joe beninati and craig laughlin with you. craig is at the acela express telestrater. >> craig: the tying goal in this game, we'll pick it up along the wall. the puck comes up the wall. caps looks like they're in good shape. the first man back steckels holds it here. what he is trying to do is reverse it to the defenseman alzner or to get support here. what happens is, it's a whole con -- how do you say that, joe in conundrum? hold it here. >> joe: conundrum. >> craig: right. the shot to the net. nice hard shot but look what happens in front. little bit of panic. the caps chip it away. hold it here. another lost battle. right here. two on one, and the caps don't clear. it goes to the point, look at this. the deep pass and who is in front? watch this. hold it here. nice little play right here. watch plekanec. love this guy. look how he gets position, joe, and alzner is on the outside rather than the inside. and that's why we're tied at two a piece in montreal. here it is the acela express, joe. enjoy the journey. thanks for poi

top of the hour time, joe benny neat, craig laughlin with you. the nhl on comcast sportsnet from bell center in montreal. all the men and women in our technical crew for all their help. power play right now. for montreal once washington gets possession. >> craig: i'm surprised price wasn't out of the zone. i'm not even sure he realized that they were going to have the extra men, an offensive zone penalty against the caps, and giroux to the box. here is a look at the power play. there he is on the d and there comes the stumble and the fall. down goes to d man and to the power play come the montreal canadiens. down went big ryan o'byrne. >> joe: bruce boudreau putting up a protest. referees tonight, before tonight the power play had blank in five of the last six. they got one tonight. steckel looking for a shorthanded chance. the power play stats packaged by the ups store. >> craig: bruce was upset. i'm not sure he thought giroux got a piece of him. looks like the guy stumbled after he hit him with his stick. >> joe: andrei bergeron sets sale. this

joe benaniti with craig laughlin. right opt angle. >> craig: i think irbe is going to love that save. he was very square. >> reporter: locker references artus irbe. we'll have a feature on the caps' goaly coach between periods tonight. sloan with the shoulder hit from orr. ovechkin trying on gunnarsson for save, to eric fehr, fehr, looping in, fires, stick save and no rebound from toskala. we played 9:34. still looking for the first red light. for the guys in red. you are at the mid-way washing of this opening period. green with nine point in the last nine games. ahead, goes arye >> craig: that's what happens, you miss a game without scoring a power play and now you are shuffled to the second unit. the caps had gone stretch straight until last night shoring at least one power play >> joe: maple leafs dead last in terms of penalty killing. they were that way last year when they turn serred more goals that any team in the league >> craig: this is a team that takes way too many penalty if you are such a bad tempt killing

joe b and craig laughlin here with you. david tech el steckel. gets it bat. matt bradley to the front. ' blake and the acceleration down the wing. the towering jeff schultz gets his-- in his skating lane as green drills away from pressure. 252 seconds to go in the period. gunnarsson. ahead to kulemin. occupied by both green and fehr. offside against toronto. thompson creek window of opportunity, a near miss for the maple leafs. again, en odd man break, slap shot that makes it through a pass. this is a window of opportunity every night, every game here on csn >> joe: varlamov made 27 saves in his first appearance of the season against the maple leafs. he has 27 right now. the puck leaves the rink. >> craig: his number is just brilliant to start the career. 27 saves, lots of work for varlamov. it started out well and continued well. none of the shots beat him. it is a lucky bounce off the body. special feature by varlamov's goaly coach with net star one intermission live >> craig: artus irbe. i used to call him, when he used to play, the little lattian >> joe:

a preview of tonight's game joe ben natty and craig laughlin. >> one thing we know about bruce boudreau is he is true to his word. he said it night take a goalie 20 games or so to grab the reigns. looks like semyon varlamov is doing that. >> he is, joe. getting his fourth straight start. he has really been the man for the capitals. he has been terrific between the pipes, 25 saves the other night against the buffalo sabres. whether long range changes. stop attempts or roy on the doorstep. he seemed to have an answer. with young goalies it's all about positioning and setup and he has been picture-perfect for this 'caps team. >> his marks in the month of november have sparkled league wide. >> 4-1, stopped 197 at 209 shots in the seven games. 9 943 when it comes to the save percentage department. he is looking forward to this game tonight and he has to be calm against this canadiens team. >> let's analyze the caps top two centers. the guy in the second slot is outplaying the number one. >> you're talking morrison versus backstrom. they're two guys going different ways. morrison, he's had mo