A three-goal third period helped propel Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals to a 5-2 win over Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday.
Ovechkin bolstered his argument for why he is the leagues best player with two points and nine shots on goal. Crosby who is Ovechkin's competition had a less-than-stellar day with one assist and a plus/minus rating of -2. Ovechkin and Crosby got into an altercation after Ovechkin laid a clean hit on Crosby late in the third period.
"It was not a cheap shot," Ovechkin said about his hit on Crosby. "It was a game moment and part of my game, if he doesn't like it it's his problem."
Even with Ovechkin's effort, Sergei Fedorov was clearly the best player on the ice and as a result grabbed the first star of the game. If Fedorov wasn't shooting the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury he was passing it to Alexander Semin for a power play goal. Fedorov had one of his best games of the season and was one of the reasons for the Capitals' victory.
| Coach Bruce Boudreau reacts to the Capitals 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh PenguinsAndrew Tomlinson / The Eagle |
| Alex Ovechkin reacts to his game against Sidney CrosbyAndrew Tomlinson / The Eagle |
| Nicklas Backstrom talks about bouncing back against PittsburghAndrew Tomlinson / The Eagle |
| Donald Brashear talks about the physical play against Pittsburgh and preparing to play the FlyersAndrew Tomlinson / The Eagle |
| Sergei Fedorov reacts to the win over PittsburghAndrew Tomlinson / The Eagle |
"They got tired of being scored on," Coach Bruce Boudreau said of the Capitals' penalty kill. "Our penalty killing in the last two or three weeks has been really good and for us to be successful they have to keep doing that."
All of the credit for the win can't go to the Capitals though. The Penguins were a mess on the ice. None of their passes were on target and they couldn't seem to get anything going on offense. Even with nine power plays and one five-on-three they could only muster 33 shots.
Along with poor puck control and bad offensive pressure they had terrible goaltending. Fleury was chased from the net after he gave up back-to-back goals less than 30 seconds apart. This rivalry was projected to be much closer this year than it has been. With a win over the Penguins in March the Capitals will sweep the season series.
The other big rivals of the Capitals - the Philadelphia Flyers - come to town on Tuesday. In many senses, the Flyers are almost a bigger rival than the Penguins are. Last year the Flyers defeated the Capitals in the first round of the playoffs and took an already heated rivalry and blew it up.
"I think Tuesday's game will be another real intense crowd energy game," Boudreau said. "We don't like them and they don't like us. It's the way it should be."
Being underestimated is nothing new for the Capitals. They were never picked to be where they are today halfway through last season. The national media has just started to take notice of something D.C. has known all year. The Capitals are serious cup contenders.
With only a month and a half left in the season, the Caps are coming into the home stretch. Last year at this time, they were on the outside looking in when it came to the playoffs. This year, the team is currently second in the Eastern Conference. It would take a monumental collapse for them not to make it this year.
The team is only seven points out of first place, but that is not to say they are perfect. The trade deadline is only 13 days away and it would be surprising if the Caps did not make a move. The Capitals will hopefully get the defenseman they are looking for and that proven number two goalie. Once those are in place they would be all set to make their first serious run at the cup since the beginning of this decade.
It's too early to predict anything now, but the Caps are perhaps one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League right now. It will take a lot to stop them come playoff time. If the team keeps its focus up there is no reason why they shouldn't be one of the top two seeds in April.
You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.
