[Ed. Note: Welcome to VentureCapitals, a new weekly series by Greg Wyshynski covering the Washington Capitals and the National Hockey League. Wyshynski is an editor with The Connection Newspapers of Northern Virginia, and has been writing about hockey for several publications over the last 10 seasons. VentureCapitals will publish once a week on SportsFanMagazine.com and DCSportsDay.com, or more than once when there is a key game, breaking news and developing stories. E-mail Greg at jestersquart@hotmail.com with any questions or comments.] Good teams become great teams when you start noticed role players that make a difference in a game's most vital moments. It's one thing for a defensive line to slow or shut down the other team's top goal-scorers for 59 minutes; but what's it worth if they yield a game-tying - or winning goal - in that final 60 seconds? Wednesday night in Denver, the Washington Capitals had a two-goal lead when Kris Beech took a tripping penalty in the offensive zone at 16:20 of the third period. Andrew Brunette's fifth goal of the season, on a 6-on-4 power play, closed the lead to 4-3. The final moments of the game would be chaotic, with Colorado's cadre of snipers seeking to tie the game against goalie Olie Kolzig, who was playing perhaps his most effective game of the season, finishing with 45 saves. But it wasn't Kolzig who made the difference at the end - it was Rico Fata and Matt Bradley. Fata blocked a Colorado pass near the blueline and forced Joe Sakic - who scored his 1,500th point earlier in the game - to maneuver right into Bradley's real estate. Bradley stole the puck and was off to the races, scoring his second goal of the season into an empty net. Caps win, 5-3. Fata has consistently been one of the Capitals' top defensive forwards this season. In fact, he's been an underrated defensive player for years, playing well for some truly bad hockey teams. Take out that minus-46 with the 2003-04 Pittsburgh "Ovechkin/Malkin Derby" Penguins, and Fata's only a minus-13 for his career, including a plus-4 this year. RANDOM THOUGHTS * For the second time this season, Alexander Ovechkin put a scare into the Capitals. Weeks after being face down on the ice after a cheap hit against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ovechkin had to be helped to the locker room in the final seconds against the Avalanche, putting no weight on his right leg. Ovechkin took a Shaonne Morrisonn wrist shot off his leg and then hit the ice in pain with just under 3 seconds left in the game. The Calder Trophy winner told the Associated Press it was "just a little shot to the leg." Coach Glen Hanlon was jovial in his postgame press conference, telling reports that Ovechkin would be OK. "Unfortunately for him, he has no choice," he joked. No word if Hanlon was asked, or answered, why Ovechkin was out there to begin with in a game that had already been decided. * Speaking of Ovechkin, this may have been his first game this season that approached the kind of dazzling noteworthy performances he had as a rookie. He scored a key power play goal in the second period - a sniper shot from the left side that found its way past goalie Peter Budaj. He skated well all night, earning a penalty shot when former Capitals defenseman Ken Klee took him out of the play; Ovechkin would miss the net entirely aiming for Budaj's glove side on the ensuing shot. But, one night after his compatriot Evgeni Malkin lit up YouTube with a highlight reel goal against the New Jersey Devils, Ovechkin had one for the video vault for the first time this season. At 0:08 of the third period, Ovechkin took Colorado's Karlis Skrastins to the glass as the Avalanche player was passing the puck. Skrantins's shoulder shattered the pane into tiny granules, and off-ice officials began checking their hands for cuts. Ovechkin skated around during the delay, checking the video replays and talking with his teammates, coyly concealing his elation about the hit by hiding his laughter behind his glove. As of Thursday morning, it wasn't on YouTube...yet. * Washington visits Vancouver on Oct. 27 and then plays at Edmonton the following night. The Capitals close out the month at Calgary on Oct. 30. ### Questions, comments and hockey related rants can be sent to Greg Wyshynski at jestersquart@hotmail.com.