Capitals 4, Lightning 3
By Tarik El-Bashir
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 28, 2008
TAMPA, March 27 -- Washington Capitals winger Tomas Fleischmann had not recorded a goal or assist in a month.
He picked a fine time to end that drought.
Fleischmann capped a dramatic comeback with a goal in overtime to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, and help the Capitals keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
With the injury-plagued Boston Bruins beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2, Washington didn't gain any ground in the tightly contested race for the eighth and final playoff berth. But thanks to a late goal in regulation by Alexander Semin and what likely was the biggest goal of Fleischmann's career, they didn't lose any, either.
"Seems like I'm just waiting to play against the Lightning," joked Fleischmann, who has scored four of his nine career goals against Tampa Bay. "I didn't think about when was my last point. I just kept working hard and going to the net -- and today it works."
Cristobal Huet earned his fifth straight win with a 23-save effort, while his Lightning counterpart, Karri Ramo, made 28 saves.
But Ramo was helpless to stop Fleischmann. Ramo had sprawled in an attempt to freeze the puck in the slot, but Brooks Laich (goal, assist) pulled away the puck and zipped a pass to Fleischmann.
Fleischmann fired it into a wide-open net at 2 minutes 27 seconds, setting off a wild celebration on the ice and on the home bench. On the play, Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle suffered a cut on his neck from Capitals defenseman Mike Green's skate during a pileup. Boyle was bleeding but did not require stitches.
"I got a skate in the throat, so I really didn't see much," Boyle said. "I was pretty scared for my life, really."
Added Laich, who netted his 20th goal of the season in the first period: "We're in a dogfight here. We're desperate. We're hungry."
Laich, however, wouldn't have had the chance to set up Fleischmann's winner had Semin not tied the game at 3 with 4:48 remaining in regulation. Semin snapped a shot past Ramo after Sergei Fedorov won a faceoff cleanly.
"We're creating our own breaks," said Fedorov, who had two assists.
Earlier in the third period, the Lightning had taken its first lead, 3-2, on a goal by Michel Ouellet. But the Capitals didn't fold. Instead, sensing the desperation of the moment, they cranked up the pressure in the final minutes.
"We were a desperate team at the end," Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I didn't think we had very much jump and we looked a little tired. It was a mentally tough game, but we found a way and that's all that counts right now."
They did it without a point from Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's leading scorer who was shut out for only the third time in 14 games.
Laich scored short-handed at 17:58 of the first period to put Washington ahead 1-0. But Capitals defenseman John Erskine remained in the penalty box for hooking, and the Lightning took advantage.
Jeff Halpern scored with six seconds remaining on Erskine's infraction, firing in a rebound from point-blank range at 18:40 to send the game into the second tied at 1.
It was a special tally for Halpern, who notched his first point against his hometown team. The Potomac native, who grew up cheering the Capitals from the stands at Capital Centre, played for Washington for six seasons and served as captain in 2005-06 before signing with Dallas as a free agent the following summer. Halpern was acquired by the Lightning as a part of the deal that sent Brad Richards to the Stars at the trade deadline last month.
The Lightning persisted in the second period as the teams traded goals once again. Grinder Matt Bradley put the Capitals ahead 2-1 at 3:11 with a wrist shot from the left circle. But Washington failed to capitalize on the momentum. Less than three minutes later, Lightning defenseman Alexandre Picard settled a pass after a faceoff and then fired a wrist shot from the point past a screened Huet. Huet smacked his goal stick against his pads, an apparent expression of frustration with the traffic in front of him.
"We still believe," Fleischmann said. "We still believe we can make the playoffs. So that's the big point of our push every night."
Capitals Notes: Lightning center Nick Tarnasky left the game in the second period with blurred vision after being elbowed in the head by a linesman. He did not return. . . . Vinny Lecavalier's assist on Picard's goal was his 600th career point. . . .
Right wing Chris Clark (groin tendon), defenseman Brian Pothier (concussion) and center David Steckel (broken finger) were out. Defenseman Steve Eminger, left wing Quintin Laing and goaltender Brent Johnson were healthy scratches. . . .
Prospect Sasha Pokulok, the 14th overall pick in the 2005 draft, was demoted from the American Hockey League Hershey Bears to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. . . .
Defenseman Paul Ranger (shoulder) and goaltender Mike Smith (knee) were out for Tampa Bay.
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