Boudreau’s hunch worked to perfection. The reunited line totaled all three goals for the Caps, including the game-tying tally by Semin with 2 minutes, 43 seconds left to play and his dramatic game-winner with just 10.9 seconds remaining at Verizon Center.

Semin’s brilliant start to the 2008-09 season continues. He notched goals No. 9 and 10, the second on a late rush up the left wing by Ovechkin, who found Semin with a cross-ice pass. He deftly cut towards the slot and rifled a shot past Carolina goalie Cam Ward for the winner. Ovechkin finished with three assists. Fedorov scored in the second period for Washington (6-4-2).

“I think everybody knows I’m going to shoot [on the final rush],” Ovechkin said. “But I just made one step in the middle, the goalie stops, and the guy [with] Semin came to me. So I just made an easy pass. I think Semin is in great shape. He’s leading our team and he’s just scoring goals for us right now and we win the game.”

Scott Walker and Tuomo Ruutu each scored even-strength goals for Carolina (7-4-2) and Ward stopped 30 of 33 Washington shots. But Caps goalie Brent Johnson finished with 32 saves to earn the victory.

“We never quit. Even with the [2-1 overtime] loss in Ottawa [on Tuesday] we were still going all the way until the end,” Johnson said. “We just didn’t get the bounces there. But [tonight] we played a heck of a game right from the defense all the way out.”

The Hurricanes ended a lively first period with a 1-0 lead. Walker tipped a point shot past Johnson just 2 minutes, 59 seconds into the game and Ward kept his team in front by turning away 15 Washington shots in the period. Late in the period, Caps enforcer Donald Brashear tangled with Carolina heavyweight Wade Brookbank, dispatching him with a flurry of lefts to the back of the head that had the home crowd buzzing.

The Caps tied the game at 3:05 of the second when Fedorov took a pass off the boards from Ovechkin and beat Ward with a forehand shot to his right side. But they looked hesitant during a one-shot power play halfway through the period. Just over two minutes later, Carolina defenseman Joe Corvo hit Ruutu with a headman pass and he snapped a shot between Johnson’s legs at 12:13 to put the Hurricanes back up 2-1.

The momentum changed again early in the third period when the Caps killed a Carolina 5-on-3 power play. That chance came after Fedorov was called for hooking and Johnson launched a clearing attempt over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty. The Hurricanes were up two men for 1:03, but couldn’t score. While still up a man, a slashing penalty on Carolina captain Rod Brind’Amour ended the threat. Washington has now killed 37 of its last 42 shorthanded situations.

“I think the last couple of games we have done a really good job at [penalty killing],” Boudreau said. “It’s paying off. Different guys are doing it and you’re getting big saves from the goaltender, which is always the No. 1 ingredient when you’re are killing a penalty.”

 

Caps notes


» The Caps didn’t leave Thursday’s win unscathed. Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn played briefly in the second period before leaving with what a team spokesman called a groin injury. Also, center Sergei Fedorov was on the ice for just 2:03 in the third period. His injury was undisclosed.

» Washington was 0-for-3 on the power play and has not scored in its last nine attempts. Carolina did not convert on either of its man-advantage opportunities.

» He did finish with three assists so nobody’s complaining. But Alex Ovechkin has now gone eight games without a goal, the longest drought of his career.

» Thanks to his second-period goal, Fedorov has at least one point in eight of his last 12 games.

» An announced crowd of 17,874 was in attendance on Thursday night. Through five home games, total attendance at Verizon Center is 87,646. That is an average of 17.569 per game and 3,772 fans more per game than through the first five games last season.