Boudreau's Big Evening Ends With Loss for Caps
Maple Leafs 3, Capitals 2

By Tarik El-Bashir
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 24, 2008

TORONTO, Jan. 23 -- Everywhere Bruce Boudreau turned at Air Canada Center on Wednesday, someone was wishing him good luck.

It was a big night for the Washington Capitals' coach, a Toronto native who made his NHL coaching debut in his home town, against the team that drafted him and before dozens of friends and members of his family.

But Mats Sundin and the embattled Maple Leafs made sure there was no storybook ending for Boudreau. Sundin scored with 30 seconds remaining, and goaltender Vesa Toskala made 30 saves to halt the Capitals' winning streak at four games, 3-2.

Sundin fired a rebound past Olie Kolzig, who stopped Alex Steen's initial shot but was unable to reach back and get enough of Sundin's. Kolzig finished with 21 saves.

"Our defensemen's gaps were too big," Boudreau said of the decisive play. "Their guy picked up the puck between the red and the blueline, and our defense was already inside our blueline. Then Sundin beats [winger Alexander Semin] back to the net."

And like that, the Capitals blew a chance to pull within a point of the Carolina Hurricanes for the Southeast Division lead.

"Tonight was a must-win for us because every point counts," said defenseman John Erskine, who leveled several Leafs with crushing body checks. "It's a tough loss, but we'll see them tomorrow."

The teams meet again Thursday night at Verizon Center.

Sundin's goal capped an exciting final few minutes and spoiled what, for a moment, was shaping up to be another scrappy comeback for Washington after Semin tied the score at 2 with 6 minutes 53 seconds to play.

But Semin's sixth goal in as many games, and Alex Ovechkin's league-leading 39th, weren't enough on a night when Toskala was sharp and the Capitals' attack looked disjointed for long stretches. Ovechkin's tally extended his goal-scoring streak to six games, the longest since his rookie season.

"We definitely didn't play our best game," winger Matt Pettinger said. "It was just one of those games where we played in spurts, five minutes here, five minutes there. We didn't put 60 minutes tonight. That was a tough break with 30 seconds to go."

Ovechkin added: "Toskala played today an unbelievable game. He win the game tonight."

In addition to Toskala's standout performance in net, the Maple Leafs received goals from Chad Kilger, Steen and a pair of assists from Nik Antropov. They were playing for the first time since John Ferguson Jr. was fired as general manager on Tuesday and replaced by Cliff Fletcher.

Toronto jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Kilger's goal at 7:12 of the first period. Kilger slipped loose in front of Kolzig and redirected a pass from defenseman Anton Stralman.

Ovechkin scored 2:27 into the second period, when he gathered a deflected pass in the high slot and whipped it past Toskala, tying the game at 1.

But the Capitals failed to build on the momentum generated by Ovechkin's goal. Meantime, Toronto's forwards began buzzing around Kolzig, peppering him with shots. Kolzig kept his team in the game during a late second-period flurry, but he was helpless to prevent Steen's go-ahead goal with 1:16 remaining before the second intermission. Sundin took the puck from Mike Green, who tripped behind the goal, skated it out front and zipped a pass to Steen. Steen buried the shot behind Kolzig, who had been run over in the crease.

Semin's goal came on a splendid individual effort. He took a pass from David Steckel, cut to the slot and then faked Toskala before beating the Leafs' goalie with a backhander.

But moments later, Semin was looking on as Sundin scored the winner.

"Once the puck dropped it was like any game -- I wanted to win," Boudreau said of his homecoming. "The great thing is we play them tomorrow. Hopefully we'll learn from our mistakes."

Capitals Notes: Center Kris Beech was claimed on waivers from Vancouver. He is expected to be sent back through waivers Thursday and assigned to Hershey of the American Hockey League. . . .

Defenseman Jeff Schultz was scratched and replaced in the lineup by Toronto native Steve Eminger, who was penalized for boarding Alexei Ponikarovsky in the first period. The Toronto left wing left the contest with a shoulder injury. . . .

Capitals captain Chris Clark missed his 23rd game with a strained groin muscle while defenseman Brian Pothier was sidelined for the eighth time with a concussion.