Caps 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)
A really nice win for the Caps heading into a six-game road trip that will take them into some pretty difficult barns against some of the NHL’s best teams with a few back-to-backs thrown in. A saving grace? It’s not one, long trip. Washington will return home at least once, maybe twice. But banking points during this eight-game winning streak is a huge boost nonetheless with the likes of Montreal (twice), Philadelphia, Detroit and, yes, the absurdly hot New Jersey Devils looming.
Check out the details in our game story. Washington played a strong 60 minutes and goals from Jason Arnott, Brooks Laich and Boyd Gordon – his second in five games! – had the Caps ahead late in the third period. They couldn’t hold off a late goal by Jonathan Toews, but Mike Knuble won it in overtime. Statement game?
“No, the playoffs are a different animal,” said Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. “This is still the regular season. You want to play as hard as you can. All teams are trying to position themselves. But unless you’ve been in the playoffs – once it hits there it ramps up an awful lot more no matter who you’re going to play.”
Sounds like last year’s Presidents’ Trophy experience has killed any desperation this team has to take the top spot in the Eastern Conference. It would be nice, It clearly isn’t a top priority. But whatever their level of desire the Caps have a legitimate shot now. Philadelphia has two games in hand, but the two teams also play at Wells Fargo Center on March 22.
Have to like the play of that third line – Brooks Laich, Jason Chimera and Eric Fehr. Laich berated himself earlier in the week for a poor showing in the faceoff circle in Tampa Bay that cost Washington a goal. He was good in the ensuing two games and won 7 of 8 this afternoon against the Blackhawks. Chimera had three or four quality scoring chances and just couldn’t bury them. The veteran left wing has struggled at times over the last six weeks and I’m sure he’d love to have those opportunities back. That said – he was pretty good today.”
“I thought [Chimera] was a real big factor in the game tonight,” Laich said. “He’s a physical guy. He’s the one who sort of instigated that little [fight] there with [Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook] and he does a good job and takes one of their top defenders off the ice. I think he did a good job.”
And, of course, Laich scored a goal of his own after Fehr won a battle behind the net with Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith and slipped a pass out front. Matt Hendricks actually clipped the puck as it went past and grabbed the primary assist. But Fehr deserves the lion’s share of the credit there for getting Laich the puck in a prime scoring spot. Chicago was down a defenseman when Brian Campbell couldn’t finish the game. Seabrook spent five minutes in the penalty box for fighting Chimera and that didn’t help, either. Keith – on the ice trying to contain Knuble late – finished with an exhausting 30:42 of ice time. The Caps took full advantage of those tired legs.
“We weren’t very good today,” said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. “[The Caps] played well. They played hard. I thought we had a little delay in our game. We were very generous in all the goals that we gave them and could’ve done a better job defending in those situations.”
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