If you haven’t seen this Caps-Habs II, boy have you missed a lot. What a game they’re seeing on Versus at nervous Verizon where Alex Ovechkin finally awoke netting a goal and three helpers just to get his team into sudden death. Yes. The Scott Gomez–Brian Gionta Habs once led 4-1 before the Caps furiously rallied in a chaotic third that featured a bit of everything. Hell. Tom Poti even beat up Gomez in a fight that only fired up the desperate home club and its Rock The Red supporters some more. Despite blowing a three-goal lead with Nicklas Backstrom tying it, the Habs went ahead once more off a dreadful Mike Green turnover that led to a pretty two-on-one give-and-go with Tomas “Jagr” Plekanec finishing off Mike Cammalleri’s backdoor set up. It would’ve made Gene Hackman proud from Hoosiers.

It looked like Montreal would hang on but unflappable WJC hero John Carlson surprised Jaroslav Halak with a brilliant rush and wrist shot low glove miraculously tying it 5-5 at 18:39. The poise this kid’s shown teaming with Poti to be by far the Caps’ best on an otherwise dreadful blueline is to die for. He also faked shot and then Halak let up a rebound for Ovie’s first of the postseason that made it 4-3. Amazing stuff that’s impressed strong Versus NYI/NYR duo Sam Rosen and Billy Jaffe. While Green has been a goat proving that he shouldn’t win the Norris, it’s been the 20 year-old Carlson- a 2008 first round pick selected 27th overall that’s stepped up.

Sudden death will be starting shortly. Will the Caps have a hero or will the league’s best regular season team be in a huge hole to eighth Montreal with it shifting to the Bell Centre? Fire up OT!