Five for Fighting

"Our goals-against is a joke."

Not many ways to elaborate on coach Dave Tippett's quote. It truly is mind-boggling right now what's going on with this group. Then again, maybe it's not. This team is not last year's team. There may be a lot of familiar faces, but the personnel is still different. You're still younger, you're still missing key veterans and you're making mistakes that were so uncharacteristic of last year's team it's unbelievable.

In eight of nine games, the Stars have given up three or more goals. Think about that. Eight of nine. The only Stars-like game was the 2-1 victory over the Rangers. Their defense is young, I know, but these guys played on the biggest stage of their young careers last season. Sophomore slumps, maybe?

Then again, I shouldn't be putting it all on the young guys. Looking at the young forwards, they've been better and more reliable than most of the veterans. Mike Modano's been great the entire time, Sean Avery was good tonight, Brenden Morrow, I don't question him often. But the consistency with everyone else has been lacking.

But it comes back to this defense and goaltending. Just not good at all right now. And don't know how you fix it. Someone asked if it's time to use Tobias Stephan. Tippett's quote: "We've thought about (sitting Turco) for about two weeks now. But the other guy is unproven. When he has been in there, he hasn't exactly showed he's a go-to guy." Me, I'm kind of torn on this. If you bring in Stephan, does the defense buckle down more for the guy who's rarely in there? Or do the mistakes get even worse?

Don't know right now, kids. All I do know is, I won't be surprised if I'm watching a two-hour practice tomorrow.

Stars force overtime

Mike Modano comes barrelling through the slot, takes a slick Brenden Morrow pass and it's a tie game heading into some extra time. The Capitals have had trouble holding onto leads in the third period, so here's another one gone.

Modano's goal came just moments after Turco was able to get off the ice, and it's his fourth of the season. No doubt he's looking pretty darn good this early season, eh?

Oh brother

Loui Eriksson sneaks one through Jose Theodore, who probably thought he had it, but it slipped in, as the Stars tie this one 56 seconds into the period. And of course it wasn't going to last long... Tyler Sloan gets a rebound and slips it through the right side of the net to put the Caps back on top 5-4 at the 2:22 mark.

Eriksson and the boys had a chance at another one just previous to that, but it was a few whiffs instead. Just sloppy, sloppy play on both defensive sides, but the Stars once again just can't deal with any type of prosperity.

Can't make it easy

Yep, the Stars just can't have a game without drama, can they. They're still in this one, but once again they're battling back and giving up a bunch of goals. Four through two periods? Not so good, kids.

Although, it was almost five at the end of the period with that flurry of activity around the net. Turco made one stop, then lost his stick; Marty will be thanking Mark Fistric for his stop on the next shot. Crazy mess, but the Stars kept the Caps out of the net during the melee.

The Stars need to clean up fast. Again. They've gotten a ton of energy from Mike Modano's line (and Crombeen's goal was the first of his career). We'll see what the third brings.

Scorefest continues

OK, the scoring is getting busy now, so I'll try and sum up.

Tomas Fleischmann gets one top shelf of some more icky puck work in the Caps zone, and Washington took a 4-2 lead at 15:16. Just 39 seconds later B.J. Crombeen sent in a dribbler that managed to cross the line, and the Stars are back in it, 4-3, at 15:55. Be back soon for the second-period recap.

Fedorov gets another

A mess in the corner turns into a one-on-one between Sergei Fedorov and Marty Turco, and Fedorov wins with a shot through the five-hole for a 3-2 Caps lead at 11:23. Credit Alexander Semin, whose slick move got Philippe Boucher off balance, and it was off to the races after that. This has been a pretty quiet period for the Stars, who only have two shots on goal through 12-plus minutes of this period.

Stars end first with a goal

The Stars make the most of that power play at the end of the period. Sean Avery flicks a sweet backhand from behind the net, and Fabian Brunnstrom knocks it in for a 2-2 game at the end of one. Stephane Robidas is on the secondary assist, at 19:50.

OK, now for the first-period recap... pretty good for the Stars, but that second goal should've never materialized. Still need to clean up the sloppy stuff, the passes going backward which kinda drive ya crazy.

Stephane Robidas has the assignment of Alex Ovechkin, and so far he's doing a pretty darn good job of containing the guy. Yeah, he's had some chances, but this IS Ovechkin, kids. He's going to have chances, regardless of who's defending him.

Sean Avery's finally getting rewarded (points-wise, anyway) for his work. He's looking good thus far, as is the Mike Modano line.

Make that 2-1 Caps

A little sloppy, a pass that goes awry again, and the Capitals pounce. The Stars were chasing this as soon as that puck started heading toward their zone, and Tomas Fleischmann was by himself coming toward the slot as he wristed one through Turco for a 2-1 lead. Michael Nylander on the assist, at 16:58.

Make that 1-1

Sergei Fedorov ties the game on the power play, off a rebound that was sitting a little too long. Still, credit Fedorov with a sweet shot at 12:38. A couple of chances to clear went just out of reach, so the Caps had plenty of time in the zone.

Avery gets his first

Sean Avery gets his first goal as a Star to put the D-boys up 1-0. Mike Modano's work getting into the zone was a thing of beauty, and B.J. Crombeen's shot drew Jose Theodore out a bit, and left a big ol saucy rebound headed right toward Avery.

A big swing and it's 1-0 at 10:19. Caps about to go on the power play, though, with Crombeen in the box.