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Alex Ovechkin Overpowers Jaroslav Halak With a Sick Wrist Shot and It’s Just Ridiculous (GIF)

Check out the photographer, Bruce Bennett in the background. (Photo: Jim McIssac)

For about three minutes in the third period, the Caps trailed the Islanders by an unseemly three goals. The game looked like it was over. Finished. Dunzo.

Then Eric Fehr scored. Nicklas Backstrom too. It was a game again. The Capitals needed a big-time play from a big-time player. Alex Ovechkin was up to the challenge.

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By Ian Oland 8 years ago

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Brooks Orpik Suffers Scary Right-Leg Injury After Hitting Cal Clutterbuck (GIF)

Photo: Bruce Bennett

Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik plays on the edge, always looking for the big hit. That’s why he’s a league leader in the statistic and universally respected among players. Tonight, Orpik landed a big hit on Cal Clutterbuck and may have seriously injured himself.

It was scary.

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By Ian Oland 8 years ago

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Isles beat Caps 4-3 (OT): Compete Level Chaos and Orpik’s Hurt

Photo: Kathy Kmonicek

At first, the Caps weren’t prepared to compete against the New York Islanders. Head coach Barry Trotz left two good players without sweaters. Instead, he put weak link Jason Chimera on the top line. The Isles outcompeted the Caps in the first period with their superior compete level, which was levels above the compete level of the Caps, but then the Caps leveled up their compete level in the third to tie the game in dramatic fashion and force overtime.

Anders Lee scored for the Islanders in the first period off a ridiculous deflection. New York made it 2-0 in the second period when Lubomir Visnovsky banked a shot off Brooks Orpik and behind Holtby. In the third, Calvin DeHaan scored shorthanded after Evgeny Kuznetsov choked the puck up in front of the Caps net.

Very marginal player Eric Fehr crashed the net to beat Jaroslav Halak and set himself decidedly on fire. On the rush, Ovechkin set up Backstrom for a gorgeous goal. Ovi got one of his own with a lightning bolt of a goal off a late-game face-off. The Caps withstood a late-game double-minor penalty by Kuznetsov long enough to earn a point and force overtime, but Johnny Boychuk won it during 4v3.

Isles beat Caps 4-3 (Overtime).

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By Peter Hassett 8 years ago

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Islanders Fan Father Ashamed of Caps Fan Children (GIF)

Before the second period began on Long Island, CSN-DC showed us this visionary fan.

Flanked by his children, both in Caps gear, both fixated on their smartphones, the father holds a sign: “I failed as a parent” with an Islanders logo.

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By Ian Oland 8 years ago

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Caps at Islanders Pregame: Last Stop at Nassau

Photo: Islesblogger

Barring a postseason meeting, tonight will be the last time the Washington Capitals will ever play at Nassau Coliseum.

Nassau is a weird beast, smallish by NHL standards, hard to reach using mass transit, but beloved for its legacy and dumpy-ness nonetheless.

It was here that Bossy scored at will. It was here that Potvin won three Norrises. It was here that Dale Hunter made the cheapest of cheap shots (and earned what was at the time the longest suspension in league history).

The Isles brought the Cup home to Nassau four times– in a freaking row– in the early eighties. Now, at the edge of 2015, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they do it again. The Isles are a good team, and they’d certainly like to make Nassau proud before they move to Brooklyn, the edge of the island, at the start of next season.

7 on PM on CSN. Let’s say goodbye to the old dump together. Go Caps.