Last night, Washington D.C. provided a strange setting for a hockey game. With fans wearing shorts and the ice surface taking a beating, the Capitals beat the even-warmer-weather Carolina Hurricanes on the strength of Alexander Semin’s two goals in the final three minutes.

The Caps did not hold a lead until the final 11 seconds of the 60 minute contest against the Southeast Division leading Hurricanes. The Hurricanes scored on their first shot against Brent Johnson and played smothering defense all night long, seizing every opportunity to hit the Capitals and injuring Washington’s two best defensive players; Shaone Morrisonn and Sergei Fedorov.

In spite of the long odds against them, the Capitals hung in tight around their goalie and weathered the long storm. Brooks Laich hurt himself blocking a shot and then broke up a play while limping to the bench. Laich returned in the third period to help kill penalties. Johnson and defenseman Jeff Schultz played huge roles in killing off a minute-long two-man disadvantage.

Semin continued to show that he is a dominant player in the NHL, coming up with two amazing goals against the only team with a realistic shot of keeping the Caps out of the playoffs this year. His two goals pulled him back to second in the NHL in both goals and points. Semin was the NHL’s player of the month for October, during which he led the league in both categories and tied Dale Hunter’s record for points by a Capital in a season’s first nine games.