Ovie the Bulldog outside the Verizon Center before the game. (Photo by Barbara Banks)
Though the game ended up 4-2, it didn’t start well for the Capitals at Verizon Center. A chorus of “Who cares?” echoed throughout the arena Sunday as the Lightning’s captain, Vinnie LeCavalier, put Tampa Bay ahead in the first period. Then came chants of “Ref you suck!” Things weren’t going well for the Caps after 20 minutes.
Then it got interesting, and not only on the ice. The second period began with University of Maryland football coach Randy Edsall calling the game with Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin in the CSN broadcast booth. Then the Caps finally got on the board with a goal by Alex Ovechkin, assisted by Jack Hillen and Nick Backstrom. Hillen’s wife recently gave birth to their second child, Knox Patrick. The tie game wouldn’t last long as the Lightning struck again with a goal by Alex Killorn. But the Caps tied it up again quickly with a goal by John Carlson, assisted by Joel Ward and Hillen, before Ward netted the eventual winner.
The third period brought awesome defensive plays by the Caps. Joel Ward made two consecutive diving plays that sent him hobbling to the bench in pain. Then Ovechkin, just one goal behind Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos for the league-lead, finally hit an empty-netter despite interference from the Lightning bench.
Said Hillen after the game, “The past three days have been very hectic. Between the contract negotiations, the birth of my son, Knox, and the games, it’s been hectic. I just need to get some sleep.”
