Caps power past Detroit 5-3 Monday in Motown

Posted on March 20, 2012

Following a loss Sunday in Chicago, the Capitals rebounded in a big way Monday in Detroit, downing the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 at Joe Louis Arena. The win evened Washington's record at 2-2 through the first four games of the current five game road trip. It was rather warm inside Joe Louis Arena Monday night, but the Capitals were downright hot in the first period. Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring with his 31st goal of the season, a power play tally at 7:48 to give the Caps a 1-0 lead. Mike Knuble was up next, as the former Red Wing scored his sixth of the year from Jason Chimera and Mathieu Perreault at 11:25. Washington kept pouring it on with another power play goal from Ovechkin at 14:51 from Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin, capping off a three-goal outburst. The Caps led the Wings 3-0 after one, and finished the first four periods of the season outscoring Detroit by an amazing 10-1 count. The Red Wings would close to within two with a right point shot from Kyle Quincey on the power play. Quincey's goal at 5:15 made the score 3-1, but Keith Aucoin scored his third goal of the season and collected his ninth point of the season at 17:24. Detroit would draw a goal closer just 36 seconds into the third when scored his 13th of the season to make the score 4-2. Dan Cleary followed later with followed with his 12th of the year at 12:52 to make the score 4-3. But Jason Chimera tied a career-high with his 17th of the season, into an empty net in the closing seconds, and the Capitals pick up two gigantic standings points in a 5-3 win at Joe Louis. The Capitals conclude the current five-game road trip Thursday in Philadelphia against the Flyers at 7:00 p.m. Airtime is 6:45 Thursday on the Capitals Radio Network. Joel Ward, John Erskine and Dmitry Orlov were scratches for Washington Monday. Alexander Semin assisted on Aucoin's second period goal, collecting his 400th NHL playmaker. With the win, the Caps swept the two-game season series with Detroit, having also defeated the Wings 7-1 at Verizon Center on October 22.