(photo by Jim McIsaac)

Last night, the Washington Capitals cruised to an impressive 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks for their eighth-consecutive win and improved to 11-1 since Alex Ovechkin was named captain.

This is noteworthy because the last time the Washington Capitals won eight games in a row was way back in March of 1989.

Read that again and think about just how long it’s been. Seriously, a kid born that month can legally drink this year.

During that streak, the Caps feasted on teams such as the Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers and Pittsburgh Penguins – all teams that have since drifted away to obscurity.

Although forwards Mike Ridley and Geoff Courtnall each finished the season with 40 goals, the strength of that Capitals squad was a defensive rotation featuring Rod Langway, Scott Stevens, Kevin Hatcher and Larry Murphy (no relation). You’d be hard pressed to find a better blueline.

Rain Man won the Academy Award for best picture. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin earned album of the year at the Grammy Awards. Milli Vanilli had just released “Girl You Know It’s True.” People thought the New Kids On The Block actually had talent.

Seinfeld and the Sega Genesis didn’t exist yet, and Grunge was just taking off. Slap bracelets were still awesome. This was the year that brought The Arsenio Hall Show, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Saved by the Bell into our lives.

Lucille Ball, Mel Blanc and Gilda Radner were still alive. Hayden Panettiere (the chick from Heroes), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Chris Brown (abusive boyfriend) hadn’t been born.

A gallon of gas was $1.12. A dozen eggs were less than a dollar. A first-class stamp was still only a quarter.

The Capitals still played their home games at the Caps Centre, were in the Patrick Division and the Wales Conference.

Mike Knuble was 16 and learning to drive. Alex Ovechkin was only three and most likely enjoying nap time back in Russia. Braden Holtby wasn’t born for another six months.

Bruce Boudreau, the hockey player, was splitting time in the AHL between the Springfield Indians and Newmarket Saints. George McPhee’s playing days were over and he was working on his next career move. Ted Leonsis didn’t become involved with AOL for another four years.

Like we said at the top, it’s been a long, long time since this team was this good. We’ve included two post-game videos below in which Ovechkin and defenseman Shaone Morrisonn talk about the win over the Ducks. Both are much more qualified than we are to talk about how the game against Anaheim was won.

We just thought a little perspective was in order to show just how well this team is playing and to give people an idea of how far back you have to go to find the last Capitals team that performed at this level. So yeah, enjoy it. Moments like this don’t come around very often.

(photo by Mike Stobe)

“I think they’re a really good team and they scare me to death.”

Those were the words of Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau heading into last night’s matchup against the New York Islanders.

It made sense at the time because the Islanders always present a challenge to the Capitals, as evident by the fact that seven of the last nine times these two teams have squared off have required overtime.

On top of that, New York has been playing some really solid hockey of late, going 10-4-1 in their last 15 contests. Any reasonable fan would expect that this was going to be a tightly-contested game that would in all likelihood still be undecided at the end of regulation.

And yet, the game was over after the first period. The Caps scored four goals in the opening frame and sent Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson to an early exit en route to an easy 7-2 victory.

The reason this game stands out is because two of the team’s biggest weapons – Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green – were held pointless. And yet, the team scored seven goals. That’s because nine other Capitals players picked up at least a point against New York.

“It says you’ve got good balance in your team,” Boudreau said of his team’s offensive showing.

Two names that stand out after last night’s performance are John Erskine and Brendan Morrison. Erskine scored his first goal in 109 games and also picked up an assist on Morrison’s goal, which was the first he’s scored in 15 games. Morrison has been in such a slump that the tally was just his second since Dec. 3 and Erskine … well, he never scores.

“I don’t get them too often, so I wasn’t even sure what to do when it went in,” Erskine said.

The Capitals have now won seven-straight games and are playing some of their best hockey we’ve seen from this young, talent-laden squad. Are they unstoppable at this point?

“I wouldn’t say unstoppable, but they’re in a groove,” said Boudreau. “Teams, whether you’re in first place or 30th, at some point in a season things just seem to be working, clicking. Right now, things are clicking for us.”

Boudreau wasn’t kidding. Several Capitals players are enjoying what appears to be a season-long groove.

Last season, Morrison had just 31 points in 81 games between Dallas and Anaheim. Caps forward Tomas Fleischmann had 37 points in 73 games. Forward Eric Fehr had 25 points in 61 games. Defenseman Jeff Schultz had 12 points in 64 games. Forward Matt “Need More” Bradley had 11 points in 81 games.

This year, Morrison has 31 points in 52 games, Fleischmann has 36 points in 41 games, Fehr has 28 points in 41 games, Schultz has 13 points in 45 games and Bradley has 17 in 50 games.

Hell, even Erskine can be included in the mix. The tough guy had four points in 52 games a year ago and now has five points in 33 games. That constitutes an offensive explosion.

The moral of the story is – the bottom half of the roster is producing at levels reasonable Caps fans couldn’t have expected coming into this season. It’s normal to see guys like Ovechkin, Green, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin lighting the lamp. It’s what they’ve done since they came to town. But what we’re seeing these days is a much more balanced attack.

When a team shut out elite scorers like Ovechkin and Green, they’re supposed to win the game. Not give up seven goals in a rout. That’s just unfair.

“They are just a dynamic offensive team. You can’t make any mistakes,” said Islanders coach Scott Gordon.

So basically, opposing teams are going into games thinking they have to play mistake-free hockey to have a shot at victory. In a town where the Redskins, Wizards and Nationals take turns holding down last place, it really is a breath of fresh air to have one team worth a damn.

Last night’s win was the 10th time this season the Caps scored at least six goals in a game. The team accomplished that feat just five times last season. The scary part is – four of those high-scoring performances have come in the last nine games.

That leads us to believe that the best still may be yet to come. That’s great news for the Capitals. Not so much for the rest of the league.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

When it’s all said and done, June 26, 2004 may go down as one of the most significant dates in the history of the Washington Capitals.

That’s when the turnaround began as a rebuilding Capitals franchise, armed with three first rounders, headed into one of the deepest NHL drafts in recent history.

With the top pick overall, the Capitals selected left wing Alexander Ovechkin. With their other two first-round picks, they selected defensemen Jeff Schultz (27th overall) and Mike Green (29th overall).

Since then, Ovechkin and Green have become two of the league’s best at their respective positions, and just as importantly, they’ve became two of the cornerstones of the franchise, anchoring Bruce Boudreau’s high-octane offense as the Capitals have returned to respectability.

Schultz, on the other hand, has taken a slightly different path. At 6-6 and 224 lbs., he possesses the prototypical NHL defenseman’s body. Many Caps fans took one look at him and envisioned the next Rod Langway or Scott Stevens type of player who would punish any opposing player dumb enough to come near the crease. Truth is, Schultz isn’t that guy and never will be.

Being sandwiched between Ovechkin and Green on draft day and unrealistic expectations from a fanbase spoiled by some of the most dominating defensemen of the modern era has made Schultz the most polarizing player on the Capitals. Some love him. Some love to hate him. But know this – his teammates respect him for what he brings to the table.

“Experience goes a long way in this league,” said Caps defenseman Tom Poti of Schultz. “You can tell he’s a lot more comfortable out there than in years past, and when you’re more comfortable out there you’re able to play better. I think he’s having a great season for us.

“He’s very steady. He’s never out of position or out of a play, and he’s been playing very well for us,” Poti continued. “He’s really been huge for us out there, giving us another defenseman we can count on back there.”

One of the biggest reasons the Capitals can count on Schultz is because his plus/minus rating is so stellar. While fans might expect to see names like Ovechkin, Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin and New Jersey’s Zach Parise among the league leaders, they don’t necessarily expect to see Schultz in the same company. But as of this morning, he’s tied for fifth in the league with a plus 23.

“It’s a meaningful stat to me,” Schultz said. “I’m not going to be out there scoring goals like Ovi, but I take a ton of pride in working hard, being good in our zone and preventing goals. I look at the plus/minus as a big part of my game.”

Your teammates seem to think you’re playing with more confidence this season. What do you attribute that to?

“I think that I’m not worrying about any mistakes I might make out there,” he said. “I’m not trying to do too much. I’m just going out, playing my game and taking it as it comes. I’m just playing hockey the way I know how.”

Are you aware of the love/hate relationship that a fraction of the fanbase has developed towards you?

“Some of the guys were asking if I’d ever read the message boards or anything,” Schultz said. “That’s their opinion. They’re entitled to it. I’m out there trying to do my best and if they don’t like it, that’s fine. People have told me that I’m a guy some of the fans don’t like, but I’m not too worried about that.”

We can’t help but think that some fans took one look at you and rushed to judgment, deciding you were going to be this big, bruising defenseman. Maybe they just needed time to get used to your game and to see what your game is about. What say you?

“I think that’s fair,” he said. “Being a first round pick, like Ovi and Mike, they see all the success they’ve had and maybe they wonder why I haven’t had that success yet. I think the kind of game I play; I’m not a flashy guy like them. I just try to do what I have to do out there.”

How would you describe your game?

“Nothing too flashy,” Schultz said. “I’m just trying to get back to pucks and move them up to the forwards as quickly as possible. I’m trying to make smart decisions with the puck in our zone. Focusing on our zone is a real key to my game and not allowing big plays for opposing teams is important. I’m trying to win all the battles in the corners and in front of the net.”

If that’s how you see yourself, then the two biggest stats for you would be plus/minus and your ice time, right?

“Absolutely, that’s how I see it,” he said.

Schultz ranks in the top five in the NHL in plus/minus and the top five on the Capitals in ice time, averaging more than 19 minutes a game. If those are the two most important statistics to the 23-year-old, then he’s got to be pleased. One thing is for sure, Boudreau is definitely happy with him.

“Jeff is playing the best he’s played in his career in this stretch,” Boudreau said earlier this month. “His plus minus, sometimes it’s a stat that you can look at and say it’s a real good stat or it doesn’t mean much. But every time you look up, he’s on for two goals for and none against. I think he’s a plus 23 in less than 50 games, which is a real good indicator that when he’s on the ice, something good is going to happen.”

Sure, he’s not Ovechkin or Green. He’s not Langway or Stevens. He’s simply a blue-collar worker who shows up every day and does the little things that often times go unnoticed to the casual fan. He’s fine with it and so are his teammates and coaches. We have a feeling that if he continues his strong play, Caps fans will eventually come around on him too.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Ladies and gentlemen, back by popular demand, it’s time for another round of “caption this.”

The game is fairly simple, as you hopefully know by now. We supply the photo and you bring the witty reader-submitted captions. You might not win any cool prizes, but you’ll be formally recognized for being better than your peers and will get some love here on the blog.

Here’s our humble offering for this photo to help get folks started:

“Hey Romo, this is how it’s done.”

Think you can do better? Leave a comment below with your best caption.

(photo by Joe Sargent)

It only took 253 days, but the Washington Capitals finally got their first chance at revenge against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team who ended their Stanley Cup run one season ago.

While it’s safe to say that no regular season contest can make up for a Game 7 playoff loss, this was definitely a rivalry matchup that neither team wanted to be on the losing end of.

The Capitals came out flying, which was a welcomed site after the slow start they had against Detroit earlier in the week. Against the Red Wings, it took the Washington offense more than 14 minutes to register a shot on goal. On this night in Pittsburgh however, Capitals players were skating with a purpose.

Hockey is a funny mistress though. In the Detroit game, the Capitals remained competitive only because goalie Jose Theodore played his best game since joining the Caps – stopping 44 shots and even picking up an assist in a 3-2 victory. Well, two nights later, the Capitals skaters looked much more up to the task while Theodore did his best to give the game away early.

When Penguins forward Sidney Crosby tapped in a “gimme” goal just over four minutes into the first period, there was no one to blame but Theodore. That’s because, after defenseman Karl Alzner did everything imaginable to keep the puck from crossing the goal line (see photo above), Theodore stood there as if he’d already come to grips with being down 1-0.

Seriously, we’re not sure if Theo thought the referees had already signaled for a goal or what, but he basically stood there as Crosby scored one of the easiest goals of his professional career.

“I pretty much messed up,” Theodore said. “I didn’t want to stop it and play it in that restricted zone and then it went between my legs. Then I thought I had it and I didn’t have it. It tested [my] mental toughness.”

Caps forward Mike Knuble tied the game at 1-1 10 minutes later, tapping in a rebound after forward Alex Ovechkin drove to the net. Like his other 13 goals this season, Knuble’s tally came from close range and wasn’t pretty, but it’s exactly the kind of goal the Capitals didn’t score a year ago.

The Caps got their first lead of the night on an Eric Fehr goal just over two minutes into the second period, but the Penguins responded less than 30 seconds later on another goal Theodore would like to have back. Pens forward Nick Johnson scored his first NHL goal when Theodore failed to haul in a rebound and the game was tied once again.

Kris Letang put Pittsburgh up 3-2 halfway through the second period moments after Caps defenseman John Carlson came out of the penalty box, and momentum once again shifted to the Penguins.

With less than five minutes remaining in the second period, the Penguins were finally whistled for an infraction. This was noteworthy because, up until that point, Pittsburgh had gone 116 minutes against the Capitals without being called for a penalty (dating back to the playoff series last year).

Ovechkin scored a powerplay goal on a wrist shot from the blueline that evaded Pens goalie Brent Johnson and the game was once again tied as we headed into the third.

Caps forwards Tomas Fleischmann and Nicklas Backstrom (powerplay goal) scored less than a minute apart in the early moments of the final frame and the Caps cruised to victory. Ovechkin added an empty netter to round out the scoring and the Capitals won for the eighth time in the nine games since Ovechkin became team captain.

“We just wanted to win this game, it doesn’t matter how,” Ovechkin said. “All this group was really concentrating. I think we deserved this win. It was a pretty big game for everybody and mentally we were ready.”

Theodore overcame his shaky start to win his fifth straight game in net, stopping 35 shots on the night. The Caps netminder has allowed three goals or less in seven straight games. But the difference against Pittsburgh was the Capitals’ red-hot powerplay, which took just two shots during the man advantage and scored on both of them. In fact, the Caps special teams unit has now converted four straight powerplays on four straight shots.

“They’re an unbelievable team,” Ovechkin said of the Penguins. “We want to improve, and we want to gain that spot where they were last year. If we do everything that coach says, I don’t think anyone can stop us.”

That being said, at the end of the day, this game was only worth two points. Same as every other win. Just because the Caps earned it against the Penguins doesn’t make it more valuable than any of the 31 other victories they’ve picked up this season.

“We’re happy we win, but still, it’s over and we have to be ready for next game,” Ovechkin said.

The Capitals will play Pittsburgh three more times during the regular season, but it’s safe to say that if Ovechkin and friends plan on making an extended run in the playoffs this season, they’ll have to go through the Penguins in the process. And while regular season wins are nice, playoff wins are what really count in this rivalry.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Years ago, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was fortunate enough to have lunch with Red Auerbach, the legendary architect and mastermind behind the Boston Celtics.

During this occasion, Leonsis took the opportunity to ask Auerbach for his advice on how to handle star players. This seemed like a wise decision, considering his lunch buddy earned a combined 16 NBA championships as a coach, general manager and team president of the Celtics.

Leonsis must have figured he was in the presence of one of the most successful men in professional sports history, so why not pry for some insider’s knowledge. Fortunately for all of us, Auerbach shared some of his insight.

“He said your best player has to be your best person,” Leonsis said in a Hockey News interview back in October 2008. “He has to be your most respectful person because that will set the tone for the team.

“We’re lucky that Alex is a world-class player, but he’s even a better person – and the fan base knows that,” Leonsis said.

With that quote in mind, we recently had the chance to chat with Capitals general manager George McPhee on how much character and similar attributes come into play when debating whether or not to sign a player to a mega contract.

“Absolutely,” McPhee said. “You want talented players, certainly. But they have to be good people too. People think it’s the talent that puts you over the top, but it’s really the character of your players that puts you over the top.”

Since he was drafted first overall in 2004, Ovechkin has known no boundaries. He’s become the face of the franchise, one of the game’s most gifted players and, most recently, the captain of the Capitals.

“He’s actually better than we could ever have hoped for going into the draft,” McPhee said. “We’re lucky to have him. He’s been a leader since he’s been here. It was time to put the captaincy on him.”

Like McPhee said, the Caps are lucky to have Ovechkin. That’s’ why the team had no problem signing their star player to a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million in 2008. They knew he was a player they could build a team around and jumped at the chance to do so.

That same year, another local franchise made a long-term commitment to a star player. After he opted out of his contract, the Washington Wizards signed guard Gilbert Arenas to a max deal, which came out to six years for $111 million.

At the time, we couldn’t understand why the team would dedicate such an investment into a guy who we often refer to as a “one-legged, me-first point guard.”

For starters, Arenas has played just 47 games during the last three seasons. Thanks to a knee injury that required multiple surgeries and his most recent antics involving hand guns and gambling debts, Arenas is off the court much more often than on it. Excuse the pun, but that’s not getting a lot of bang for your bucks.

And when he’s on the court, you honestly never know which Gilbert is going to show up – whether it be Agent Zero, Hibachi or the guy who can’t hit free throws with the game on the line.

We don’t blame the team’s late owner Abe Pollin or general manager Ernie Grunfeld for being seduced by the game-winning shots and quirky shenanigans. But, at the same time, it seems they turned a blind eye to the moody diva who often times put himself in and removed himself from games without regard for his coach.

He’s also the same player who, if someone hurt his feelings, decided to stage a protest by refusing to shoot the ball or similar “look at me” sideshows. Or spent halftime of NBA games playing online poker. Or decided to ditch the team and rehabilitate his injuries on his own.

Without even going into his latest incident involving illegal firearms and teammate Javaris Crittenton, there’s enough of a history here that the Wizards should have known better. Let’s go back to the conversation between Auerbach and Leonsis.

“Your best player has to be your best person.”

We defy anyone to present an argument in which Arenas comes across as the team’s best person. We’re not suggesting that he’s not a bad person or in the words of John Riggins, that he has a black heart, but the truth is – with Gilbert, it’s all about Gilbert. If you’re looking for a locker room leader who is unselfish and always willing to put the team first, he’s not your man.

Honestly, that would be Wizards forward Antawn Jamison. But at 33 and with his complete inability to play defense, he can’t be considered a long-term solution in D.C. either. So, this may come as a surprise, but what we’re saying is no one currently on the Wizards should be signed to a $100-million deal.

Things are so bad for the Wiz that the one building block they could use as a cornerstone for the franchise – forward Caron Butler – is actually the guy having the hardest time adapting to the Flip Saunders offense. Go figure.

Dark days are ahead for the Wizards, but honestly, most of what comes next is because the team chose to commit to a player like Arenas. People are hoping that somehow the franchise is able to get a “do-over” by voiding his contract, but it’s foolish to get your hopes up. The actions of Ron Artest (fighting fans) and Latrell Sprewell (choking his coach) weren’t enough to get their respective contracts voided. Why would a downtrodden team like the Wizards be any luckier?

One other local team joined the $100-million club last year, when the Washington Redskins signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100-million deal.

Coming from Tennessee, where he anchored one of the nastiest defenses in football, Haynesworth came to Washington with the highest of hopes. If the Redskins had a top five defense without him, the sky was the limit with Fat Albert, right?

Not so fast, sweetheart.

Haynesworth’s first year in Washington didn’t exactly go as planned. While the defensive line play and sack totals improved with the big guy in the lineup, people mostly wanted to focus on when he wasn’t on the playing field.

Haynesworth missed four games due to injury last season. In the 12 games he was in the lineup though, critics loved to point out how often Haynesworth was either standing on the sidelines or lying on the ground. Whether Fat Albert was hurt or simply faking injury to catch his breath is up to personal interpretation. Either way, it brings us back to basics:

“Your best player has to be your best person.”

Ovechkin is the best goal scorer in hockey, and yet, anyone familiar with the superstar knows he’s just as happy celebrating when a teammate puts the puck in the net. He truly is a team player in every sense of the word.

Haynesworth, on the other hand, prefers to be a loner, with many of his teammates admitting they know very little about him and have almost no communication with him on or off the field.

The only time it was suggested that Haynesworth attempted to bring the team together was when Haynesworth reportedly attempted to get his teammates to stage a protest by showing up late to practice Christmas day when he was unhappy with Greg Blache’s defensive system. This, of course, was reported after Haynesworth went public questioning why the team would even bother to sign him if they weren’t going to use him the way he thought they should.

Basically, the few times he’s bothered to open his mouth, Haynesworth has primarily been concerned with Haynesworth. Yes, he has said positive things about his teammates, but did so during the same conversation he called out his team’s defensive coordinator. Not exactly what you’d want to hear from your “best person,” huh?

We don’t want to speak on behalf of Leonsis or anyone else, but Haynesworth’s action don’t really seem to go with Auerbach’s guidelines. You get the feeling that these leaders would probably sacrifice having a supreme talent like Haynesworth or Arenas around for the good of the team.

No one knows for sure how Leonsis would handle Haynesworth unless Daniel Snyder improbably decides to sell the Redskins and Leonsis swoops in to take over the burgundy and gold. Things get interesting though with the Wizards, a team Uncle Teddy can and will acquire if he wants to. We’ve seen what he’s been able to do with the Capitals, it’ll be even more interesting to see what he can do in his second act should he ultimately decide to take on Arenas and the Wizards.

We have no doubt that if he decides to acquire this town’s beleaguered basketball franchise, he’ll continue to follow the guidance of the great Red Auerbach as he tries to turn the Wizards into something more than a national punchline. Those words of wisdom have helped turn the Capitals into a model franchise in every way. Wizards fans can only hope Leonsis brings their favorite squad more of the same.

And for the love of God, if this article does nothing else, please let it serve as a warning to owners debating whether to sign a player to a $100-million deal. Say it with us:

“Your best player has to be your best person.”

(photo by Mitchell Layton)

The Washington Capitals are scary good. That much is clear after watching the Caps defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a game they were thoroughly outplayed for most of the night.

The biggest problem with the Capitals is that they seemingly know how good they are and continue to find ways to earn two points in games they have no business winning.

Understanding that the regular season is a grind and that it’s impossible to play perfect hockey for 82-consecutive games, this is a team with supremely talented players who, for better or for worse, know that on some nights they can give less than 100 percent and still walk away with a victory.

“We were playing like a mites or squirt team the first two periods,” said forward Matt Bradley.

We’ve stopped trying to figure out which Caps team is going to show up on a given night. Detroit, while admittedly coming into this matchup with several marquee names nursing injuries, is still the league’s elite franchise. For that reason alone, we assumed the Capitals would bring their ‘A game.’

Of course, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Washington played an uninspired first period – tying a season low for shots in a period with three – while the Red Wings skated circles around the Caps as they unloaded 15 on net in the opening frame.

The only reason the game remained close was because goalie Jose Theodore played the best game we’ve seen from him since he joined the Caps. Theodore was a one-man show in the first period, making save after save against an aggressive Red Wings attack while his teammates took more than 14 minutes to register their first shot on Detroit goalie Chris Osgood.

The fact that the game was still tied 0-0 after the opening 20 minutes was simply astounding. When Red Wings forward Dan Cleary scored on a backhander just over four minutes into the second frame, you got the sense that Theodore had done everything he could to keep this game competitive, but his teammates were simply not up to the challenge.

That’s when Bradley woke up the Verizon Center with his eighth goal of the year, thanks to a pinpoint pass from center Boyd Gordon. Whether he’s dropping the gloves to protect a teammate or scoring a goal when least expected, Bradley continues to be a much-needed spark plug for this Caps team. He might not get the attention that most of his teammates enjoy, but he deserves to be recognized for doing anything and everything he can to help his team win games.

Detroit defenseman Brian Rafalski scored with less than nine minutes to play in regulation to give the Red Wings their second lead of the night, but again, they were unable to close out the Caps.

With Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi in the penalty box for tripping, Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom took over. Although he’s primarily known as a setup man, Backstrom did his best Alex Ovechkin impression, skating and weaving through a series of Detroit defenders before rifling a puck past Osgood for his 20th goal of the year. There was a time when opposing teams could bank on Backstrom passing and Ovechkin shooting. Not anymore.

If Backstrom sees a shot, he’s not afraid to take it.

“Yeah, I don’t know what happened,” Backstrom said. “I’ve just been shooting more and more lately and I’ve been enjoying scoring goals. Last year, I was searching for passes every time down the ice, but now I’m going to the net, shooting more and those kinds of things.”

With the game once again tied, center David Steckel stepped up and gave the Caps their first lead of the night – just 46 seconds after Backstrom’s powerplay goal. The play started with forward Alexander Semin firing a puck on net. Steckel was planted in front of the net attempting to screen Osgood, and when the puck came his way, he got enough stick on it to redirect the puck into the back of the net.

“It was just lucky,” said Steckel of his first goal on home ice this season. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I thought it went wide at first.”

Bradley, Backstrom and Steckel provided the scoring, but none of it would have mattered if not for the superb showing by Theodore, who finished the game with 44 saves and even picked up an assist on the powerplay goal. The only way he could have been a bigger factor on this night would be if he’d had enough of his teammates’ half-assing it and scored a goal himself.

“That’s probably the best I’ve seen him,” said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau of Theodore. “I’m watching him going, ‘this must’ve been how he was when he won the Vezina and the Hart in Montreal that year because without him, it could very well have been 6-0 at the end of the first period.’”

Theodore has been playing out of his mind these days, winning his last four games while posting a 1.68 goals against average and a sparkling .951 save percentage. This, mind you, comes at a time when fellow netminder Semyon Varlamov is still battling injuries and rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth has been pulled twice in recent games for shaky performances.

Needless to say, Theodore’s timing couldn’t be better.

But back to our larger point. The Capitals resembled the team we’ve come to know and love for maybe 20 minutes against Detroit. For the other 40 minutes, they went through the motions and looked like a team participating in an optional practice.

Defenders kept getting caught out of position. Forwards routinely made sloppy passes or try to force to puck through traffic. Two of the team’s biggest offensive weapons – Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green – failed to register a single shot on net.

And yet, thanks to Theodore, the Capitals walked away with a victory in a game they probably deserved to lose. Like we said in the beginning, it’s scary to see what this team is capable of.

Even on nights when they’re only clicking for a matter of minutes, they can still be good enough to steal a win against one of the most respected franchises in hockey. It might cause Boudreau to lose what little hair he has left, but it makes for some of the most exciting sports entertainment D.C. has seen in a long, long time.