Ovie & Semin Vs. Richards & Carter- Reason To Watch Tonight's Tilt

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

There are very few match ups that catch the interest of NHL fans from coast to coast, tonight’s tilt between the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers, in Washington, has our attention.

The first time these teams met, the game turned into a barn burner with the Flyers pulling out a 6-5 victory in overtime. Mike Richards scored a hat trick, Alexander Ovechkin had three points, the stars were the stars, and that’s exactly what we NHL fans want when it comes to a game like this.

Washington comes into tonight’s game with an impressive 6-2-2 record through ten games. Averaging 3.60 goals per game, the Capitals offense is as dangerous as they come.

To nobody’s surprise, through ten games, Alexander Ovechkin leads the Caps with nine goals and eight assists. That said, the Caps are not a one man show. Nicklas Backstrom has two goals and nine assists, Alexander Semin has six goals and four assists, Brooks Laich has four goals and five assists and one-time Flyer, Mike Knuble has fit in nicely with the Caps, netting two goals and six assists.

Capitals all-star defenseman Mike Green seems to be turning the corner, exhibiting the offensive prowess he brought to the table in 2008-09. Through ten games, Green has two goals, six assists, but you just get the sense that this kid is ready to explode.

Between the pipes, it’s a tale of two cities. Jose Theodore, who will likely get the start in tonight's game, has looked very good, posting a 2-2-2 record, with a 2.55 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. Semyon Varlamov, last years playoff hero, has a 4-0 record, but his 3.24 goals against average and .884 save percentage proves his record has been more about good luck than good play.

As for the Flyers, averaging 3.33 goals per game, their offense is equally potent to that of the Caps and with a 25% success rate on the power play, the Capitals would be smart to stay out of the penalty box tonight.

Ray Emery is expected to get the start tonight. His 5-2-1 record, 2.57 goals against average and .904 save percentage, are impressive stats and a big reason for the Flyers early success.

Up front the Flyers have plenty of weapons. Mike Richards leads the team with six goals, right behind him, Daniel Briere has five goals and seems to be back on track after a tough 2008-09 season. Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and a surprising Arron Asham—who has three goals thus far—round out one of the NHL’s fiercest offense’s.

From the back end, the Flyers are getting exceptional offensive contributions from Chris Pronger and Matt Carle. Through nine games, Pronger has two goals and six assists and a healthy plus five rating. Carle, has one goal and eight assists, with a very impressive plus seven rating.

Look for these teams to bring a ton of emotion and skill to the arena. This should be another barn burner, and the possibility for another 6-5 game is very real. These head-to-head match-ups may very well decide which team gets home ice advantage in the playoffs, Eastern Conference pride is on the line.

Buckle up, this one is gonna be a beauty!

Until next time,

Peace!