Caps win opener over Canes, 4-3
Mike Green resurrected his overtime magic, scoring the game winner on a power play to lift the Caps to the win. Michael Neuvirth, getting a controversial nod over Tomas Vokoun, stopped 28 of 31 to earn his first win of the young season.
Washington and Carolina took a 0-0 deadlock into the first intermission. The Canes out shot the Caps 9-7 in the first period.
Carolina started out the scoring with a power play goal at the 12:16 mark of the second period to put the Canes up 1-0. It was one of two power play tallies by Eric Staal against the Caps on the night, this coming from the second ranked penalty kill one season removed. The Carolina lead would last just a little over two minutes thanks to a feed from John Carlson to an open Alexander Semin for a breakaway tally for Semin. Washington would get another semi breakaway tally 5 minutes later from Jason Chimera to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. The Caps pummeled the Canes in shots on net in the second period, 17-8.
Carolina would out score the Caps in the third period 2-1. Eric Staal scored his second goal of the game on another power play at the 18 second mark, resultant from an end of second period delay of game penalty by the Caps. The Staal goal tied the game at 2-2. The Caps took a 3-2 lead on a Brooks Laich power play goal at the 16:15 mark on a two man advantage. Laich scored on a rebound to the left of Carolina goalie Brian Boucher. Jussi Jokinen tied it up with just one minute and nineteen second left in regulation to force the overtime.
Green's game winner came on a power play 2:24 into OT to lift the Caps.
Multi-Point Scorers:
Nicklas Backstrom, 2 assists
Caps Player of the Game:
Mike Green with the game winner in OT
