So Close...

This game was supposed to be a layup for the Wings. A slam dunk. An easy two points. Well, no one told the Caps that.

There was a general sense among Caps fans that if the boys could just avoid being completely embarrassed, it would be okay. Not only did they not get embarrassed, they were right in there all night - trading goals and matching saves until all that remained was the shootout, the Caps' nemesis.

The Caps had plenty of opportunities to pack it in, and the team we watched during the dark days earlier this season would definitely have done just that. They didn't. The Wings took an early lead...the Caps tied it up with a huge Ovechkin tally. They then jumped into the lead themselves off a fluky Schultz goal...and then saw Detroit tie it up.

The one that could have been the backbreaker, though, came in the third period. Holmstrom tipped a Datsyuk shot into the net with just over five minutes left in the game to take a 3-2 lead, and it looked like the Caps were done.

Enter Alexander Semin, who took advantage of a delay of game penalty to rifle one past Hasek and bring the game even at three. Overtime reared its ugly head and the Caps got a few lucky bounces (Olie has got to close those legs faster) and a few unlucky ones (Ovechkin in close on Hasek...oy).

And then we get my very favorite way to decide a game: the shootout. You know, it's almost not fair to have to face Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Hudler one-on-one; Detroit has an embarrassment of young talent on their team and that was that, game over, despite Semin's goal which was gorgeous and Kozlov's shot off the crossbar which was...painful.

Olie really had a good night, especially in regulation, and faced down 27 of 30 shots including 9 from Zetterberg. Alexander Semin continues to look like he's almost 100% and showed it with not only a game-tying goal to force overtime but a simply beautiful shootout goal - he also had no turnovers, no penalties, and 5 shots (7 attempted). And the whole team really hung together in another solid effort on the road.

Favorite stat of the night: Four turnovers for the Caps. In the entire game.

Weird stat of the night: Only one non-goalie Cap failed to register at least a shot on goal - Viktor Kozlov.

Major credit goes to the Caps for not listening to the naysayers and really making it a contest worth watching. I think we all know that while they are better than their record shows, they're also not quite at Detroit's level - and that's okay.

For now a point feels like two.