Looks like a light crowd for today's matinee with the Islanders coming off of yesterday's 2-0 loss to Pittsburgh. The mood around here is pretty grim, with most folks thinking that any realistic chance to make the playoffs was lost with this latest losing streak.
Here's the pre-game pack:
Mike Vogel
NHL.com
Capital Fanatic
The Peerless Prognosticator
Caps Chick
Bonus Links: Leonsis to chair NHL Board of Governors and Greg Kanner: Time to Write the Season Off?
STARTING LINEUPS: ISLANDERS: G: DiPietro; D: Hill and Campoli; W: Hunter and Hilbert; C: Sillinger. CAPS: G: Kolzig; D: Eminger and Schultz; W: Pettinger and Zednik; C: Gordon.
SCRATCHES: ISLES: Poti, Bates and Yashin. CAPS: Nycholat, Beech and Clymer. That's two in a row for Beech and Nycholat. If I were Nycholat, I'd be getting packed for Hershey for when John Erskine or Brian Muir returned to health.
That's it for now as the puck is about to drop. See you later with the postgame. Recap after the jump.
END OF FIRST PERIOD: CAPS 1 ISLES 0: In a snoozer of a first period, the Caps jumped out to an early 1-0 lead courtesy of some opportunistic play from Richard Zednik. As for the rest of the period, just be glad you weren't here to experience it yourself.
* At the 2:52 mark the Caps grabbed a 1-0 lead courtesy of a goal by Matt Pettinger. The score was set up by Richard Zednik, who skated down left wing and curled behind the net but failed to stuff the puck past DiPietro. Pettinger jumped on the rebound for the score.
* Couldn't help but notice that the fans aren't harassing ex-Cap Brendan Witt when he touches the puck. Given his public request for a trade out of town last season, you'd figure the fans would be less forgiving, but I guess not.
* Right at the horn ending the first period,Witt takes a penalty for slashing. Now that got a rise out of the crowd. How very Brendan Witt of him...
* For the period, shots were 10-10. The Caps won 4 of 13 faceoffs. Milan Jurcina again led all skaters in ice time (two games in a row) with 8:34.
END OF SECOND PERIOD: CAPS 1 ISLES 1: New York tied the game inside the first minute, then the two teams sleepwalked their way through the rest of the period.
* Didn't take long for the Isles to tie things up. With New York a man down, Mike Sillinger picked up the puck at his own blue line in the right wing and skated the length of the ice with Trent Hunter. After Sillinger dumped the puck to Hunter, he skated alone to the far post, where Hunter found him with a return pass. Sillinger tapped it in for the tie.
* Just inside of six minutes the crowd comes to life as Zednik outraces the Isles defense to a loose puck and squeezes off a shot at DiPietro. The Isles goalie turns the shot aside easily.
* Inside of the last minute of the period, Kolzig robs Jason Blake of a prime scoring opportunity.
* Shots for the period were 13-5, New York. Washington won 17 of 33 faceoffs.
END OF REGULATION: CAPS 1 ISLES 1: It was a lackluster third period in which each team failed to score, sending us to OT...
* We've been subject to to a pair of lengthy stoppages today thanks to problems with the boards -- this time behind the Islanders net.
* Just inside of three minutes, a scrum in front of the New York net ends with Alexander Semin knocking veteran New York defenseman Sean Hill flat on his back.
* Sillinger, Hunter and Satan combine for a nice breakout, but Kolzig stops Satan's slapper easily.
* And we're in yet another stoppage, this time behind the goal line along the left wing boards.
* At about the 8 minute mark, Ovechkin is sent tumbling into DiPietro. The trainer is called to the ice, but DiPietro shakes it off and stays in net.
* At 14:38 Hill takes his revenge on Semin, but gets called for interference instead, giving the Caps a power play. Still, the Caps fail to convert.
* Caps outshot New York 13-7 for the period.
END OF OT: CAPS 1 ISLES 1: The Caps seem to get a sudden jolt of energy once we get to the OT period, but they can't convert any of several nice chances.
* At about the 2 minute mark, Semin nearly scores on a wrap-around, but DiPietro sprawls to keep the puck out of the net, and somehow catches a piece of a slapshot after the puck skitters to the top of the zone.
* With 1:21 remaining, the Caps call timeout. Thus far, they're dominating the play in the OT period.
* And here comes the shootout...
FINAL: CAPS 2 ISLES 1 (SO): Semin gets the only goal in the SO for the win.
* Up first for Washington, Semin -- SCORE. Backahnd, top-shelf.
* For New York, Satan -- SAVE. Backhand, diving save.
* For Washington, Ovechkin -- SAVE. Wrist shot, pad save.
* For New York, Kozlov -- SAVE. Wrist shot, pad save.
* For Washington, Zubrus -- SAVE. Wrist shot, pad save.
* For New York, Blake -- SAVE!!! Wrist shot, pad save.
POSTGAME: Just got out of an interview with Donald Brashear. Lots of interesting stuff to share on Monday over at NBC. Gotta jet right now, but look for more postgame observations later tonight.
UPDATE: From the Islanders locker room, Brendan Witt wasn't happy with the continued disruptions because of the glass:
"It's just terrible. Come on now
