real big trouble for bruce boudreau's team.it is a momentum hit in a big way when you score a momentum goal in a power play in the nhl. you have to realign your power play, and this is barely passing, not getting back. looks easy on the break away. that is a heck of taseat by neuvirth with ovechkin on his tail but not giving it up. once again, they need it. i tell you what. toskala looked a little weak early on, but he is coming in to play in tough situations and that is making the difference in this game. 3 goals on each shot. now they are screaming toskala like they are his best friend after they booed him early on this season. they can change in a hurry. >> joe: 9 minutes to go in regulation. the guy in the white have to get their acts together. 5-5 hockey. green wide. mercedes, kaberle, and that was a first shorthanded goal. fehr. that is why the fans were on their feet there. that was a nice play. deflected down. wide over there. and 25 to go in the -- 1:25 to go in the 3rd. punching it into the corner. and latching on to

. >> joe: bruce boudreau, changing up on the go. deslauriers bumping this one. away come the oilers. meanwhile, there's a scrap. chris clark with the gloves off, steve s staals. >> craig: early in his career he would always drop gloves. not a lot of punches thrown, maybe one bunch got through. clark and staals should get five minutes each. here's how it starks clark along the wall. pushing and shoving with the two. the right hand around him and he tries to corkscrew him between the legs. he didn't like it. saying let's go, and they had a little dent to the right of deslauriers. >> joe: inside the second period. the caps next in action, tangoing with buffalo wednesday at the verizon center. hosting st. louis here on monday. sheldon swinging around the boards and back to center. making the save, rebound, and they score. 2 on 1. horcoff benefits. >> craig: the first miscue of the game, granted it was the capital's defense. two on zero as you describe, joe. that's what the goalie is expected to do, stop the first one. you can't stop the second one. here's the play t

a former bruce boudreau pupil at the american league level. bradley fires and deslauriers finding it in the glove. >> craig: the boys are a little little into it tonight. that. here he is moving into the the mild, good job. caps have been better five on five when they send a guy up the middle lane. opening up the channel for brad to get the shot away. >> joe: backstrom, unable to gain possession on the defensive zone draw. ovechkin watching it breeze by. horcoff didn't get it out. meanwhile shawn morrison is not in the mineup. he aggravated an injury last night. john erskine is out for a healthy track. looking for enforcement. workologyen the interchange, and all of that was interrupted by milan. o'sullivan canceled out by o'vetch win, and away come the the -- ovechkin, and away come the defender. he will hang on. >> craig: fantastic save! i said this guy was a big goal tender. only weighing about 190 pounds soaking wet. good foot speed. great pass. up to semin. here he comes. look, making sure they didn't get the penalty. >> joe: we don't see

bruce boudreau is gonna lean that way. >> i do have one question before i let you go. good to know. concern -- i think this is a fair question -- with having too much success this early in the season, highest scoring team, this is a team that once they circle that light switch tends to go off. >> i don't think so lisa. i think this team is well grounded and i think bruce does a good job at keeping them grounded and knowing it's the work that they put in brings success on the ice. i think they are gonna go through a lull. don't get me wrong. they are not gonna win out this season, they are gonna go through a lull, joe, mid- season, a couple games here and there, but they are gonna be too powerful for most teams in the nfl. >> i think it's a really good sign lisa because if you look at the trends in the last five years teams that have gone on to win the stanley cup have gotten off to great starts of late. let's hope that's going to happen in washington, d.c. >> joe beninati and craig laughlin, good travels to buffalo, make sure you get to the ship and anchor. >> i'm gonna do that. i'm

bruce boudreau not able to give him the game sweater tonight. >> greg: you can never have enough defenseman. that is the case with brian pothier with the rib injury. three coals, 5 assists and plus 11 in the last 16 games. his game was just rounding into form. >> joe: it has been a very busy day and tonight around the nhl. a dozen games will be completed before it is all said and done. alex ovechkin loves the big lights of toronto. right off the bat washington is off side. just 6 seconds do the contest. overdose trying to get into -- ovechkin trying to get into the loose pot. anchored by big free mow who plays up the middle. >> greg: they are digging out of the awful start. entertaining the washington capitals who start a 4 game road sweep. breaking it up into a couple of segments. heading home tonight. toward the goal. long lead there. >> greg: you can't cover the puck way out there. owe hall ran right off of the get go. take a look at the goal tending watch up. for the capitals, michal neuvirth gets his second start this season. 2-2-0 on his career. and vesa toskala here, who is supposed

the 2 minute mark of this contest for bruce boudreau. >> greg: his 3rd season as a capitals open. winning 67-plus percentage of his games. lost 3 regulation games. >> joe: and the capitals squaring off with the lead. next up, tuesday night at the pepsi center in denver. i am auction to see the colorado avalanche in the flesh. >> greg: yes. they have good young players. >> joe: and ovechkin just missed the mark there. wait until you see the young teenager, on top to have game. >> greg: i am looking forward to him. i think he has already nine goals. he can obviously put the puck in the net. a turn around that came around a lot quicker in colorado than was expected. the caps control that draw. and there is brendan morrison. the kaberle long island native wants it back. and he will squeeze. >> greg: talk about toskala laning there. he was laning away, maybe looking for a back door pass. toskala along several goal- tenders, jonas gustavsson still recovering from his injury. he was on the ice this morning. that was the first time i have seen a sign of him chemicalling back. >> joe: inte

something that has happened under head coach bruce boudreau. >> ahead of the caps chicago, philly andpittsburgh. 18. calgary 16 times. tied with boston with 15. nhl record, joe, 40 times in one season by the 83/84 oilers. >> top line took a back seat to these two groups. >> we will take a look at the third line. doing a nice job against them. connecting for two goals. tom fleischmann is red hot for the caps. this pass picture perfect from wilson. switching gears and now going to the fourth line. this threesome did some damage. they worked the puck aggressively down low. steckel going for a rebound. then a shot off the back of the leg of the goaltender. >> you're right the grinding efforts of matt bradley are producing results. >> already six goals. in his ninth nhl season. odd pace for a career pace 14 goals. his best year was his first when he broke in with the sharks when he had nine goals out in san jose. >> capitals winning eight of their last 10 overall. three men have amassed a sum of points. >> you're looking at the big gunners. this threesome right now the last ten games have

. >> bruce boudreau explained what went into his decision. >> switching the team t. crowd wasn't into it as much as normal. the 12 license might create some -- alexs might create some excitement. >> reporter: hockey lovers can find us on csn-plus. coverage begins at #. >> we will be tuning in, the capitals and mapleleafs coming up. go to csn washington.com to find your csn-plus channel in your area. and a story that continues to develop daily as tiger woods take as layoff from the -- leave from the pga to repair his personal life. some of his sponsors taking a step back, as well. gillette says they will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in the marketing. many other sponsors looking at their option as they engage the tiger woods fallout. still plenty to come on geico sportsnite. and, ray rice's play this season has spoke volumes. the running back said off the field about baltimore's play- off chances, hear it. plus, an international win may be on it's way as the capitals are up across the border. big match up tonight. after this. boss:hey, glad i cau

let's take you back to the hcc and listen in to coach bruce boudreau. >> i think what happens, you get a 2-0 lead real early. looks easy. you let up, don't do what you are supposed to be doing. a couple of chances you are way too casual on. all of a sudden they get one, then two, and they are sitting there saying, hey, boys, let's go. it is not like a tap. you can't turn it on and off and we count. the last half of the game, i thought we played pretty bad. >> and we are here to break it all down. guys, toskala finally got the a-game going. >> yes. a 3-0 hockey game and the caps were in it as much as the mapleleafs. but they did appear to be a tired team, maybe understandable after playing last night and nightmarish travel trying to get to toronto today. >> they left the young goalie out to dry and he didn't respond as well as he could have. in the 3rd period, he fatigued up. lost a face off. interviewerover play it is --over play it is puck. over plays it. a little too early on a power play. they race down the eyes. ovechkin back. nothing left in the tank. trying to reach it. and short