WASHINGTON -- With Washington trailing after two periods and in danger of losing its fourth consecutive game, Capitals coach Dale Hunter figured it was time for a little bit of a rallying cry. jerseys from china . The gist of his speech in the locker room? According to forward Brooks Laich, "He said, Just quit trying to use your skill, and use your will a little bit more." Thats exactly what the Capitals did, and captain Alex Ovechkin led the way. After Marcus Johansson tied the game with 3:58 left in regulation, Ovechkin scored on a wrist shot at 4:09 of overtime, and Washington came back to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 Thursday night. "Right now, its (a) pretty hard time," Ovechkin said of Washingtons struggles while it tries to make the playoffs. "We just have to keep going and keep going." Hes mired in his poorest season and entered Thursday with only 26 goals and 23 assists, going without a point in three games. The two-time NHL MVP celebrated the 12th overtime goal of his career -- he had one last week to beat the Islanders for Washingtons previous victory -- by yelling and racing over to leap into the boards after taking Dmitry Orlovs pass. The goal was set up by poor puck management by the Lightning, allowing Capitals defenceman Dennis Wideman to gain possession and send it to Orlov, who found Ovechkin all alone on the right side, instead of his usual perch on the left. "If you come in here and you get a point, its not supposed to be disappointing," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said. "But its disappointing because it was just a dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb play, that last play." Ovechkins goal ruined the first NHL start by Lightning goalie Dustin Tokarski, who played quite well most of the evening and finished with 29 saves. The 22-year-old Canadian was recalled from Norfolk of the AHL on Wednesday, a day after Mathieu Garon got injured in a game. By the third period, Tokarski was severely dehydrated and fighting cramps. When there were breaks, he would drape an arm over his net to try to stay upright. Teddy Purcell helped the Lightning take the lead by extending his point streak to 11 games with a goal and an assist on power plays. He has seven goals and 15 assists during that run. About 11 minutes into the second period, Brett Connolly, a 19-year-old rookie forward, was hit in the head by what appeared to be Washington defenceman Mike Greens left arm. Connolly stayed down on the ice for a bit, then was taken toward the locker room. He returned before the end of the period. On the play, defenceman Orlov had Connolly pinned against the boards when Green joined in and knocked Connolly down. There was no penalty called. "I saw it. The league has to look at that. Its right at the head," Boucher said. "The heads targeted. For me, its clear. The ref didnt see it. But, you know, the refs are on the ice. They cant see everything. It happens so fast. Theres people beside them. "Its a head target. Its clear. We just watched it on video." Green wasnt available for comment after the game. Asked about the sequence, Hunter said: "Both teams were hitting hard." Washington led 1-0 after the first period on Keith Aucoins goal. Ryan Malone tied it for the Lightning at 7:25 of the second when the puck went in off his skate, and Purcell was credited with the go-ahead goal when his shot went in off Capitals defenceman John Carlsons skate with 1:18 left in that period. The Capitals managed only three shots in the second period, which closed with boos from the stands, a refrain growing more and more common. "We were frustrated. We were a little down on ourselves," Capitals defenceman Karl Alzner said, noting that before the third period, Hunter "just came in and pretty much told us to man up and start playing. Everybody." After getting that earful from Hunter, Washington applied a lot more pressure in the third and OT, resulting in Johanssons tying goal, then Ovechkins winner. "Well, you know, every game is like a playoff game right now," Hunter said. NOTES: Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun made his first start in seven games, and first at home in a month, and made 24 saves. ... In his last eight games in the minors, Tokarski was 8-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average. ... Tampa Bay opens a season-high, seven-game homestand on Saturday against Carolina. ... After going 2-2-1 on its five-game homestand, Washington will play the next six of seven on the road. wholesale nfl jerseys . The 35-year-old former Strikeforce welterweight champion was let go on Monday following over three years with the company.cheap jerseys from china .J. -- If people were looking for Richard Sherman to get the weeklong hype for the Super Bowl started with another rant, the Seattle cornerback disappointed them. ST. LOUIS -- Home opener hoopla was no distraction at all for Michael Wacha. Neither was the 49-degree chill for the first pitch. The 22-year-old rookie was definitely excited about the occasion and the opportunity. Just like last fall when he was the breakout pitching star of the post-season, he fed off the atmosphere. "Huge crowd out there, a lot of energy," Wacha said after the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Monday. "Its a lot of fun pitching in front of your home crowd, 40,000-plus fans. "I dont know who wouldnt thrive off those kind of situations." Wacha outdid Tony Cingrani in a rematch of young power arms, and the Cardinals got a three-run double from Yadier Molina in the first inning. "I didnt have my fastball, so what are you going to do? I just tried to battle," Cingrani said. "One bad pitch and it cleared the bases." A standing-room crowd of 47,492, the largest at 9-year-old Busch Stadium, braved daylong rain to greet the National League champions and take a look at the new Ballpark Village. Hundreds milled about the attached complex, which features five sports bars and rooftop seating. The Cardinals bunched three hits and a walk over the first five hitters to take the early lead against Cingrani (0-1), who allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings against the Cardinals six days earlier in Cincinnati. The Cards went 1 for 18 before adding RBIs from Matt Holliday and Allen Craig off Trevor Bell in a two-run seventh. St. Louis ended a three-game losing streak on opening day, including a blowout loss to the Reds last year. Wacha (1-0) hadnt allowed a run in 21 career innings against the Reds before back-to-back doubles by Brayan Pena and pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina in the fifth cut the Cardinals lead to 3-1. The NL championship series MVP benefited from two double-play balls in six stingy innings and has permitted one run in 13 2-3 innings his first two starts. Wacha threw 82 pitches before getting lifted for a pinch hitter with the Cardinals up by two runs and two on in the sixth. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny wanted to take a shot at putting the Reds away, but thought the right-hander had plenty left. "That was more of a situation of whats best for the day, whats best for that particular game," Matheny said. Cingrani needed 31 pitches to get through the first and lasted four innnings, striking out five but walking four. cheap jerseys. Matheny said before the game that his hitters had been a "click off" with timing against the 24-year-old lefty last week and should benefit from another chance so soon. Pena said he wasnt trying to make excuses but thought Cingrani was bothered by the elements. "The baseball was slippery. He couldnt grab his breaking ball the way he wanted," Pena said. Peter Bourjos moved up to second in the order and got his first two hits of the season after an 0-for-13 start. Craig got his third hit and third RBI of the season after entering 2 for 22. Seeing Wacha once again didnt do the Reds any good. Theyve totalled 18 runs in seven games. "Right now, almost collectively, weve struggled to do anything with guys in scoring position," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "But thatll change. Its tough to sit through it." The start of the game was delayed 12 minutes after the inclement weather combined with pregame ceremonies that featured the traditional grand entrance with players, coaches and Hall of Famers touring Busch Stadium on the back of convertibles and trucks. A team of Clydesdales was kept in the stable due to concerns the field might be damaged. Billy Hamilton doubled to start the game and the Reds put the leadoff man on base in the first four innings but were undone by two double plays. Zack Cozart broke an 0-for-22 slump to start the season with a bloop RBI single, and pinch-hitter Neftali Soto had a sacrifice fly for his first career RBI in the ninth against St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal, who gave up his first runs at home since Aug. 15 against Pittsburgh. The Cardinals opened the first with singles by Matt Carpenter and Bourjos, and Holliday walked to load the bases with none out. Craig struck out before Molina cleared the bases with a drive to left-centre on a 1-2 pitch. NOTES: Lance Lynn (1-0, 5.40 ERA) opposes Homer Bailey (0-1, 8.31) in the second game of the series, another rematch from the season-opening series in Cincinnati. Lynn allowed three runs in five innings and Bailey gave up four runs in 4 1-3 innings in St. Louis 7-6 win. ... The Reds anticipate activating reliever Jonathan Broxton (forearm) from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. The team held off making the move Monday to give Broxton two days off after pitching on consecutive days. wholesale jerseyscheap jerseys ' ' '
