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Capital punishment! Caps beat 'Canes 5-1 in dominant performance
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Life is good for Ovechkin and the first place Caps
I’ve been saying for a while that when this team gets going they will send opposing goaltenders to bright padded rooms upstate. Last night’s huge 5-1 victory over Carolina was a good example of just what this team can do. Take the Capitals first line. It is no stretch to believe that a line with Semin and Ovechkin can be the most potent offensive line in the N.H.L. When you have speed, power, a wicked slap-shot and two fellow countrymen who simply don’t know the meaning of slowing down, the opposition better get out the Advil. Last night the first line of Alexander Semin, Niklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin accounted for every one of the 5 goals and combined for a 12 points total!
I think this was the Caps best 60 minutes of hockey. They simply did not let up, and neither did the one-man wrecking-crew known as Alexander Semin!
Forget what they say in the locker-room, the slick clichés or the practice routine. Just look at the guy when he’s playing. Semin for this entire year has played loose like a kid who just found out that school was canceled. A lot of hockey goal celebrations are stoic andunemotional but not for Semin. (Ovechkin as we know from his attempts to break the glass on his goal celebrations, is also emotional.) When Semin one-timed off a neat cross-ice pass from Ovechkin he jumped up and down like it was his first goal of the year, not his 13th.
What Alexander Semin does when he's not playing hockey.
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On defense, Semin’s kinetic energy is paying off as well. The first Capitals goal of last night’s game can be traced directly to Semin intercepting a telegraphed pass at the blue line. Semin then lead the play up ice carrying the puck back for a 2 o 1 with Ovechkin, which is a nightmare scenario for any goaltender.
But it wasn’t just Semin either. The entire first line played great as did first line defenders David Steckel and Mike Green. Their play from last night is reflected by these rather clear numbers.
| Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | |
| Mike Green | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Jeff Schultz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Niklas Backstrom | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Alexander Ovechkin | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Alexander Semin | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
Yes, that’s right last night was officially one of the few times ever where a guy like Ovechkin, who finished the game with 3 points and as a +4 may get overlooked. That right there really says it all in terms of the Capitals domination, there really isn’t much more I need to say.
***
Game Notes: In other numbers news, with last games 5 point effort, Semin is now your league-wide scoring leader. With 27 points (13 goals 14 assists) he is currently 3 ahead of Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin who has 24 points.
Injury Update: Tarik El-Bashir is reporting that the late second period injury too Brent Johnson shouldn’t be too bad. Reports say that Johnson did not skate in practice but will be available as a backup Friday against New Jersey.
As for injured defensemen Shaone Morrison and forward Sergei Federov, El-Bashir is reporting that Morrison will be a game-time decision and that Federov still isn’t ready.
Link of the day: Never a dull moment when it comes to Ovechkin.
For more info: Vancouver Sun article on the tandem talents of Ovechkin and Semin. Great article from our friends up North. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=d501dd0a-ab35-4039-b185-a5c84ece7f27
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