The Capitals came in losing two of three including being shutout 5-0 twice.  Well tonight thanks to Alexander Semin’s 3rd hat trick of the season they did the shutting out beating the Lightning 6-0 at Verizon Center.  Click more for a full recap and to hear what Bruce Boudreau, Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom & John Carlson had to say following the victory.

The Lightning came in winners of five in a row and closed the Caps Southeast Division lead to four points…well the Caps came out firing early as John Carlson got it through traffic and by Mike Smith just over three minutes into the game to take an early 1-0 lead.  Marcus Johansson won the face off and got his first career assist.  He got another assist later on for his first multi-point night. 

It was 1-0 going to the second when the Caps really took charge.  First a little over four minutes in John Erskine threw a high puck at Smith which bounced behind him, hit his skate and in to make it 2-0.  Then a little over two minutes later Alexander Semin went on a four minute twenty nine second span of netting three goals including two power play goals to make it 5-0 and put the game away just a little over a minute after we reached the halfway point of the game.  Semin now has 17 goals on the season and it was his 3rd hat trick this season, including his second against the Lightning this year.  Lightning goalie Mike Smith was pulled for Dan Ellis after the fourth goal, but Ellis ended up letting in two of his own tonight.  In the third the Caps played a defensive minded game, but still got one by Ellis as Tom Poti netted his second wristing it through traffic and in.  Semyon Varlamov got his second win of the season and his 3rd career regular season shut out and 5th overall including the playoffs stopping all 17 shots.  The Caps on the other hand put 29 on the Lightning goaltenders while stopping the highest point and goal scorer in the NHL, Steven Stamkos. 

The Caps are now 16-6-2, 34 points on the season to lead the NHL. They are 11-1-1 at home also to lead the NHL, 12-0-1 when scoring a power play goal, 10-0-0 when leading after two periods, 15-0-1 when scoring at least three goals and 13-1-1 when Boyd Gordon is in he line up.  This was also the first time the Caps have ever had a hat trick & shut out in same game.  The Caps now host Carolina on Sunday who they beat in Carolina 3-2 on Wednesday.

Caps Goals:

1st 3:09 Carlson (3), Johansson (1)

2nd  4:38 Erskine(3), Fahey (1), Laich (11)

2nd 6:52 Semin (15), Johansson (2)

2nd 8:56 PP Semin (16), Backstrom (16), Ovechkin (20)

2nd 11:21 PP Semin (17), Backstrom (17), Ovechkin (21)

3rd 14:46 Poti (2), Hendricks (5)

Sky Kerstein is 106.7 The FAN’s Capitals Beat Reporter and a fill-in co-host.  Also you can find video recaps of every Caps game and post-game interviews on www.1067thefandc.com.  You can get in touch with Sky on Facebook or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/SkyKerstein.  (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)