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Semin tallies twice, lifts Capitals past Hurricanes

Nov 7, 2008 - 3:59 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Alexander Semin scored twice in just over 2 1/2 minutes, netting the game-winner with 11 seconds remaining in the third period as the Washington Capitals recorded a 3-2 triumph over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday in a battle of Southeast Division rivals.

Sergei Fedorov also tallied and Alex Ovechkin notched three assists as Washington snapped a brief two-game skid.

"We kept pushing and pushing. This is how we have to play," Ovechkin said. "It's frustrating when we control the puck. We had great chances to score goals in the third period. Everybody said, 'It's time to wake up. It's time to win the game.'"

Scott Walker and Tuomo Ruutu scored and Cam Ward made 30 saves as Carolina saw its two-game winning streak come to an end.

The late rally denied Peter Laviolette a milestone in the process. The Norwood, Massachusetts native was bidding to become the all-time winningest American-born coach in NHL history. With 239 victories, he remains tied with former Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella.

"It's a tough way to lose a hockey game," Laviolette said.

"We've got guys that work the whole time," said goaltender Brent Johnson, who made 32 saves. "I couldn't be happier right now. To score with 10 seconds or 11 seconds left in the game, it's just a fantastic win."

With the Capitals trailing, 2-1, with 2:43 remaining in the third period, Semin skated out from behind the net and wristed a sharp-angle shot which deflected off both Ward's stick and blocker before going in for his ninth of the season.

Semin then netted the game-winner, wristing a shot past Ward from the right faceoff circle in the waning seconds for his team-leading 10th tally.

"It just (stinks). It's (11) seconds left in the game," Carolina defenseman Niclas Wallin said. "They're a dangerous team. We can't have turnovers and 3-on-2s like we had. They're coming, and they keep pushing us back and back."

Walker opened the scoring just 2:59 into the first period, when he deflected a point shot from defenseman Josef Melichar past Johnson for his first goal of the season and third in 29 career games against the Capitals.

The tally came on the Hurricanes' first shot of the game - the fourth time this season the Capitals have allowed an opponent to score in such fashion.

"That's our plan. I looked up right away to see if it was," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It could have been the 40th shot - and it went in. (Johnson) rebounded and had a solid game."

Fedorov leveled the contest just 3:05 into the second session. After receiving a pass from Ovechkin just inside the blue line and skating in on Ward, the 38-year-old then deked the netminder and wristed a shot under the crossbar for his fourth tally of the season and 476th career.

"When you keep shooting, you're going to get chances to score, and it happened for him," Boudreau said of Fedorov, who had a team-high five shots on goal.

Ruutu restored the lead for Carolina with 7:47 remaining in the second period, extending his goal-scoring streak to three games and points run to five in the process.

The Finn took advantage of a turnover in the neutral zone, skated in and unleashed a blast from just outside the left circle which sailed between the pads of Johnson for his fifth of the season.

"We thought that we had the game, and that was the problem," Ruutu said. "We've got to play 60 minutes to win this game."