WASHINGTON -- The game had a slightly surreal feel to it.
Before the opening faceoff, there was Scott Walker lined up next to Ray Whitney - Walker in a red Washington Capitals sweater, Whitney in Carolina Hurricanes white. Soon after the faceoff, there was Joe Corvo trying to chase down Eric Staal - Corvo No. 77 for the Caps, Staal controlling the puck for the Canes.
A little more than a week ago, the four were together on the ice, trying to win games for the Hurricanes. A big trade day changed all that, creating new faces in the lineups and new rivals in the Southeast Division rivalry.
But in the end, it was about playing hockey. It also was about overtime before the Caps won 4-3 Wednesday night at the Verizon Center.
Tomas Fleischmann's goal with 1:40 left in overtime was the difference, as Fleischmann took a pass from Eric Belanger in the right circle and beat goaltender Manny Legace with a low shot that hugged the ice.
Mike Green had two power-play goals, and Alexander Semin an early even-strength score for the Caps in regulation.
The Canes answered with goals from Patrick Dwyer, Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen in forcing a 3-3 tie after two periods, as the goaltenders, Legace and Jose Theodore of the Caps, held strong in the third.
"I thought it was a real strange bouncing game," Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "Most of the best chances to score never got to the net.
"But they're a pretty powerful team. They play well at home. And I thought we did a good job battling back and finding a way to get some goals."
Walker and Corvo were traded by the Hurricanes to the Caps on March 3, the NHL trade deadline. The deal also brought defenseman Brian Pothier and prospect Oskar Osala to the Canes, and Osala was in the lineup after being recalled Wednesday from the Albany River Rats of the AHL to replace an ill Erik Cole.
The Caps were coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday that ended Washington's 13-game winning streak on home ice, a franchise record. But the Caps, who led 2-0 in that game, were 25-3-4 at the Verizon Center and had not lost in regulation since a 6-3 loss on Dec. 28 - to the Hurricanes.
Sure enough, the Caps grabbed another 2-0 lead. Semin, who always seems to torment the Canes, took a stretch pass, blew into the Carolina zone and back-handed a shot past Legace just 2:24 into the game.
Green's first power-play goal made it 2-0, but only after the Canes' Brandon Sutter failed on a penalty shot - the result of a Green trip as Sutter roared in for a short-handed try.
"They kind of fumbled it on the power play, and me and [Chad LaRose] just took off," Sutter said. "On the penalty shot I just tried to make a move, and he made a good save.
"We got better as the game went on. Toward the end of the first we started getting our game back and in the second came out a lot better."
The Canes seemed outmatched to that point, especially on the back end. But Sutter's play, with some hustle from LaRose on the penalty kill, energized the Hurricanes, who picked up the pace and kept up an aggressive forecheck.
Dwyer scored 18 seconds after Green's goal, banging a rebound past Theodore.
"That was a big goal for us, and after that I thought we started to get it going a little," Maurice said.
Ruutu's goal at 8:43 of the second tied the score 2-2. The Caps jumped back in front 3-2 on Green's second power-play goal, only to have Jokinen tie it again with a power-play score with 4:57 left in the second.
The goal, off an assist from Ruutu, was Jokinen's 27th and gave him goals in three straight games. It came after forward Zach Boychuk first had the puck stolen by Corvo, then was clipped by Walker near center ice.
The Canes began the third period on the power play but couldn't score, and Legace had a few adventures trying to handle the puck. Legace shut out the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday, but the Caps offer relentless offensive pressure.
Another Carolina power play early in the third, after a Semin slash, went for naught. Alex Picard and then Staal got off hard shots, but Theodore made the stops.
Having played the Eastern Conference leaders, the Hurricanes return home tonight to complete the back-to-back - against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the No. 2 team in the East and the defending Stanley Cup champions.
