Goals in Mind as Caps, Lightning Face Off

Whenever Alex Ovechkin is asked about his offensive totals, the Washington Capitals' high-scoring left wing always says the team's goals are more important than his own.

But that doesn't mean he won't be thinking about the NHL goal-scoring title tonight in Tampa, where he'll share the ice with his two closest competitors for the Maurice Richard Trophy, given each year to the top goal-scorer in the league.

"I always want to be the leader," Ovechkin said playfully after yesterday's practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

But to finish there, Ovechkin (34 goals) will have to catch Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier (league-best 37) and hold off Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis (33) over the season's final 25 games.

"I want to score goals," Ovechkin said. "But if I don't score, and we win, I'm happy. For me, it's more important to get team points, not my points."

At the moment, neither Ovechkin nor the Capitals is racking up points with much frequency.

Although the 21-year-old all-star owned or shared the league lead in goals for most of January, he's struggled lately, scoring only once in the past five games. He's also lagging three goals behind last season's pace, when he scored 52 and won rookie of the year honors.

The Capitals, coming off Saturday's 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers, also have slipped into a rut, losing 10 of their past 14 games. The slump has sent the Capitals tumbling out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture and threatens to keep them out of the postseason for a third consecutive season.

Compounding matters, they'll be without starting goaltender Olie Kolzig for at least three weeks after he suffered a second-degree tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during Monday's practice.

Quite the opposite is happening in Tampa, where the Lightning seems to be regaining its championship form. The 2003-04 Stanley Cup champions have won 13 of 16 and vaulted into sixth place in the conference, just three points behind third-place Atlanta.

The surge has much to do with the play of Lecavalier, who is among the hottest players in the league. The powerful center has 14 goals in 15 games and equaled his career high for goals, set last season. But goal-scoring is only part of what makes the 1998 No. 1 overall draft pick so dominant, Capitals Coach Glen Hanlon said.

"He might be the best player in the league right now," Hanlon said. "That might tick some other guys off. But he does everything. He's tough as nails. He'll fight anybody, he kills penalties and he's successful on the power play. I don't know what else you can do."

Lecavalier, 26, has three goals and six points since being reunited on a line with St. Louis and Vaclav Prospal two games ago. Tonight, they'll be the responsibility of Capitals defensemen Milan Jurcina and Shaone Morrisonn, who said the line's strength is the combination of Lecavalier's size and St. Louis's speed.

"Lecavalier is a little like [Jaromir] Jagr, but he's a power forward and likes to drive to the net more," Morrisonn said. "You have to keep him away from the net and keep his scoring chances from the outside. You have to keep him in front of you. If he gets a step on you, he's tough to catch."

Despite the recent drop-off, Ovechkin has plenty of admirers among the Lightning. Tampa Bay defensemen Cory Sarich and Nolan Pratt will spend most of their time trying to contain Ovechkin. They'll also occasionally matchup with Alexander Semin, who has scored 29 goals for the Capitals.

"If not the top, [Ovechkin] is one of the top five guys out on the ice," Sarich said. "With all the tools he's got, he can run over you when you're not expecting it."

Capitals Note: Defensemen Brian Pothier and John Erskine have been cleared to play and could be in the lineup against the Lightning after each missed significant time with a concussion and broken ankle, respectively. Defenseman Bryan Muir won't make the trip and could miss another week with a broken foot.