Got the beer, got the snacks, got hockey...

-- Well..that was quick...Boyes at 45 seconds...turnover at the Blues line, Pothier and Schultz left behind...1-0 Blues...

-- Caps opening with the five forward power play unit again...Ovechkin and Semin at the points...all for naught...St. Louis not shy about throwing the body around. Brashear to the box...

-- Another turnover...another break...another shot over Johnson's glove...2-0, courtesy of Eric Brewer.

-- And Manny Legace returns the favor...Mike Green sent a floater over over Legace's blocker (his own defenseman got in his view)...2-1...this could be one of those dozen goal games.

-- We're ten minutes in...17 hits credited already...10 for the Caps.

-- Kozlov with some nice stick work and a wrister that Legace gloves...that's the difference -- Legace made that save, Johnson didn't on Boyes' second goal.

-- Pettinger off the side of the post...the Caps finally have a buzz in front of the net...the third line crashing the net.

-- This is not Shaone Morrisonn's best game...now he gets whistled for collaring Jackman up high...then Erskine gets the gate for cross-checking Tkachuk...those two are having some fun tonight.

-- There's the horn for the first...odd period...Caps played pretty well for long stretches, interspersed with some truly boneheaded plays.

-- CSN reports that the Semin deal is two years for $9.2 million.

-- Carolina is laying the lumber to the Islanders...8-2 with ten minutes left...Brind'Amour has a hat trick, Whitney has a pair.

-- Greenie again, off the glove of Legace...Brashear doing the screening...2-2..and another power play...and another penalty to the Blues...5-on-3 for 1:21

-- Really bad entries on the power play...a recurring problem...and the power play ends without cheer.

-- Two on one, turned into a two on none...and Johnson comes up big...then a 3-on-2...Johnson again.

-- Pothier in the box...for roughing?? Lame call by VanMassenhoeven.

-- Another penalty...too many men...playing with fire, boys...this is the sixth PP for St. Louis.

-- Habs and Pens went to eight rounds in the shootout...only one goal; Markov the winner for the Habs. Fleury got yanked again in this one.

-- Caps had 15 hits in the first period...one so far in the second.

-- Boyes again...using Jurcina as a screen to send the puck...over Johnson's glove...3-2, Blues

-- Just when the guys were singing the praises of Nicklas Backstrom, he misses on an intercept of a pass, and Backman sends it to the back of the net...4-2, Blues, barely a minute into the third....and the Caps looked pretty washed out...the travel might finally be kicking in.

-- Caps to the PP...Brashear draws the penalty...they need this one, right here, or the competitive portion of the game is probably over.

-- So much for the power play...and now the Blues get to go a man up...

-- Ten minutes left, and it already feels like mop-up time.

-- Caps PP...nice save by Legace on Pettinger, then Ovechkin has to sprint back to make sure the Blues don't get a shorthanded break....and now, another 5-on-3 for the Caps...time out, Caps...talking about what clubs to hit after the game?

-- five blocked shots by the Blues defending a 5-on-3...that's just nuts...and the power play ends with no harm to the Blues...

-- and once more, the Caps get a goal with the goalie pulled...Nylander deflecting an Ovechkin drive...4-3.

-- then the Caps couldn't get the puck out of their own end (Dan Hinote with some fine forechecking), and couldn't complete a pass when they did...no more shots, no more goals, no points tonight...Blues 4 - Caps 3.