Caps do it again, Win 4-3 in OT

For the second straight game, the Boston Bruins won before the Caps, the Caps pushed to overtime, and ended up keeping pace with a huge 4-3 win in OT in Tampa Bay.
Caps were down 3-2 in the third period with just under 5 minutes left, when Alexander Semin connected on a face off from Sergei Fedorov to knot the game at 3-3.  Then, at 2:27 in OT, Tampa Bay goalie Karri Ramo sprawled out to dive for the puck, missed it, and Brooks Laich picked it up, fed Tomas Fleichmann in the middle for a wide open game winning goal.  Fleischmann’s game winner was his first goal since Feb 16.
The Caps took a 1-0 lead on a short handed feed by Fedorov to Laich, burning the Tampa power play unit.  It was Laich’s 20th goal of the season.   The lead last under a minute before former Cap Jeff Halpern scored to knot the score at 1-1 at the end of the first period.   Matt Bradley would score on a turn around slap shot in the second period to put the Caps on top 2-1.  Tampa Bay would score two straight before Semin’s wicked slap shot to tie it and send the game to over time.
Fedorov I think played one of his best games since joining the Caps at the trade deadline.  He didn’t score a goal, but hos passing was pinpoint tonight and his puck handling was sensational.  Both Liach and Semin goals were created by sweet plays by Fedorov.  Cristobal Huet stopped 23 of 26 shots to earn his 5th straight win for the Caps.
The red hot Caps have now won 3 in a row and 7 of their last 8 as they continue the charge for a playoff spot.  The Caps need the help because Boston continues to win as well, but, the Bruins do have  two games with both Ottawa and New Jersey left, tough Eastern Conference match ups.
Multi-Point Scorers:
Sergei Fedorov, 2 assists
Brooks Liach, 1 goal, 1 assist
DCPSR Player of the Game:
Brooks Laich.  His shorthanded goal was sweet and he’s feed to Fleischmann was a heads up game winning pass.