Alexander Semin, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom put on a clinic last night as the Capitals pounded Carolina, 5-1. Semin had a part in every Washington goal, scoring two and assisting on three, as he took over the NHL's scoring lead from Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, in what is sure to be an exciting scoring race all season. Ovechkin scored his fourth goal of the season, while Backstrom finally ended his season-long drought, picking up his first tally of the year. Between them, the trio combined for 12 points and a +12 on the night, as they tortured Carolina Goalie Michael Leighton.
The Capitals Blog Japers' Rink offers a nice breakdown of the game, including how this Capitals team can still get better, and a less-than-flattering performance by the oldest Staal brother, Eric.
I don't think I've ever seen a "superstar" have a worse period than Eric Staal did in the first. He botched tap-ins on an extended 5-on-3, lost a key defensive zone draw that led to the Caps' second goal, and just flat out stunk the building up. It's probably a different game if he has a better opening stanza.
