Photo credit: Nick Wass
It’s been a long time. The Washington Capitals are back in action, opening up their 2011-2012 season at home. Hosting the Carolina Hurricanes, the Caps have a lot of drama in their rear view, and a lot of questions to answer. Goalie drama, Alex Ovechkin’s return to glory, Sasha cares, the new guys, offensive doldrums. You’ve heard it all before. Get ready for some answers.
In the second period Eric Staal put the puck past a sucked-out Michal Neuvirth. Hooked up by a smart outlet pass from John Carlson, Alex Semin guided the puck in to tie it up. That near-goal Jason Chimera breakaway thing happened for the billionth time, but Jason finally hit his target. But Eric Staal tied it up early in the third by waiting in the right spot. On a climactic 5 on 3, gorgeous Brooks Laich returned the rebound. But with the extra skater, Jussi Jordache Jokinen snuck one past Neuvy. In a penalty-ridden OT, Mike Green served the puck into– and beyond– Boucher’s love-making region. Game over. Caps win 4-3 (OT).
It feels good to be back. Just 1/82nd into the campaign, and we’ve already seen some riotous hockey fun. Yeah, it was a slow start, but c’mon! Halfway into that third period, didn’t this feel just like the kind of Caps game you love? High-scoring, unnecessarily dramatic, Craig Laughlin saying things that don’t really make sense, and the big hero moment! You see that net– the one Brian Boucher was in front of? That thing was thoroughly crashed.
I loved this game. What did you think?
See you on Monday.
Additional reporting by Neil Greenberg, who gets tweeted at a lot when Chimera scores.
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