While the Caps are losing thanks to penalty and possession problems, Alex Semin (3 goals, 8 assists) is prancing around North Carolina doing unspeakably pretty things with hockey pucks.

For example, check out this gorgeous pass from Semin to Jiri Tlusty on the Canes’ way to a 4-3 loss to the Jets. In the video above, Semin makes a blind pass through Anthony Peluso’s legs to find Tlusty right at the goal mouth. Uncanny.

The Canes currently lead the Southeast Division, Alex Semin is averaging just .8 penalty minutes per game, and the Caps have a 4.5% chance of making the playoffs. On the bright side, it is 34 degrees and rainy in Raleigh today.

Photo credit: Jacquelyn Martin

By the time the Carolina Hurricanes made their way to DC, the Washington Capitals desperation for a win became strong enough to overpower any shyness the team may have developed when it comes to scoring.

Troy Brouwer ended 134 minutes without a goal by going backhand on Cam Ward. Jay Beagle turned a perimeter shot from Dmitry Orlov into the Caps second goal. But the Canes came back quick with goals by Tlusty and Larose in less than five minutes. A whiff by Dennis Wideman led to Brandon Sutter’s pretty breakaway goal. Brooks Laich tied it up by giving and going with Marcus Johansson late in the third period.

OT? Faulk. Canes beat Caps 4-3 (OT).

• Jay Beagle had a big night. He crashed early, scoring his first goal of the season, and beating Ward on another after time expired. With soft hands like his, you gotta wonder why he ever thought he needed to fight back in October.
• Halfway through the first period, the Capitals struggled to clear their zone. Once they did, they began a line change– but a quick turnover in neutral turned dangerous. Instead of bailing and letting the next line deal with it, Mathieu Perreault stayed on and won possession. Little things– and little guys– like this really do mean a lot.
• What went wrong on Jiri Tlusty‘s goal? It was a bang-bang  play following a neutral-zone turnover, but Alzner and Carlson had their guys marked. Tlusty was Carolina’s third guy in, and neither Halpern nor Brouwer successfully got on him. Is that a personal failure between the two, or are these players confused about their defensive assignments?
• Even our pristine deductive minds are challenged to solve that second period kerfuffle. Skinner bollywoggled Dmitry Orlov headlong into the boards, and Alex Ovechkin took umbrage. Gleason expressed that he felt Ovechkin’s actions were untoward, and fisticuffs ensued. Orlov joined the scuffle, but the referees found his mannerisms ungentlemanly. The defenseman served a 10-schilling penalty for abuse and ruffianism.
• The Capitals first period was one of the best of their season. They created nine scoring chances and crashed Ward’s net with wonderful regularity. At some point– either after the first intermission or Tlusty’s goal– the Caps got meek. While possession stats didn’t decline steeply, shot distances noticeably grew. Maybe they were afraid of all the odd-man breaks, but most of those happened after the Caps started playing cowardly hockey. There’s a compelling strategical argument to be made for increasing Washington’s offensive tilt, but at this point our preferred reasoning is that it’s just plain ol’ more fun to watch.
• To their credit, the Capitals fired shots like the end of Robocop. Brooks Laich led the effort with 7, only Schultz and Aucoin didn’t get in on the action. 49 overall for the boys in red. That’s almost TWO John Bonhams worth of shots.
• Knuble in the press box, his knights rioting in the streets. We love half of that.
• Faceoff ace Jeff Halpern took just 5 faceoffs tonight. Brooks Laich, who at least seems passingly familiar with the rules of faceoffs, took 27.

Joe B suit of the night

This homestand is now just a somewhat mitigated disaster. The rest of the eastern conference continues to steadily increment standings points, and the Caps are barely moving.

It hasn’t been for lack of trying. Shot totals are climbing, and that’s meritorious considering how dismal their counts were a few weeks ago. But the odd-man rushes Dale Hunter said he was going to eliminate seem to be reproducing like bunnies who cannot get contraception coverage through their employers. And despite increasing his shooting, Alex Ovechkin hasn’t found twine– which speaks more to luck than anything else.

This is a bad time for bad luck. They really are playing better. When the Caps were truly miserable earlier this year, luck lifted them to those crucial wins. But this season is now old, its bones are creaky, and luck can’t make it bend like it used to.

Here’s Jay Beagle to play us out.

Screengrab via @TFGot.

In the Capitals thrilling 4-3 overtime-victory against division rival Carolina, there were several bigs hits of note. Nicklas Backstrom rocked Jiri Tlusty’s world with a fantastic counter-hit and Alex Semin decked Hurricanes Bryan Allen at the end of regulation.

While Backstrom’s hit was totally clean (shoulder to chest), Sasha Minor’s hit was borderline dirty and 2,000 percent unnecessary. Don’t believe me? Check out the video.

Semin slashes then throws his shoulder into a defenseless Allen from behind and knocks him towards the glass head-first with no time left on the clock. “I was going to shoulder to shoulder,” Semin explained to The Washington Post. “But he was very far from the boards.” While Allen was fortunately not hurt on the play and Semin was only given a two-minute minor for boarding, the check was reckless and could end up being reviewed by NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan.

Sasha, who sometimes plays with a bit of an edge when frustrated, has actually had the NHL wag their finger at him once before. Last year during the Capitals eight-game losing streak, Semin lost his cool after being cross-checked by John Michael-Liles and took justice into his own hands.

Ouch. Semin was fined by Colin Campbell but not suspended.

Regardless of what discipline may or may not be handed down by the NHL, Semin may have already endured his fair share of retribution. During the resulting melee in the corner, one of the many necklaces he wears during games was ripped off his neck.

Semin wasn’t too happy about it either. “He broke my chain on purpose, I think,” he told Slava Malamud in a Russian interview after the game, referring to ’Canes defenseman Tim Gleason.

At least we know one thing for sure: Sasha certainly cares about his jewelry. (Sorry, I had to.)

Photos

Screengrabs via @TFGot

Fantastic photos taken by @jlrpuck from her seats in Section 117.