Capitals Extend Dominance Over Lightning

For more than two periods, the game was about possible retribution for a week-old goal celebration by Alex Ovechkin.

Then, with the game tied in the third, the player whose career was nearly ended by a concussion scored his first goal in more than a year, an emotional moment that brought the Verizon Center to its feet.

Brian Pothier's slap shot with 15:30 remaining proved to be the winning goal, and the Capitals maintained their dominance of the Lightning on Friday night with a 5-3 victory.

Ovechkin scored his 52nd and 53rd goals - and did nothing over-the-top after the puck went in either time - and added two assists for the Capitals, who blew a 3-1 first-period lead before holding on to beat the Lightning for the 10th straight time. Nicklas Backstrom scored his 20th and 21st goals. Ovechkin reached 100 points for the season with his second goal, an empty-netter with 7 seconds to play.

Marty St. Louis scored his 29th, and Steven Stamkos and Vinny Prospal added goals for the Lightning.

"We played hard tonight," St. Louis said. "Unfortunately we didn't get the result. But I think if we play like that with that kind of desperation and intensity game in and game out, we'd be very happy."

Pothier's career was in jeopardy after he was checked into the board by Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic on Jan. 3, 2008. The 31-year-old defenseman had headaches and dizziness for nearly a year, and he wasn't able to skate until a specialist fitted him with glasses that fixed his vision problems. He made his NHL return on March 16 - defying suggestions from some who thought he should retire - and he continues to do daily eye exercises.

"It's been a while and really feels good," Pothier said. "I had to hold back the emotion a little bit, but I feel like I'm contributing. To put one in and an important goal was pretty special."

This was Pothier's fourth game back, and his scoring shot threaded through a crowd of players to beat goaltender Mike McKenna high to the stick side. It was his first goal since Dec. 27, 2007 - also against the Lightning - and the first goal scored by any Capitals defenseman other than Mike Green in 16 games.

The game was the first between the teams since Ovechkin sparked a controversy with a premeditated celebration of his 50th goal in a 5-2 win in Tampa on March 19. The league's reigning MVP dropped his stick on the ice and pretended it was too hot to touch, riling the Lightning and touching off a week's worth of debates over whether such antics have a place in hockey.

There were no blatant cheap shots on the Russian, just a lot of physical hockey.