CAPS GOALIE REPORT: THOMAS OUTDUELS KOLZIG

Red Line Hockey remains high on Tim Thomas as he turned ina another stellar performace to stiffle the Caps. Both teams needed the points and the difference was team defense, goaltending and a set of penalties at an inopportune time.

For the second time in recent games Kolzig was tripped or slipped resulting in crucial goal (goal #2). In last night's game defenseman Jeff Schultz knocked over Kolzig resulting in an open net for Zdeno Chara to blast away at. Schultz being this far back, essentially in the crease sends a bad message, that the defense feels it needs to give extra assistance to th goaltender.

The first goal was a juicy rebound put right into the slot the Marc Savard was able to put away.

Ollie did have a number of clutch saves but the need for a flawless game and the inability of the Caps' offense to beat Thomas landed the Bs in the win column.

Caps Again Can't Solve Bruins' Thomas
Bruins 2, Capitals 0

By Tarik El-Bashir
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 4, 2008; E01

BOSTON, Jan. 3 -- The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins had gone to overtime in each of their previous five meetings. But on Thursday night, Boston goaltender Tim Thomas made sure the extra period wasn't necessary.

Thomas, who has dominated the Capitals through the years, tormented them once again, turning aside 31 shots to earn his first shutout of the season, 2-0, at TD Banknorth Garden.

With the victory, Thomas improved to 8-0-1 against Washington -- his best record against any NHL team. He also snapped the injury-depleted Capitals' winning streak at two and halted their run of five straight games in which they had gained a point.

"He's good," Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Thomas. "Some guys just love playing against certain teams. They get that feeling that they are unbeatable against that team. Evidently, Tim Thomas likes playing against the Capitals."

Thomas handed Washington its first shutout loss since a 5-0 defeat at Carolina on Nov. 5. Yet even with Thomas getting a glove, pad or blocker in front of everything directed toward the Bruins' net, the visitors managed to hang around late into the third period, despite playing without winger Alexander Semin and defenseman Tom Poti, who were injured on Tuesday, and the entire third period minus defenseman Brian Pothier, who suffered an upper-body injury in the second.

Boston changed that, however, midway through the final frame. First, Thomas frustrated 30-goal scorer Alex Ovechkin, who misfired from point-blank range and fanned on the rebound. Then, Capitals defenseman Mike Green was assessed a double minor for high-sticking while the Washington bench simultaneously was whistled for too many men on the ice.

The Bruins wasted little time taking advantage of the two-man advantage. Boston captain Zedno Chara drilled a slap shot from the top of the circle past Olie Kolzig, who had been knocked down by defenseman Jeff Schultz, to put Boston ahead 2-0.

Chara, with help from teammate P.J. Axelsson, also did a solid job of shutting down Ovechkin, who has gone two games without a goal for the first time Nov. 5-6.

"We hit three or four posts," Ovechkin said, shrugging. "Some luck. Good for [Thomas]."

Center Michael Nylander added: "We had to win this game. We had lots of chances to score goals, but we didn't put the puck in. Thomas played extremely well. He made big saves at key times. But we still have to put the puck in the net."

The first 30 minutes of Thursday's contest was a goaltender duel between Kolzig and Thomas. Kolzig and the Capitals, though, blinked first.

Boston center Marc Savard burst out of the penalty pox and outskated Green to the puck deep in Washington's zone. Savard then finished the play with a shot from the slot that eluded Kolzig and put Boston ahead 1-0 at 13 minutes 35 seconds of the second period.

The low-scoring, tight-checking game was quite a departure for the Capitals, who were coming off a home-and-home sweep over Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa by the scores of 8-6 and 6-3. But Tuesday's win proved costly, and the effects still were being felt in Boston.

Semin is suffering from a tailbone injury and did not travel with the team; Poti has what the team is describing only as an upper-body injury but did travel to Boston. Now Pothier is day-to-day.

"When you have two excellent players out, you miss them," Boudreau said.

Despite the injuries and lineup upheaval, the Capitals held their own in the first period. Neither team scored in the opening 20 minutes, but the Capitals had Kolzig to mostly thank for that. He made several splendid stops, including a pad save on Marco Sturm late in the session.

Sturm was staring at an empty net after taking a centering pass from Philip Kessel, but Kolzig slid across and turned back Sturm's attempt with his right pad.

"We were all over them the first half of the first period," Kolzig said. "Then we started getting a little too cute with our passes. I don't know if we got ugly enough, with enough traffic in front of the net and getting shots on the power play. I thought we were a little too passive."

Capitals Notes: Nicklas Backstrom was named the NHL's rookie of the month yesterday after amassing five goals and nine assists to help the Capitals go 7-3-3 in December. . . . Right wing Chris Clark missed his 16th game with a strained groin muscle.