they have the worst penalty killing in the nhl. the best thing to solve that is not take penalties tonight. >> joe: and fleischmann's performs has been key. a willingness to barge the net has met up to the perimeter game. it all adds up to him being a threat against toronto. up next. the odds of this gentle lad winning the junior world golf championships at the age of 14? 1 in 16 million. the odds of that same boy then making it to the u.s. and european pro-golf tours? 1 in 7 million. the odds of the "big easy" winning the open championship once and the u.s. open championship twice? 1 in 780 million. the odds of this professional golfer having a child diagnosed with autism? 1 in 150. ernie els encourages you to learn the signs of autism at autismspeaks.org. early diagnosis can make a lifetime of difference. >> greg: house lights are still down at air canada center. joe and greg with you. the boy in the white sweaters are going to be busy on the road. >> greg: a lot of road games coming, all out west, are joe, starring in colorado n

nhl on comcast sportsnet. comcast sportsnet nhl extra from rexall place.ring one right to the gut of deslauriers. folks y don't want to miss the casino nook night and -- casino night and auction for the new year. tickets on sale now for washingtoncaps.com. that should be fun. don't let ovechkin take all of your money. [ laughter ] >> craig: they play a lot of cards, a lot of time away from home. >> joe: knuble, high tick -- stick, and he scores! buzz bomb to the roof. >> craig: the fans are up, and they are psyched. what a comeback effort by the caps team in the third period. the bluebirds are out in edmonton and taken control of one period in the game, and now they may have the w if they continue to put pressure on pat quinn's bunch. morrison to knuble, give and go, and then the set play of the high slot. that's some sort of high shot from thomas fleischmann. mentioning his shooting percentage, may have been deflect on the way there, but what a slap shot. >> joe: knuble with the primary assist. nilsson is taken down. now they will have the penalty kill. f

one of the cease assists you will ever get in the nhl. her comes kessel, and a good -- not a good position he want today be in. here comes pestle and there is the -- kessel, and there is the shot. excelration on the shot, catching wind inbetween. half way where they need to be, 3/4 of the way. >> greg: remember we talked about brendan morrison sees penalty killing unit and how much they had improved t. reason why, we are getting safe. now, another 28 seconds for the power play. and the toning there. and this one tripled into the corner. shoulder-to-shoulder with knuble. and chops it on around and it will be spun out. mike green up at that time penalty box. he leads and toronto does get one power goal out to have two- men advantage. sharp angle. paddle town. the other way. and ovechkin hit it is breaks. powered by two of them. and shaone morrisonn can't step in there. he would have been outside. then we get a whistle here, displayed with a hand pass. 2-2, just shy of the 8 minute mark. phil kessel off the wing. no mistakes. the mapleleafs

the last of a dozen games on the nhl circuit. the fans here were not to pleased. knuble trying to karum. 1:16 in, we are scoreless. the ford keys to the contest. >> craig: the capitals' power play has to be better than it was last night. they were 1 for 4. they have to get the puck behind the defense of the oilers tonight. for edmonton, superspace, they have to close up the space between blue lines and middle mph. they have a lot of species speed up the middle. guys have had speed and they have to use it through the neutral zone. >> joe: plenty of get up and go. this line can roar. good lift check by fleischmann. we near the two minute mark of the scoreless opening period. brule firing it wide. >> craig: that was a good play. the boards are very fast here. going right in there, like a guided missile they are show speed on early in the game. that means goalies and defencemen have to be -- extra alert. look at the quickness on the board. nice job. well known for throwing the mix off than around the net. good scoring dance chance. >> joe: the penalty leader digging i

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 combined for 16 goals, 23 assists, 39 points and a plus 23. obviously they bring a lot of fire power to the table each and every game. a beautiful shot beating the goaltender. or alexander semin scooping up his own rebound. they have been all over the score sheet. >> only the san jose sharks trio better. one, two, three with the ducks combining for 100 points also. >> we should address one more hot topic from the colorado game back on tuesday. there was one second period collision that had the news wires humming. >> it's called a cheap shot. running over mike green. you never hit a guy in the back of the numbers but he did. got a five-minute major then had to answer the bell after that hit from mike green. >> b

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 that. peru deuce. works it to center. keeps it moving. perreault moves it to center. and he w

there are 192 paydays in the nhl, which means alex makes 49 a day. >> that's not bad. that's good living. >> not too bad. >> the hurricanes are dealing with injuries but they manage to play tough. meet you back here at 7:00. >> all right. thanks, guys. ever wonder who he really thinks about the game? tonight and after every cap game you can check out joe live breaking it down from the play by play booth and joe wants to know your thoughts from csn washington.com. this is geico sports night.

. >> there comes a time when -- when -- >> wayne gretzky was now in hollywood and the nhl would neversame. he was the heart and soul of the yankees team that was the two-time defending world series champions. >> the new york yankees and sports fans everywhere suffered a great loss tonight. that of star catcher thurmond munson, who was killed this afternoon in an airplane catch. >> we pause to pray for thurmond munson, our brother and your faithful son. >>> he won the kentucky derby by the largest margin in 60 years. at the preakness, all eyes were on barbaro as he tried to move one step closer to the triple crown. but fans were shocked as the horse pulled up shortly after the race began. the colt had suffered a freak accident, breaking several bones in his right rear leg. his career was over and barbaro's injuries led to near complications that ultimately proved fatal. >>> nancy kerrigan was america's best skater heading into the 1994 winter olympics, until a vicious attack. >> why? why? >> we have more now on a breaking story. figure skating champion nancy kerrigan was attacked. >> i

alex ovechkin trying to reel in the nhl's goal scoring leader with his two tallies in the third. 9-4 in the third. bumped to poti. just over a minute in regulation. nilsson did not keep it away. back pedaling away from alex semin. rexall place a much quieter place in the third. take nothing chances, sealing it to the ice. our capitals player the game compliments of the palm restaurant, $100 gift certificate to the great 8. >> craig: two goals and assists in the third period alone. they wanted to leave the west in style, picking up some wins, and they fought hard to come back from the 2-0 deficit. well done performance here in the 3rd period by alex, and the rest of his teammates. >> joe: 48.3 seconds away from the finish line. with washington on top by 2, and the oilers diagramming some strategy, morgan franklin pivotal play. >> craig: just on the wrap around, again two shots on it. keeping the goal tender along the ice. poor defense in front of the net. you can always give the guy the original shot but giving ovechkin and super players in the nfl second and third whacks at it, you'r

we believe we have got an awful lot of nhl defensemen capable in the system and that's one of the reasonsseptember carl down. and they played a great game tonight. i mean we didn't give them too much, we had a couple of turnovers, we had five turnovers at the blue line in the third period and one the rest of the way and i thought that was the difference in the game. >> a shout out to our colleague michael jenkins, he was born on this day way back in -- oh i won't say. >> 1802. >> what is he like 30. >> # 2. >> he is probably feeling pretty good right about now. >> and only just beginning. thanks for watching geico "sportsnite." for lisa hillary, i'm jill certain on, "redskins nation" is next. >> see you at 11:00. learn more at supportyourvet.org.