Tomas Fleischmann News

For all of their strengths, blowing leads in the third period has been an unseemly flaw for the Washington Capitals this season.

OTTAWA -- Depleted by injuries to nearly a third of the lineup, and weary from playing two games in two countries on back-to-back nights, the Washington Capitals were granted a reprieve Sunday.

Unfortunately for them, having a day off from practice to rest and regroup at a plush resort in suburban Ottawa might not do much to aid an injury-ravaged roster.

The Capitals could again be without seven players who were on the opening-night roster when they play the Senators at Scotiabank Place on Monday.

An opportunistic foe and an offense that got started too late led to only the second regulation loss at Verizon Center this season for the Washington Capitals.

Read up on the latest tidbits and trends as Hockey Night in Canadaa s play-by-play voice Jim Hughson takes you behind the scenes and into the game.

But the shots kept coming, and eventually the Washington Capitals ,rested and rolling despite not having , squeezed out just enough offense to secure their fourth straight victory.

On Tuesday night, the Washington Capitals will play on national television and in "The World's Most Famous Arena." The Capitals' meeting with the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden has one more thing going for it: the return from injury of the two-time defending league MVP.

Washington's Mike Green takes the net off its moorings as he goes by Devils goalie Martin Brodeur on Saturday in Newark, N.J. Zach Parise's breakaway highlighted a three-goal second period and the New Jersey Devils won their eighth straight game with a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.

Then the 2009-10 campaign began, and Fleischmann was forced to sit and watch because of a blood clot in his left leg.

Capitals' Quintin Laing, left, drives Minnesota's Antti Miettinen into the boards.

While Alex Ovechkin still can't say exactly when he'll return to the Washington Capitals' lineup, this much is no longer up for debate: The franchise winger will be back soon.

Ovechkin practiced with his teammates Thursday for the first time since suffering a left shoulder strain on Nov. 1 and did not look encumbered at all by the injury.

He raced up and down the ice, swinging his arms comfortably and carrying his stick in his left hand. He effortlessly zipped passes across the ice to teammates in drills. And, most important, Ovechkin fully wound up on slap shots, sending pucks pinging off goal posts and crackling off the glass behind the net.

NYI WAS 0:08 0 1 1:02 1 1 5:10 2 1 6:54 Sean Bergenheim Unassisted 3 1 13:42 3 2 NYI WAS 5:35 3 3 16:46 3 4 NYI WAS 17:52 4 4 OT NYI WAS 4 4 Shootout Summary Start of Shootout period Shootout attempt by Nicklas Backstrom MISSES wide of net Shootout GOAL scored by Jeff Tambellini on Semyon Varlamov Shootout GOAL scored by Alexander Semin on Dwayne ...

1, Washington figured to experience a dropoff in offense. After a 3-2 loss at New Jersey in their first game without Ovechkin, the Capitals scored 11 goals in a home-and-home sweep of Florida, capped with a 7-4 home victory Saturday.

Chris Clark scored the deciding goal in the 11th round of the shootout, and backup goalie Semyon Varlamov came on in relief and carried the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 comeback victory over the New York Islanders.

The Washington Capitals will try for a third straight victory without superstar Alex Ovechkin when they host the New York Islanders tonight at Verizon Center.

Nicklas Bergfors scored two power-play goals in the third period, as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals, 3-2, at Prudential Center.

Tomas Fleischmann scored twice during a five-goal third period, and the short-handed Washington Capitals beat the Florida Panthers 7-4 Saturday night for a sweep of their home-and-home series.

Since drafting Alex Ovechkin first overall in 2004, the Capitals haven't had much success when he has been unable to take the ice.

The Washington Capitals, looking for someone to provide a spark in the absenceA of two-time defending Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin, got the complete opposite last night in a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils .

The New Jersey Devils got their first break at home this season when the Washington Capitals scratched injured Alex Ovechkin from the lineup.

"Offensively you can't rely on one guy all the time, but you're taking a full goal a game out of your lineup.