Saturday 30 April 2011

Washington Capitals v Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1

Tampa Bay took 2.12 to get on the board and in the lead. Downie did some great work along the boards, battled to keep the puck deep in the zone and took the puck to the net. Neuvirth got his pad down to his attempt but didn't cover it and Bergenheim jammed it in.

Malone had a brilliant chance with 4 minutes gone to make it 2-0. The puck rolled out infront to him and as it looked like he had a wide open net to fire into he couldn't control the puck. Once he had managed to get it under control and turn to shoot it was cleared infront of the net.

Semin made it 1-1 8 seconds later. A bad clearance by Clark trying to get the puck out of the zone was blocked by Sturm and Semin wristed the rolling puck through Roloson.

Gagne took a hard hit into the boards at 7.22 which left him lying on the ice hardy moving. With the medical teams on the ice and the stretcher he managed to get up with some help and skate off the ice. The hit was clean by Hannan, Gagne had fallen awkwardly, almost vertically onto his back.

Jeff Schultz picked up the 1st penalty of the series at 10.28 for delay of game sending Tampa Bay on the powerplay. The Caps comfortably killed it off, their penalty kill continuing how it did against the Rangers in the 1st round.

Washington thought they had gone 2-1 up with 6.26 left on the period. Mike Green lasered a shot wide which went around the boards to Erskinne. He fired another shot on goal which Laich controlled with his foot and tried to tip in. He missed the puck with his stick and the goal was called off after review, the call being he kicked the puck into the net.

The Caps got their 1st powerplay chance with 5.28 left, Downie getting called for elbowing. Semin had a great chance on it, firing a wrist shot against the post. Clark took a delay of game penalty 8 seconds after the Downie penalty had finished. It was Bergenheim on the shorthand having the best chance of the 2 minutes, skating in 2 on 1 from the blueline and taking a wrist shot the Neuvirth got his body infront of and covered up.

1.51 into the 2nd period and Fehr had the Caps 2-1 up. Straight from the face off Chimera got the puck to into the corner and out in front and Fehr simply got free and was unchallenged as he put it above above the glove of Roloson.

A penalty was called at 6.38 on Gordon for slashing and the Lightning had the 1st powerplay of the 2nd period and the chance to tie the game up. LeCavalier had a great chance to do so, Malone getting the puck to him infront of the net bt Neuvirth taking the backhand shot into his pads and covering up.

A mad scramble infront of Roloson at the halfway point saw the netminder make a good save and then the puck bounce back infront, about 6 players trying to either get it into the net or keep it out, Brewer blocking the puck almost on the line to stop it going in.

Downie had the game level at 16.17, throwing the puck to the front of the net on the backhand from down on the goal line and the puck deflecting off a defenceman's stick and past Neuvirth.

Stamkos gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead with 31 seconds left of the period. With Chimera sittng 2 minutes on a roughing call it was Brewer who got free on the wing and got the puck in tight to Stamkos and he got his backhand on it to jam it into net whilst on the doorstep. Kubina had been shook up when Chimera took the roughing call and he headed straight to the Tampa Bay dressing room.

Clark went for holding at 5.58 in the 3rd to give the Caps a powerplay chance to tie the game up. Some great play by Bergenheim and then Ohlund on the penalty kill meant the Lightning killed it off without giving up a shot.

Another powerplay chance for the Caps with 5.58 left as Purcell got his stick on Hannan trying to chase down an icing and getting called for hooking. This time the Caps managed a couple of shots but they were from the outside and both comfortable for Roloson to save.

The Lightning added a 4th goal on the empty net. Moore winning a race down the ice after Hall had shot it down ice and against the post.

A brilliant away win from the Lightning, their 3rd line being dominant on the scoreboard. The Caps again failing to get going upfront and being limited to only the 2 goals. Tampa Bay take the series lead 1-0.

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