Caps/Rangers, by the periods

1st period...

Two different games...the Caps strike first on the Ovechkin power play goal and control the territorial aspect...then Sean Avery slipped inside Shaone Morrisonn for a clear shot at Olaf Kolzig, who he beat high to the glove side. The Rangers had the best of things from there.

Don't know if the Caps had the puck for 30 seconds in the Ranger end in the last five minutes. Part of that was having to kill two penalties in the last 5:23, but the Caps never could seem to get a stick on the puck.

Caps were blistered in the circle, losing 12 of 18 (even Jagr's won a draw). Playing with fire. Giving the Rangers possession, and with most of that possession in the Caps' end, the Caps should feel fortunate they aren't down by at least a goal here.

Nigel Dawes has 2:52 in power play time on ice; Jaromir Jagr has 1:08. Such is Jagr's world these days.

Matt Pettinger can't buy a break. Lined one right off the crossbar at 1:19...would have been a great start to the game and maybe the spark Pettinger needs.

Steve Valiquette looks shaky in the Ranger net (first time in his NHL career he's playing back-to-backs), benefited from a quick whistle, or the Caps might have had a 2-0 lead. Avery scored 47 seconds later.


2nd period...

Ugly is good...note that both Caps goals came off traffic and getting shots to the net, not the pretty stuff.

But all in all, that was a gruesome period for the Caps. Three shots in the first 14-plus minutes...three sloppy minor penalties...a bad clear (or non-clear) on a rebound that led to the Ranger goal (and Kolzig's recovery wasn't especially pretty, either).

Morrisonn having about his worst game as a Cap...three minor penalties, was on the ice for the Avery goal (and was the defenseman beaten on that play), and looks a half-second slow in getting into position to defend. He usually rises to the Jagr challenge, but just isn't having a very good day.

The Caps are a bit snake-bit in this game...first it was Pettinger in the first clanging the crossbar, then it was Semin, after making a highlight reel move to spring himself free to Valiquette's right, had the puck slide of the end of his stick, preventing him from lifting the puck off a backhand over the sprawling goalie at 14:39.

Eric Fehr has 5:02 in playing time today. Let's look at the progression of TOI since his call up... 16:46 ... 14:57 ... 12:06... this is not the profile of a guy who can be expected to stick at the moment.


3rd period...

Much better than the second, but the Caps didn't really press like a team should against a club that is playing its second matinee in two days.

Seven shots on goal...another example of not setting a pace. The Rangers looked gassed in the last five minutes.

Kolzig kept the Caps in it with several top-notch saves from in close.

Hollweg took an exquisitely stupid penalty along the boards in tripping Mike Green at the end of regulation.


Overtime...

Green...shot...score, 23 seconds in. His third OT game-winner this year.