Caps Beat Sabres With UCLA Fast Break

Washington Capitals 3, Buffalo Sabres 1

Nine seconds, four passes, four players, two assists, one goal.  That is the kind of scoring play that DC sports fans could get used to...

The Washington Capitals defeated the Buffalo Sabres for the first time this season 3-1 thanks to a great passing game and the offensive power of Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals offense has been struggling to get a good  number of shots, and it was no different on Friday night.  However, the Caps were able to convert the 21 shots attempted into 3 goals and with a little help from Four Voko (25-26, 96%) the Caps picked up their 2nd straight victory at home.

Alex Ovechkin finished the game with 2 goals, and a 3rd goal that was disallowed due to a hand pass.  Ovechkin's first goal came just 1:42 into the game.  After Chimera's face was smashed into the glass by Buffalo's Mike Weber (boarding) Ovi took the puck coast to coast on the power play and fired a centering pass across the ice that was deflected by the Sabres and into the net.

In the 2nd period the Caps scored again, this time on a fast break down the ice that would make John Wooden proud.  It was like the puck never touched the ice as it was passed back & forth between Capitals until all Backstrom had to do was shoot the puck in the vicinity of the goal for the score.  Semin-Ovi-Hamrlik-Semin-Backstrom.  9 Seconds.  Beautiful.

The Sabres scored to make it close in the 2nd but Ovi got on the scoreboard again late in the 3rd period to seal the victory.  After a turnover Backstrom came down the right wing and sent a pass back across to Ovi who was waiting in the center to launch it past the helpless goalie.  After the goal Verizon erupted into a chant of "Ovi, Ovi, Ovi" and the Caps held on for the victory.

The Caps have now won 2 in a row and are 1 point from 6th place in the East.  Although who cares right now.  All the teams are so close.  One day a team is 10th seed, the next day they are 6th.  It should be a

Game Questions:

• Just one question today.  Can someone explain the "hand pass" that disallowed the Ovi goal.