Capitals 3, Sabres 1
By Tarik El-Bashir
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 6, 2008
BUFFALO, March 5 -- After scoring his second goal of the game, Alex Ovechkin skated toward the corner boards at HSBC Arena, waving his arms in the air, imploring the capacity crowd to increase the volume.
They did -- and he loved every second of it.
Ovechkin, who was roundly booed each time he touched the puck, achieved another milestone Wednesday night, scoring goals Nos. 53 and 54 to establish a career high and, in the process, lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 victory.
The NHL's leader in goals and points (92), Ovechkin also now possesses the second-highest single-season goal total in franchise history after passing Bobby Carpenter, who netted 53 in 1984-85. (Dennis Maruk owns the record with 60 goals in 1981-82.)
"I don't listen to the crowd," Ovechkin said. "I heard them booing after I score first goal. I just smile."
Nicklas Backstrom scored his second goal in two games for the Capitals, and goaltender Olie Kolzig made 25 saves to help them earn their fourth victory in five games, and more important, keep pace in the race for the playoffs.
They remained three points behind the Southeast Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated the Thrashers in Atlanta, 6-3. The Capitals also pulled within two points of the Philadelphia Flyers for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
That, Ovechkin said, means more than any personal achievement.
"It's very interesting when you play for something," Ovechkin said. "Last few years we didn't play for something. After three months, we knew we weren't going for the playoffs so we start thinking about vacation. Now we just think about the playoffs."
But not all the news was good for the Capitals. Checking-line center and penalty-kill specialist David Steckel suffered a broken right index finger. He's expected to miss two to three weeks.
Despite the injury, all the talk in the visitors' locker room was about picking up two huge standings points in a building that has not been kind to the Capitals. It was their first win here in five tries.
"They want to win; they think they are ready to win," Coach Bruce Boudreau said of his players. "They know the sense of urgency right now."
Ovechkin certainly gets it. He has six tallies in the past three games.
"I can't say any more," Boudreau said of Ovechkin, except "holy smokes, he's not bad."
Ovechkin's previous high for goals in a season was 52, set in 2005-06, the year he captured the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year.
Against the Sabres, Ovechkin clinched the win with 6 minutes 41 seconds remaining. After taking a pass through the neutral zone from Viktor Kozlov, Ovechkin blasted into the Sabres' zone and whipped a wrist shot through Ryan Miller (20 saves) to make it 3-1. Kozlov had two primary assists.
After scoring, Ovechkin pumped both arms in the air as he taunted the fans, who apparently have not forgiven the 22-year-old Russian for his previous run-ins with former Sabre Daniel Briere.
Kolzig, meantime, was solid in place of the injured Cristobal Huet, who left Monday's 10-2 win over Boston after the second period with back spasms. Huet could start Saturday in Boston, Boudreau said.
Kolzig turned aside eight shots in the first period, which ended with the Capitals ahead 1-0 on Ovechkin's milestone goal.
Backstrom threaded a pass from deep in the Washington zone through Sabres and onto the stick of Ovechkin, who had sneaked to the Buffalo blueline. Ovechkin snagged the pass, dragged Miller across the crease, then stuffed a forehand shot underneath the goalie, who was making his 21st consecutive start.
After a wide-open first seven minutes of the second period, Ales Kotalik, from the blueline, blasted a power-play slap shot through the pads of Kolzig, who was screened by Thomas Vanek to tie the score 1-1.
But the Capitals came right back 50 seconds later. Ovechkin spun around Sabres winger Steve Bernier as Bernier skated the puck out of the Buffalo zone. It wound up going back in off the stick of Bernier -- that's why offsides was not called -- and right to Kozlov, who sent a saucer pass to Backstrom.
The 20-year-old rookie slipped the puck between Miller's pads to make it 2-1 at 13:27.
"We didn't give them too many chances, Olie played good, the whole team played good," Backstrom said. "It was really a team win."
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