Stars 4 - Caps 3 (SO)

Last night it was a one point night for the Capitals at Verizon Center. The Caps didn't play their best game in that they let the Stars come back from a 2-0 deficit in the third period - one of the few home game losses and one of the few losses in a game the Caps started the third period leading in this season, they are 28-0-3 in such situations. The reason for all of the above was a 34 year old from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario named Marty Turco.

Turco a three time NHL All Star had a career best 49 Saves through overtime, more importantly he stopped 40 of 42 shots on goal and displayed superlative rebound control through the first two periods. He single-handily kept the Stars in the game through two periods, and I believe though they didn't show it too blatantly, Turco's play frustrated the Caps and knocked them off their game enough so they played one of their worst 10 minute stretches of hockey this season to start off the third period. The Caps went from being up 2 - 0 in a game they had clearly controlled to being behind 3 - 2 during the first 8:00 of the third period. To say "it wasn't pretty" about those 10:00 would be understatement. The Caps took too bad penalties and each resulted in a goal, the first Stars goal by Brad Richards, Varlamov didn't have a chance. The second one - by Daley, Varly had a chance on but not much of one. If it was the same Varly who we saw in the series against the Rangers in the 2009 Playoffs he stops it, right now that wasn't happening. The Stars third goal by Neal at the 7:53 mark, that one I'm thinking Varlamov would like back, and would likely stop at least 3 out of 4 times. After Neal's goal the Stars continued to swarm for another minute or two before the Caps "got it together" and returned the game to the Stars end of the ice.

When Ovechkin tied the game at 3-3 with his second goal of the game at 16:44, I don't know about other folks but I wondered if that didn't signal the end of Turco's good fortunes. However, any thought about that was dashed during the game's final 4:00 and the 5:00 overtime. I won't talk about the shootout, neither Ovechkin nor Semin looked great relatives to the moves they tried let alone the results there. Varly looked better than I thought he would during the shootout, but once again Turco's "Mojo" and presence with the force was stronger.

Next up: The Hurricanes come to town tomorrow evening, wonder what sort of G2 Walker and Corvo are giving their new teammates?

LETS GO CAPS!!!