Caps Top Lightning in Club's First Shootout
Capitals 3, Lightning 2
Petr Sykora celebrates being named first star of the game after his shootout goal won the game.
(Mitchell Layton - Getty Images)
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Monday, October 17, 2005
The first shootout in Washington Capitals history will go down as a memorable one, thanks to Alex Ovechkin's flair, Petr Sykora's precision and Olie Kolzig's steadfastness.
Ovechkin and Sykora each slipped the puck past Tampa Bay's goalie, and Kolzig turned away a Brad Richards wrist shot at the other end moments later to clinch the Capitals' improbable 3-2 shootout victory last night over the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
"I feel a little pressure," Ovechkin said. "I must score this penalty shot. And I score. I'm happy. We played well."
The Capitals put together their best performance of the young season -- capped off by a thrilling shootout -- in front of an announced crowd of 10,002 at MCI Center.
After Tampa Bay center Vincent Lecavalier beat Kolzig with a deft backhander, Ovechkin faked Sean Burke with a stutter-step, then backhanded the puck up and in.
Martin St. Louis, the NHL's leading scorer in 2003-04, fired into Kolzig's midsection. Then Sykora rifled the puck between Burke's pads to put the Caps ahead 2-1. Kolzig followed Sykora's score with a clutch pad save on Richards.
"As soon as he put the puck out to the side, I knew he was going to shoot," Kolzig said of Richards, a splendid left-handed center. "He could have gave me a little pump fake, but he went blocker side and I read it right."
Until last night, the Capitals' season had been defined by third-period meltdowns. But one never materialized against the Lightning, even though Washington was outshot 10-4 in the period and 40-14 in the game.
The Capitals, in fact, had several chances to win the game in regulation, if not for missed opportunities from close range by Dainius Zubrus and Jeff Friesen.
"We did a better job of playing our system," Capitals captain Jeff Halpern said. "When we go into the third period ahead or tied, we seem to do fine. It's a step in the right direction."
Kolzig said: "Even though they outshot us in the third, I think the chances were about even. We missed the net a few times. That's a great sign that we can hold our own against a team like that."
The key statistic: The Capitals limited Tampa Bay to one power-play goal on eight opportunities.
