Caps Sent Home Early

The top seeded Washington Capitals lost in Game 7 of the first round against the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 2-1. After a stellar season, the Caps' bid for the Stanley Cup championship has ended much earlier than most had anticipated. After being up 3 games to 1 in the series, the Caps lost 3 games in a row.

Marc-Andre Bergeron put the Canadiens on the score board first with a power play goal with seconds left in the first period. After a scoreless second period, the Canadiens extended their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Dominic Moore. The Capitals were finally able to get onto the board with a goal from Brooks Laichs with just under four minutes left in regulation. While the Caps had scoring opportunities late, they were unable to get anything going, primarily due to the efforts of Canadien goalie, Jaroslav Halak. He saved 41 shots this game.

The Capitals' offense was shut down for much of the last two games. Alex Ovechkin ended the series with 5 goals and 4 assists, but was scoreless in the last two games. Alexander Semin, who scored 40 goals during the regular season, did not score a single goal during the series.

The Montreal Canadiens will move on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Caps Lose Game 1 in Overtime

The top seeded Washington Capitals were upset in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs Thursday night against the Montreal Canadiens in overtime, by a score of 3-2. The # 8 seeded Canadiens were able to shut down Cap's All-Star Alex Ovechkin, who was not a factor in this contest.

Mike Cammalleri got the Canadiens on the scoreboard first with a power play goal in the opening period. The Capitals responded with a goal to tie the game just 3 minutes later by Joe Corvo. It was a scoreless second period, but early in the final period Capitals took the lead off Nicklas a Backstrom goal. They could not hold onto the lead however, as Scott Gomez tied up the score for the Canadiens to send the game into overtime.

The sudden death extra session ended 13:19 minutes after it began, as Tomas Plekanec scored the winning goal for Montreal. Both goaltenders battled all night, with Montreal's Jose Theodore making 44 saves and Jaroslav Halak stopping 36.

The Capitals will hope to rebound Saturday night, as they host Montreal in Game 2 of the best of seven series. The puck drops at 7:00 PM.

Photo from WTOP.com

DC Sports Roundup

In Basketball, the Washington Wizards lost a tight game at home against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The final score was 99 to 101. The Wizards redeemed themselves on Wednesday with a 95 to 93 victory over Charlotte.

Despite the win, the Wizards have officially been eliminated from the NBA playoffs. They are the first team in the Eastern conference to earn that distinction. Their next game is at home on Saturday against Detroit.

In Hockey, the Washington Capitals lost on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game that was decided by a shoot out. The final score was 2 to 3. Brooks Laich scored the game tying goal with only 57 seconds left in the third period to save the Caps from losing in regulation. Toronto goalie Martin Gerber was ejected after incurring a game misconduct penalty for shoving a referee after Laich’s goal. Toronto’s backup goaltender Curtis Joseph, known as CuJo, had a stellar performance that ultimately decided the game. The Capitals play their next game tonight at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Keeping with Hockey, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey playoffs begin tonight. The nation’s top sixteen teams will be competing for a spot in the Frozen Four, which will be held right here in Washington, D.C at the Verizon Center.

-Joe Lewis

DC Sports Roundup

The George Washington Men’s Basketball Team won in over time on Wednesday evening against Charlotte. The final score was 92 to 88. Damian Hollis had 25 points on the night and scored two crucial free throws that saved the Colonials from losing in regulation. This was the third in conference victory for GW. The team will need to win its final two games if they want any chance to make the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Their next game is tomorrow at Charlotte.

The GW women’s Basketball team did not fare as well. They lost on Wednesday at Charlotte, 57 to 59. The Women have their final regular season game at home this Sunday, against Temple. Tip off is at 1 pm.

Keeping with basketball, the Washington Wizards won last Friday at New Jersey, but then lost at home on Saturday against San Antonio, and again on Wednesday against Philadelphia. With 13 wins and 44 losses on the season, the Wizards have the worst record in the Eastern Conference. They play at home tonight against Chicago.

And finally, in Hockey, the Washington Capitals split the week with 2 wins and 2 losses. The Caps lost at home last Friday against Colorado, 4 to 1. They redeemed themselves with a strong 5 to 2 win against Eastern conference rival Pittsburg on Sunday. The Capitals gave up a one goal lead in the third period in Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia and ended up losing 2 to 4. Finally, with rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth in net, the Caps held on to defeat the Atlanta Thrashers last night. The final score was 3 to 2. Donald Brashear earned his 10th major penalty for fighting with his second period bout with Eric Boulton. The Capitals’ next game is tomorrow at Boston.

-Joe Lewis

DC Sports Round Up

The George Washington Women's basketball played at home on Wednesday night and defeated the University of Massachusetts. Final score was 83 to 62. Only three games remain in the regular season for the Lady Colonials. They are currently ranked 5th in the Atlantic 10. Their next game is tomorrow, at home against St. Bonaventure.

The GW Men's basketball team won their second conference game last night after defeating the St. Bonaventure Bonnies with a final score of 90 to 62. Rob Diggs scored 26 points, and was just one of five George Washington players with double figures on the night. The men took an early lead and held it for the entirety of the game. Despite the stellar performance, hopes for a trip to the Atlantic 10 conference tournament are waning. Only five games remain in the regular season, but all are against conference opponents. Their next game is on Sunday at Xavier.

Keeping with basketball, the Washington Wizards defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Tuesday. The final score was 111 to 103. It was only the 12th victory for the Wizards this season. Their next game is tonight, at New Jersey.

Finally, in Hockey, the Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Candiens on Wednesday in a game determined by a shoot-out. The final score was 5 to 4. David Steckel scored the game tying goal with less than three minutes left to play in regulation. Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom both scored in the shoot out to seal the win. However, it was Alex Ovechkin's goal in the second period that stole the show. Ovechkin collected the puck in the neutral zone, then banked an indirect backhand pass off the wall to himself to get around Canadiens defender Roman Hamrlik. Facing the back checking of Kyle Chipchura, Ovechkin was knocked down. Sliding across the ice in the front of goal, he maintained control of the puck and put it behind Canadiens' goaltender Carey Price. The Caps play at home tonight, against Colorado.

-Joe Lewis

DC Sports Update

After 11 strait losses, the George Washington Men’s Basketball team finally won a game after defeating conference rival Fordham last Saturday in the Smith Center. The final score was 87-62. The victory was the men’s first conference win of the season. Success was short lived for the Colonials, with a loss against LaSalle on Wednesday. Final score was 57 to 68. Time is running out for the Colonials and the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Only seven games remain in the regular season, but all are against A-10 teams. Hope is still alive, but the men are going to need a hefty dose of that Karl Hobbs magic we all know and love. The men’s next game is tomorrow, at Charlotte.

The GW women’s basketball team lost on the road Wednesday against 19th ranked Xavier. The final score was 62 to 82. Xavier is undefeated in A-10 conference play. Unlike the men’s team, the lady Colonials, ranked 5th in the A-10, are comfortably positioned for a return to the conference tournament. The women’s next game is tomorrow, at St. Louis.

In professional basketball, the Wizards started the week with a win at home against the Pacers on Sunday. Caron Butler made a buzzer beating field goal to keep the game from going into over time. Final score was 119-117. The Wizards lost at Atlanta 90 to 111 on Tuesday, and then traveled to Charlotte where they were defeated 89 to 110 on Wednesday. The Wizards’ next game in Tuesday at home against Minnesota.

Finally, in hockey the Washington Capitals suffered a shoot-out loss on Wednesday to the New York Rangers. The final score was 4 to 5. Every goal of the game for both teams was scored in the first two periods. Mike Green scored twice for the Capitals, and tied the NHL record for consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman. For just the fourth time this season, the Caps had multiple fights in the same game as Donald Brashear took on Colton Orr and Matt Bradley squared off with Aaron Voros. Brashear earned his 201st five minute major for fighting with the bout. Ranger’s all-star goalie Henrik Lundqvist made the game breaking save against Brooks Laich in the shoot out to seal the win for New York. The Capitals play again tomorrow, in Tampa Bay to face the Lightning.

-Joe Lewis