Friday Roundup/Thrashers 4, Caps 3 (OT)

[NHL.com Recap - Official Scoresheet - Official Super Stats]

A second period that was a mirror image of Wednesday night's miserable middle frame and Brent Johnson's stellar goaltending earned the Caps a point in a fifth straight game, but in the end there was just too much Kari Lehtonen and the Caps fell to Atlanta 4-3 for the second time in six days. Read all about the game here.

Even though it's disappointing to lose a lead in the last minute of regulation and then the game minutes later, I'll take three points out of every back-to-back set of games, especially with the second game coming against a division leader who's been resting for nearly a week. Losses like this hurt, but hopefully they motivate even more.

A couple of notes from the game:

• Brian Pothier had more ice time (30:39) than Bryan Muir, Jakub Klepis, Rico Fata and Donald Brashear combined. Why is Klepis - 3:48 of ice time - even in the NHL right now?
• Brooks Laich was 1-for-8 on faceoffs and finished -2 for the game (and when the other team only scores two even strength goals, that's something). Steve Eminger was also a very stinky -2 and was Ilya Kovalchuk's slalom gate on multiple occasions.
  
• On the flip side of that coin, the entire first line and Pothier were on the ice for both Caps even strength goals and all four skaters ended up +2 for the night.
• The penalty-kill was strong again, successfully killing 6 of 7 penalties including a long 5-on-3.
  

Thread of the Day:

• Poll: We or They? How do you refer to your favorite team?
  

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• NHL.com has a great profile of Brian Sutherby up.
• Got Stats? Hockey-Recap does.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Marian Hossa (2G, including GTG with :33 left, A, shootout game-clincher, +2, 7 SOG, 3 takeaways, 0 giveaways, 1 blocked shot, J.P.'s jealous hatred)
  
• Ross: Sidney Crosby, Alexei Yashin, Brian Gionta, Patrik Elias, Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, Marian Hossa (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Sergei Gonchar (GWG in OT, A)
  
• Vezina: Mathieu Garon (40-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Glen Murray, Patrick Marleau, Marian Hossa (2G each)
  
• Calder: Evgeni Malkin (GTG, A, +1)
  
• Aiken: Derian Hatcher (-3, 2 giveaways - though he did take the penalty on which the Flyers scored their only goal, shorthanded; Hatcher is now dead last in the NHL in +/- by a mile)