Capitals 5, Sabres 2: There wouldn’t be any shutout this time around. The Caps’ offensive stars got off to a flying start against Ryan Miller — who, on December 10, was the first goaltender to keep Washington goalless in nearly a year — en route to a 5-2 victory. It was a welcome return to home ice for the Caps, who had just returned from a long four-game road trip to the West. There was some real offensive expertise on display, and fast: Nick Backstrom’s one-timed opener — assisted by the Alexanders, Ovechkin and Semin, and Backstrom’s ninth in his last 11 games — arrived but 1:18 into the first. Mike Green added another about five minutes later, and Brendan Morrison impressively put one through his legs in the second to become the sixth Cap with double-digit goals this season. The home team appeared to be well on their way, but Buffalo’s Paul Gaustad and Tim Connolly both scored in the second to make a game of it. However, the Sabres were undisciplined in the third and paid for it. Backstrom and Ovechkin both scored 75 seconds apart, after two penalties (each drawn by Tomas Fleischmann) gave the Caps a two-man advantage halfway through the final period. Both goalies certainly got a work out with a combined 72 shots on goal, but young gun Michal Neuvirth bettered Miller — who had a rare off-night — with 32 saves.

Wizards 109, Bucks 97: One of DCist’s favorite local sports writers, Bullets Forever blogger MIke Prada, says that this might be the Wizards’ best win of the season. Well, let’s see: a scrappy twelve-point victory, on the road, the back-end of games on consecutive nights, with a team who looked like they actually cared on offense (four players in double figures, nine out of ten players with a positive +/-, 31-35 from the free throw line, over 50% from the field and 60% shooting from three) and featuring a defensive effort in which the Bucks scored fewer points each successive quarter? Yup, sounds about as good its going to get for the Wizards this season. Now to just hope that Gilbert Arenas’ thigh bruise takes care of itself over the Christmas break.