CAPITALS SURGE TO VICTORY

WASHINGTON WINS SHOOTOUT, TRUMPS PITTSBURGH

No matter the outcome, Washington Capitals forward Mike Knuble wanted to ensure that Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury worked for it. Knuble succeeded before converting an easier- than-expected wrist shot past Fleury's stick side, capping Washington's 4-3 shootout victory Wednesday night that carried playoff and emotional implications. He also had the Capitals' first goal in regulation, knocking the deflection of Nicklas Backstrom's initial shot out of the air as the goalie searched for the puck. "To be tapped this early in the (shootout) round, you got to have something legit," Knuble said of his first career shootout goal. "I at least wanted to make him (Fleury) make a save." Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin also scored in the shootout as the Capitals scored three consecutive times after Nicklas Backstrom's initial miss to earn their third victory against the archrival Penguins this season. This one was more uneven than the previous two, a game in which they were outshot 42-32 and outplayed for the most part but still came within four minutes of winning in regulation after Semin and Eric Fehr scored 1:56 apart in the third period. The Capitals can thank goalie Jose Theodore for allowing them to recover from early sluggishness and for providing a bridge to the shootout. Despite allowing goals to Maxime Talbot and Jordan Staal while having no chance of stopping Bill Guerin's power-play score, he maintained his stellar play of late (17-0-2 since Jan. 13) while improving to 18- 4-3 lifetime against Pittsburgh. "They came on really strong in the first (period)," said Theodore, who stopped 17 shots then. "We came back in the third. Then they came back. It was a fun game to watch but a fun game to play and especially get the win." "Jose's playing great," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau added. As is Washington, which matched last year's franchise high for points in a season (108) while moving closer toward clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference as early as this week. For perspective, consider that other teams are still seeking to nail a playoff spot. Going further, the Capitals might have also gained some momentum for a playoff run they believe will involve a rematch with the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins, who beat Washington in the second round last spring. For now, the Capitals will settle for a win coming a day after U.S. marshals and Florida authorities questioned the club about its relationship with Virginia chiropractor Owen Nagel following his arrest on steroids charges. Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby had shootout goals for the Penguins, whose 2-1 lead after two periods dissolved into a 3-2 deficit before Staal forced overtime with his 21st goal late in the third period. "As the game went on it became more intense," Crosby said. "It would've been nice to get two points but we did a lot of good things." (USA Today)