bit much to whine about that after a 7-2 win – Lord knows what this team would do with a bunch of power plays in a single game – but they had just two on the night compared to five for New York. The Islanders scored on their first one, snapping a streak of 14 kills in a row by the Caps in the process. But they went 0-for-4 the rest of the way. In its last seven games Washington has had two power plays or less four times. Expand that to 10 games and there have been three PPs or less six times.
» Thought Matt Bradley had a nice game, too. Several big hits, created some scoring chances. He did end up a -1, but fared well in 12 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time.
