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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
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		<description>RUWT? News for Washington Capitals</description>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:44:42 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:44:42 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kessel, Hagman lift Maple Leafs in shootout]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[TORONTO(AP) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs figured they had nothing to
lose.

Locked in a winless slide and facing another potential loss in
the shootout, the Maple Leafs decided to turn around their
helmets in an effort to turn their luck.

Phil Kessel and Niklas Hagman each responded with shootout
goals, and Vesa Toskala turned aside a pair of Washington
shooters, giving Toronto a 2-1 victory over the Capitals on
Saturday night.

It was the first time in seven attempts this season the Leafs
had won a game that went to extra time. Nothing about this
season seems to have gone to plan and the players had no concern
about looking silly in their rally helmets.

"It doesn't matter how we look if we win," Hagman said. "You've
got to change something up."

Added coach Ron Wilson: "It's nice that they're trying to change
their luck."

The Maple Leafs are off to their worst start since 1990 - the
last time the franchise had just four wins through 21 games -
but this team doesn't appear to be as bad as its 4-11-6 record.
It has been competitive the majority of nights this season and
is just 2-9 in one-goal games.

A string of bad luck changed against the Capitals before the
game even reached a shootout.

Hagman scored Toronto's lone regulation goal without even using
his stick. The Finn was skating hard to the goal when Jason
Blake's shot deflected off a Caps defender, hit Hagman in the
hip and got behind Semyon Varlamov at 16:49 of the second
period.

It was the kind of break the team desperately needed.

"We got a luck break on our goal, but I think we deserved it,"
Wilson said.

The good fortune continued late in the third period as
Washington's Eric Fehr and Brian Pothier each had shots hit the
post in the final three minutes. Fehr also had his stick break
while coming in on Toskala with the Capitals first attempt in
the shootout.

The victory was especially big coming on the heels of Thursday's
loss in Carolina, where Toronto blew a 3-0 lead, allowed the
tying goal in the final seconds and was beaten in a shootout.

"It shows we got character," defenseman Ian White said. "We're
not just going to fold over and skate away."

The Leafs were certainly fortunate to be facing a Capitals team
that was not only playing for the second straight night, but was
also missing seven players due to injury.

Alex Ovechkin scored in regulation for Washington (13-5-5), but
was a shadow of his dynamic self. Overall, the Caps appeared
sluggish and were only able to keep it close because of
Varlamov's 38 saves.

"I think they had more gas," said Ovechkin, referring to the
Maple Leafs.

One person surprised to see Toronto occupying the NHL's basement
is Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. He often watches the team play
on television and thinks the Maple Leafs are better than their
record shows.

"I have no idea why they're in the position they're in, but I
know they're a dangerous club," Boudreau said. "They can throw
guys over the boards, they can play the game.

"They're going to turn it around very shortly. Whether they're
too far (out of the playoffs) or not, I don't know. But they're
going to be a hard team to play against in the not-too-distant
future."

Even still, this was a matchup of teams at the top and bottom of
the Eastern Conference.

No stat better highlights the gap between them than one that
came to light after Ovechkin opened the scoring at 17:11 of the
first period. The goal gave the Caps the lead - something
they've had at some point in all 23 games this season - and
marked the 18th time in 21 games the Leafs have surrendered the
first goal.

Ovechkin's 16th of the season was classic No. 8. He took a nifty
pass from streaking defenceman Mike Green and beat Toskala with
the kind of quick, hard shot that only a handful of players in
the world are capable of unleashing.

NOTES: Ovechkin has 16 goals in 17 career games against Toronto.
... Garnet Exelby and Rickard Wallin were scratched for the
Maple Leafs. ... The Washington sick bay includes: Milan Jurcina
(lower body), Mike Knuble (broken finger), Boyd Gordon (back),
Alexander Semin (wrist), Quintin Lang (broken jaw), Shaone
Morrisonn (upped body) and Tom Poti (upper body).]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136210-Kessel-Hagman-lift-Maple-Leafs-in-shootout</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136210-Kessel-Hagman-lift-Maple-Leafs-in-shootout</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:23:07 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Capitals-Maple Leafs Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

Washington (13-4-4) at Toronto (3-11-6), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Despite losing their last game, the Washington Capitals own the
NHL's best home record. Starting a difficult stretch on the
road, however, couldn't come against a weaker opponent.

On Saturday night, the banged-up Southeast Division leaders face
the league-worst Toronto Maple Leafs, who will try to avoid
dropping their sixth in a row.

Washington came away with its first home loss in regulation
since Oct. 8 after falling 3-2 Friday to Montreal. Eric Fehr and
Brendan Morrison scored for the Capitals (13-5-4), the league
leaders with 81 goals.

Playing in his second game after missing six with an upper body
injury, Alex Ovechkin logged almost 23 1/2 minutes and took five
of the Capitals' 34 shots. He failed to record a point, though,
for the fourth time this season.

Michal Neuvirth - a surprise starter in goal - finished with 19
saves in his season debut. Jose Theodore was not with the team
due to personal reasons while Semyon Varlamov was given the
night off but should start this game.

"The biggest thing was I didn't think we were ready at the start
of the game. We were flat. ... We went out there and thought it
was going to be an easy win," said Washington coach Bruce
Boudreau.

Still, the Capitals are 7-2-3 at the Verizon Center, including a
6-4 win over Toronto on Oct. 3. Ovechkin, the two-time reigning
league MVP, scored 1:17 into the game and added two assists
while Alexander Semin scored his first two goals of the season
and had an assist.

Now, Boudreau's club will play 11 of its next 14 on the road,
where it owns a 6-3-1 record. The Caps will begin the trip
short-handed.

Tom Poti left early Friday with an upper body injury, joining
Semin (wrist), Mike Knuble (broken finger), Boyd Gordon (back),
Milan Jurcina (lower body), Quintin Laing (broken jaw) and
Shaone Morrisonn (upper body) among the wounded.

In a matchup involving the NHL's two weakest teams Thursday,
Toronto (3-11-6) fell alone into the cellar in heartbreaking
fashion.

The Maple Leafs led 3-0 after one period against Carolina and
were seconds away from ending their skid. Rookie Jonas
Gustavsson, though, gave up the tying goal to Erik Cole at 19:57
and failed to stop both shooters in the tiebreaker en route to a
6-5 loss.

"We definitely let one get away there," said Matt Stajan, who
scored his fifth goal. "It's been the story all year. ...
Nothing's going right. We score a goal late, it seems like
things are going to turn, and they get one with 2 seconds left.
I'm kind of at a loss for words."

Alexei Ponikarovsky, who had a goal and an assist, tried to
explain what's next for the floundering Original Six team.

"Where do you go? You go back to Toronto, you go to sleep, you
wake up the next morning and you go to the practice, you stay
focused on whatever needs to be done," he said. "Same old things
again, all over. Just get ready for the next game and go out and
win the next one."

Toronto is 1-6-2 at the Air Canada Center this season, and has
alternated losses and wins in its last six home games against
the Capitals.

Ponikarovsky and Mikhail Grabovski each had a goal and an assist
in the loss at Washington last month.

Toronto could be without enforcer Colton Orr (foot), according
to the team's official Web site. He leads the club with 59
penalty minutes.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135876-Capitals-Maple-Leafs-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135876-Capitals-Maple-Leafs-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:39:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Canadiens withstand comeback, beat Capitals 3-2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON(AP) -- The Montreal Canadiens were leading by a goal
late in the game, ready to pull off a road upset of the
Washington Capitals.

Then Maxim Lapierre gets sent off for hooking with 1:52 left.
The Capitals pull their goaltender for the final minute.
Montreal netminder Carey Price loses his stick.

And the Canadiens can't clear the zone. They are under siege
with no stoppage in sight.

Talk about a frenzied two-minute drill.

"It felt like we were in our own end for 10 minutes," Price said
after Montreal's 3-2 victory Friday night. "There was a lot of
red out there. Especially when I lost my stick. I've got six
players against four with no stick. That makes it pretty tough."

Somehow Price and the Canadiens held on. The closest Washington
came to tying it was when Mike Green rattled the right post in
the final seconds. Montreal won for only the third time in nine
road games, despite getting outshot 27-8 over the last two
periods.

"The last 3 1/2 minutes were kind of hectic," Canadiens coach
Jacques Martin said. "But up to that point I felt we were
managing the game well."

Travis Moen and Tomas Plekanec scored in a three-minute span
early in the second period, and Michael Cammalleri added a
power-play goal in the third for the Canadiens. Price finished
with 32 saves.

Eric Fehr and Brendan Morrison scored for the Capitals, and
Michal Neuvirth made 19 saves in his season debut. Neuvirth got
the call because veteran Jose Theodore is dealing with personal
issues and youngster Semyon Varlamov got a day off in the first
half of a back-to-back.

"It's easy to rip on your players when you lose to a team that's
below you in the standings," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau
said, "but I thought Montreal played a strong game. The biggest
thing was I didn't think we were ready at the start of the game.
We were flat. ... We went out there and thought it was going to
be an easy win."

After the game, it was again time to count the injuries between
two teams already dealing with too many ailing bodies. Montreal
center Scott Gomez sustained a lower body injury, and Moen had
an undisclosed injury. Martin said he had no word yet on either
player, and that both would be evaluated Saturday.

For the Capitals, Tom Poti left early with an upper body injury,
adding his name to a list that includes Alexander Semin (wrist),
Mike Knuble (broken finger), Boyd Gordon (back), Milan Jurcina
(lower body), Quintin Laing (broken jaw) and Shaone Morrisonn
(upper body).

Washington took a first-period lead when Fehr beat Price
glove-side through traffic from the left circle, but the
Canadiens came back with a pair of goals not long after the
first intermission.

Moen tied it when he redirected Roman Hamrlik's drive from the
blue line, and Plekanec made it 2-1 with a close-range shot that
appeared to hit Morrison's hand and then trickled through
Neuvirth's legs. Montreal recorded only four shots in the second
period, but two found the net.

The Canadiens also didn't have a power play in the first two
periods - in fact, they have not drawn more than four advantages
in their last 12 games - but they capitalized in the third after
Brooks Laich went off for tripping. Cammalleri, who had scored
one goal in his previous six games, netted his ninth of the
season during the man advantage with 7:31 remaining to put
Montreal ahead 3-1.

Then Morrison scored with 2:32 remaining to pull Washington
within a goal, setting up the furious finish.

"We turned it on at the end," Morrison said. "But it was too
little, too late."

NOTES: D Ryan O'Byrne returned for the Canadiens after missing
19 games with a lower body injury, and RW Georges Laraque was
back after sitting out 13 games with an upper body injury. ...
Washington D John Carlson made his NHL debut. The 27th overall
pick in the 2008 draft, the 19-year-old Carlson is the youngest
Capitals player to make his debut since Semin in the 2003-04
season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135826-Canadiens-withstand-comeback-beat-Capitals-3-2</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135826-Canadiens-withstand-comeback-beat-Capitals-3-2</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:59:02 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Canadiens-Capitals Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

Montreal (10-11-0) at Washington (13-4-4), 7:00 p.m. EDT

After missing more than two weeks with an injury, Alex Ovechkin
wasted little time finding the back of the net in his return to
the ice.

In his first game in Washington since the start of November,
Ovechkin looks to help the Southeast Division-leading Capitals
win their fourth straight home game Friday night against a
Montreal Canadiens team that has had little success on the road.

Ovechkin missed six games because of an upper-body injury,
believed to be a strained left shoulder, but came back with a
flourish in a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
Playing his 15th game, Ovechkin scored his 15th goal with 4:56
left in the first period while the Capitals were on the power
play.

"It's always nice when you get hurt and you come back and you
score in the first period on your first shot," said Ovechkin,
who is tied with the Rangers' Marian Gaborik for the league
lead. "You feel pretty good about yourself. After that I feel
pretty cool. I was not afraid to take some hits and go battle."

Washington (13-4-4), which went 4-2-0 while Ovechkin was out,
has earned at least one point in the last 10 games the two-time
reigning league MVP has played (7-0-3).

This will be Ovechkin's first game at the Verizon Center since
suffering the injury in a 5-4 overtime loss to Columbus on Nov.
1. The Capitals have totaled 15 goals in winning three games in
the nation's capital since.

Although Ovechkin has returned, Washington is still a little
banged-up.

Left wing Quintin Laing - out three games earlier this season
with swine flu - is expected to miss up to six weeks with a
broken jaw suffered Tuesday and Alexander Semin could miss his
second straight game with a sore right wrist.

Semin, who was wearing a brace during Wednesday's practice, is
tied with Brooks Laich for second on the team with nine goals.

Goaltender Jose Theodore returned to practice Wednesday after
missing Tuesday's game due to personal matters, but his status
is uncertain for this contest. Theodore spent his first 8 1/2
seasons in the NHL with the Canadiens (10-11-0), winning the
Hart and Vezina Trophies in 2002.

He recorded a 1.44 goals-against average with one shutout in
winning both starts against his former team last season.

Semyon Varlamov has been stellar in net as Theodore's
replacement this season, going 8-1-0 with a 2.59 GAA in 10
games. In his only career start against Montreal on Dec. 13,
Varlamov stopped 32 shots in a 2-1 victory.

The Capitals went 3-1-0 against the Canadiens last season with
Ovechkin recording two goals and two assists.

Montreal is coming off Tuesday's 3-2 shootout win over Carolina,
its second victory in five games.

Carey Price, who tied a team record with 53 saves in Saturday's
2-0 loss at Nashville, turned aside 30 shots and stopped all six
Carolina attempts in the tie-breaker. Maxim Lapierre scored the
winner in the shootout after Andrei Kostitsyn drew Montreal even
17:14 into the third.

"We didn't play the way we wanted in the first two periods but
we got the two points, that's the only thing that matters right
now," Lapierre said.

Montreal is trying to notch back-to-back victories for the first
time since winning a season-best four straight from Oct. 20-26.
Accomplishing this could be difficult on the road, though.

The Canadiens are 2-6-0 away from Montreal since Oct. 6,
tallying two goals or fewer in six of those contests. They've
also lost three straight in Washington.

Price is 0-0-2 with a 3.82 GAA in two career starts against the
Capitals.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135580-Canadiens-Capitals-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135580-Canadiens-Capitals-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:21:48 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Capitals' Laing has broken jaw, Semin questionable]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ARLINGTON, Va.(AP) -- The Washington Capitals expect left wing
Quintin Laing to miss up to six weeks with a broken jaw, while
left wing Alexander Semin is questionable with a right wrist
injury.

Laing was hurt in Tuesday's win over the New York Rangers. He
had metal plates inserted into his jaw during surgery.

Semin missed the Rangers game and was wearing a brace on his
wrist Wednesday. An MRI exam revealed no serious damage.

Goaltender Jose Theodore was at practice after missing Tuesday's
game due to personal matters, but his status is uncertain for
Friday's game against Montreal.

Alex Ovechkin also practiced, showing no obvious effects from
the injury that caused him to miss six games. The two-time
reigning league MVP scored a goal Tuesday in his first game
back.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135074-Capitals-Laing-has-broken-jaw-Semin-questionable</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135074-Capitals-Laing-has-broken-jaw-Semin-questionable</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:02:57 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ovechkin tops Gaborik and Rangers in return]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- Alex Ovechkin gave the Washington Capitals a jolt
simply by returning to the lineup. Matt Bradley delivered the
jump they needed with a bloody fight and a big third-period
goal.

Ovechkin scored in his first game back from a two-week absence,
and Bradley rebounded from a messy brawl to lift the Capitals to
a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

With Washington down 1-0 and being outplayed by New York in the
opening minutes of the game, Bradley took on Aaron Voros in a
lengthy bout in which both players doled out haymakers. When it
was done, Bradley skated off with blood covering his face and
went to get six stitches over his left eye.

"If you're ever going to get into a fight at the time, I think
that might've been one of them," Bradley said. "It didn't bother
me. I could feel the blood coming, but there is no pain or
anything. It's just one of those things that is more annoying
than anything. You have to go in and get stitches and you have
to miss five minutes.

"It won't be my last one."

The injuries didn't affect him when he knocked the puck away
from Wade Redden and raced up ice on a break. Matt Gilroy
couldn't deny him from behind, and Bradley beat Henrik Lundqvist
with a rising shot to the glove side for his fourth of the
season.

"Even if he takes a penalty, he can't allow that shot to be
taken. I thought he had an opportunity to stop it," Rangers
coach John Tortorella said of the rookie Gilroy. "He needs to
realize that he needs to pull out with Redds stuck on the boards
there. It's a bump, but he'll learn from it."

Ovechkin missed six games because of an upper body injury,
believed to be a strained left shoulder, but came back with a
flourish. He netted his NHL-leading 15th goal, in only 15 games,
while New York's Sean Avery sat in the penalty box. That erased
the Rangers' 1-0 advantage in the first period.

"It's always nice when you get hurt and you come back and you
score in the first period on your first shot," Ovechkin said.
"You feel pretty good about yourself. After that I feel pretty
cool. I was not afraid to take some hits and go battle."

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau earned his 100th NHL victory.

Marian Gaborik scored both goals for the Rangers and moved into
a tie with Ovechkin with his 15th, Gaborik gave New York a 1-0
lead just 1:16 in and then made it 2-2 at 8:23 of the third with
a power-play goal against Washington backup goalie Semyon
Varlamov.

Gaborik has carried the Rangers' offense this season. After a
2-1 shootout victory at Ottawa on Saturday, New York was trying
to win back-to-back games for the first time since mid-October.

"Of course it's frustrating," Gaborik said. "We had a good
start, but we took a couple of bad penalties and they scored, We
have to try to be disciplined."

The Rangers led 5-4 in shots, but didn't record one for the
final 15 minutes, 28 seconds of the first period and 3:52 of the
second.

Brooks Laich pushed the Capitals in front 2-1 when he got to a
rebound of defenseman Mike Green's shot in the crease and
knocked it past Lundqvist with 4:16 remaining in the second.
Green also earned the primary assist on Ovechkin's goal.

Brian Pothier scored an empty-netter with 16.7 seconds left.

The Rangers were fortunate to be trailing by only a goal heading
into the third as they were outshot 21-11 through 40 minutes.
New York finished with 20 shots, tying its season low.

New York netted the equalizer when Gaborik scored from the goal
line to Varlamov's right, snapping in a shot from a difficult
angle. The Rangers converted on the second of back-to-back
penalties.

Washington went 4-2 while Ovechkin was out, then beat New York
despite missing top forward Alexander Semin, who was sidelined
by a sore right wrist. Varlamov got the start in place of No. 1
goalie Jose Theodore, who was home because of a personal reason.

Varlamov played well against the Rangers after replacing
Theodore in the nets during the first round of last season's
playoffs and was a major reason why the Capitals erased a 3-1
series deficit and advanced.

Bradley made the difference this time.

"It's amazing," Boudreau said. "He got cut pretty good, came
back and was instrumental in us winning. He's got oodles of
character."

NOTES: Boudreau is 100-45-19. ... The Capitals recalled C Jay
Beagle and G Michal Neuvirth from Hershey (AHL). Beagle replaced
Semin in the lineup, and Neuvirth served as Varlamov's backup.
In his fourth NHL game, Beagle earned his first point with an
assist on Bradley's goal. ... The Rangers are 4-8-1 since their
seven-game winning streak ended Oct. 17.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134885-Ovechkin-tops-Gaborik-and-Rangers-in-return</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134885-Ovechkin-tops-Gaborik-and-Rangers-in-return</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:10:54 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Ovechkin back in lineup for Capitals vs. Rangers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- Alex Ovechkin was back in the Washington Capitals
lineup on Tuesday night after the star forward missed two weeks
because of an injury.

The two-time NHL MVP practiced with his teammates on Tuesday
morning and came through that and the pregame warmup without any
setbacks. Ovechkin was sidelined for six games because of an
upper body injury, believed to be a left shoulder strain. He
entered Tuesday tied for the NHL lead with 14 goals despite
playing only 14 games.

While the Capitals welcomed back Ovechkin when they faced the
New York Rangers, Washington was without top forward Alexander
Semin, who has been bothered by a sore right wrist. Semin was
injured last week, but hadn't missed a game because of his wrist
until he sat out Tuesday night.

Ovechkin got hurt against Columbus on Nov. 1. The Southeast
Division-leading Capitals won four of six games without him. He
was excited to get back to game action.

"It's going to be a pretty cool moment for me," he said.

The Capitals were also missing goalie Jose Theodore, who
returned home because of a personal matter.

Semyon Varlamov, who played well against the Rangers in last
season's playoffs when the Capitals erased a 3-1 series deficit
in the first round to advance, started in goal at New York.
Washington recalled Michal Neuvirth from Hershey of the AHL on
Tuesday to be Varlamov's backup.

Varlamov is 6-1 in his past seven outings with a 2.09 goals
against average.

One other injury question mark for Washington was the status of
forward David Steckel, who was struck in the foot by a puck
during practice on Monday. Steckel was in the lineup along with
center Jay Beagle, who was recalled from on Tuesday from Hershey
and replaced Semin.

The Capitals were already missing forwards Mike Knuble (broken
finger), Boyd Gordon (back), and defenseman Milan Jurcina (lower
body). Knuble has missed one game and is expected to be
sidelined for 3 to 4 weeks. Jurcina will miss his third game.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134764-Ovechkin-back-in-lineup-for-Capitals-vs-Rangers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134764-Ovechkin-back-in-lineup-for-Capitals-vs-Rangers</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:45:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Capitals-Rangers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Washington (12-4-4) at New York (11-8-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The last time the Washington Capitals visited Madison Square
Garden, they avoided playoff elimination with a dominant
offensive display. Now, they're expecting to get their most
potent offensive force back on the ice.

After missing six games with an injury, Alex Ovechkin is
expected to return Tuesday night when the Capitals visit the New
York Rangers.

Washington (12-4-4) won a second consecutive Southeast Division
title last season, earning the No. 2 seed in the Eastern
Conference playoffs.

That success, however, was nearly muted when the Capitals fell
behind 3-1 in their first-round playoff series with the
seventh-seeded Rangers. Washington, though, rallied to win the
final three games to take the series, but the turning point may
have come in Game 6 at MSG. The Capitals built a four-goal
second-period lead en route to a 5-3 win that sent the series
back to the nation's capital, where they won 2-1.

Washington was eliminated by eventual champion Pittsburgh in the
second round.

Ovechkin, who practiced with the team Tuesday, had three goals
and four assists in the series against the Rangers, including
one goal in Game 6.

The two-time reigning Hart Trophy winner is expected to be back
in uniform Tuesday after an upper-body injury sidelined him for
six games. He suffered the injury during an overtime loss to
Columbus on Nov. 1.

"Unless something negative happens this afternoon and I don't
get the OK from (trainer Greg Smith) to play him, then I think
he would be back," coach Bruce Boudreau said after practice.

Washington is 4-2-0 without him, with both defeats coming on the
road against New Jersey. It fell 5-2 to the Devils on Saturday.

Despite being out, Ovechkin's 14 goals are tied for the league
lead with San Jose's Dany Heatley and Anze Kopitar of Los
Angeles. The three-time All-Star also has the team lead with 23
points, and he appears to be confident that he'll have a chance
to add to that total Tuesday.

"We'll see (Tuesday)," Ovechkin said. "I feel pretty good and
excited. We'll see (Tuesday) how I feel."

Ovechkin has 10 goals and eight assists in 17 games against New
York, but was held without a point in the last meeting, a 4-3
loss at home on Oct. 8.

The Capitals are 1-6-2 in their last nine regular-season visits
to MSG.

The Rangers (11-8-1) are looking to build on Saturday's 2-1
shootout win at Ottawa as right wing Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau
scored the decisive attempt in the seventh round.

New York is 4-7-1 since a seven-game winning streak that
included the win at Washington.

The team will likely be without captain Chris Drury for a third
consecutive game after the center suffered a concussion on a hit
to the head by Curtis Glencross in a 3-1 loss at Calgary on Nov.
7. The hit went unpenalized, but two days later the NHL
suspended Glencross for three games.

The Rangers have split two games without Drury.

New York hopes Marian Gaborik can help it win consecutive games
for the first time since that seven-game run last month. Gaborik
has two goals and four assists in the last four games. He ranks
second in the league in goals (13) and points (25), and eight of
his goals have come at home, where the Rangers are 6-3-0.

Gaborik upstaged Ovechkin in the first meeting, scoring two
goals, including the eventual winner with 9:28 to play in the
third period. Those were his first two goals against the
Capitals after being held without one in seven previous meetings
while playing for Minnesota.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134669-Capitals-Rangers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134669-Capitals-Rangers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:10:41 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[G Theodore leaves Capitals for personal reasons]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON(AP) -- Goalie Jose Theodore has left the Capitals to
travel back to Washington for personal reasons.

To replace him, the team recalled Michal Neuvirth (NOY-vihrt)
from the Hershey Bears of the AHL to be the backup to goalie
Semyon Varlamov against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

The Capitals expect Theodore to be away only for one day.

Washington also recalled center Jay Beagle from Hershey.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134763-G-Theodore-leaves-Capitals-for-personal-reasons</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134763-G-Theodore-leaves-Capitals-for-personal-reasons</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:05:36 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Capitals' Ovechkin appears set to return Tuesday]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NEWARK, N.J.(AP) -- Two-time reigning league MVP Alex Ovechkin
appears set to return from his injury layoff when the Washington
Capitals visit the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Asked after Monday morning's practice whether Ovechkin would be
back in the lineup, coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters: "As of
today, he's is."

Ovechkin sustained an upper-body injury against Columbus on Nov.
1. The Southeast Division-leading Capitals have won four of six
games since he was hurt.

Ovechkin has 14 goals and nine assists this season. He says he's
ready to go, but would wait to see how he's feeling Tuesday.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134494-Capitals-Ovechkin-appears-set-to-return-Tuesday</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134494-Capitals-Ovechkin-appears-set-to-return-Tuesday</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:05:27 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parise's breakaway leads Devils to 8th win in row]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

NEWARK, N.J.(AP) -- The New Jersey Devils are playing so well that
even an early two-goal deficit is no sweat.

Zach Parise's breakaway highlighted a three-goal second period,
and the Devils won their eighth straight game with a 5-2 victory
over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.

"That's not the way we wanted to start," said captain Jamie
Langenbrunner, who started the big second period with a
power-play goal. "But the one thing we have shown is that we are
not letting little things like that rattle us. There was a lot
of game left and we knew we hadn't played well. We got one back
in the first and from the second on, we played our game."

Rookie Matt Halischuk and defensemen Colin White and Cory Murphy
also scored, and Martin Brodeur had 27 saves as New Jersey ended
the Capitals' four-game winning streak and beat them for the
third time in three meetings this season.

"We've been down before," Devils center Travis Zajac said. "We
know how to win games and that's been the common theme, we
haven't let it bother us and we have been able to come back and
play better."

Tomas Fleischmann and Mathieu Perreault scored in the opening
5:02 for Washington, but it was all New Jersey after that. The
Devils scored five goals on 23 shots.

"We get up 2-0 and it seems we just think it is going to be an
easy game," Capitals defenseman Mike Green said. "There are
still 40 minutes left in the game and we have some guys who
maybe change their game a little bit, and we can't have that. We
have to play as a team. We have to play the same way for 60
minutes, and when we do we win games."

The Capitals played their sixth straight game without two-time
NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin, who sat out again because of an
upper-body injury. He might return Tuesday in New York against
the Rangers.

New Jersey's eight consecutive wins are a league best this
season. The Devils also will try to tie the NHL record for
consecutive road wins to start the season when they go for their
10th straight on Monday in Philadelphia. Buffalo set the mark in
2006.

Washington had the better of the play for the opening 9 minutes,
before a lucky bounce got the Devils going.

White took a cross-ice pass from Langenbrunner on a rush and his
40-foot shot hit off the leg of Washington defenseman Brian
Pothier and past goalie Jose Theodore.

Down 2-1 entering the second period, the Devils dominated with
the key move being coach Jacques Lemaire's decision to put
Patrik Elias on a line with Parise and Zajac.

New Jersey's power play, connecting at 30 percent over the last
five games, tied it at 2-all with Langenbrunner ripping in a
shot from the left point.

Parise scored his 10th goal and gave New Jersey the lead for
good at 14:40. The goal followed a turnover by Alexander Semin
in the Devils' end.

"It was a pretty easy play," Zajac said. "There were no bodies
in front of me and I just threw it up to him and let him do the
rest."

Parise knew exactly what he wanted to do

"I scored on him earlier this year in a shootout, so I did the
same thing," Parise said.

Halischuk netted his first NHL goal in the final minute, taking
a pass from Niclas Bergfors to cap a 3-on-2 break.

Murphy scored early in the third period after Zajac won a
faceoff.

Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said Theodore played poorly.

"The power play goal was a clear shot by Langenbrunner with no
screen," he said. "I know Parise's was a breakaway, but he made
it look easy. The next one was short side over the blocker.
Those things Jose has to stop."

The Capitals, playing for the second straight night, took a 2-0
lead when Fleischmann and Perreault scored 47 seconds apart.

Fleischmann extended his career-high scoring streak to eight
games, tallying on a power play at 4:15. Green sent the puck
from the left circle to the left point, where Brendan Morrison
found Fleischmann for his seventh goal.

It was the first power-play goal against New Jersey in eight
games. The Devils had killed 20 consecutive power plays.

Perreault, who has five points since being called up six games
ago, scored his second goal after taking another pass from
Green.

"We were down 2-0 against them in Washington and won in a
shootout," Brodeur said. "There is no panic, but it's not a fun
way to start a game because one more mistake and the game could
be over."

NOTES: Capitals RW Boyd Gordon returned after missing 13 games
with a back injury, but he didn't finish the game after
reinjuring his back. ... Washington captain Chris Clark played
in his 500th NHL game. ... Devils rookie Tim Sestito earned his
first NHL point on Halischuk's goal. ... It was the Devils'
1,000 regular-season win since the franchise moved to New
Jersey. The team relocated from Colorado for the 1982-83 season.
The Devils are 1,000-852-248.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134032-Parises-breakaway-leads-Devils-to-8th-win-in-row</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134032-Parises-breakaway-leads-Devils-to-8th-win-in-row</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:36:55 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Capitals-Devils Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Washington (11-3-4) at New Jersey (13-4-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Washington Capitals have been doing just fine without Alex
Ovechkin, moving past the New Jersey Devils into sole possession
of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Now, they might get their leading scorer back and just in time,
too.

Ovechkin could be available Saturday night when the Capitals
visit the red-hot Devils, who seek their eighth consecutive
victory.

Washington (12-3-4) leads the East by two points over New Jersey
(13-4-0), but the Capitals didn't appear as if they would be in
position to surge to the top of the conference after losing
Ovechkin - the two-time reigning Hart Trophy winner - to an
upper-body injury during an overtime loss to Columbus on Nov. 1.

The Capitals dropped the first game without Ovechkin, falling
3-2 at New Jersey on Nov. 4. However, they've won four in a row
since to match their longest run of the season.

Washington extended its streak with Friday's 3-1 win over
Minnesota to move alone atop the conference. Bruce Boudreau's
team also leads the NHL with 73 goals, and Ovechkin remains tied
with Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar with an NHL-best 14 tallies
despite missing nearly two weeks.

"If they're like me, I want to be No. 1 in everything," Boudreau
said. "I've let them know where they stand. No matter what
you're playing, you like to be on top, and right now we are."

Ovechkin's potential return may be coming at a key time, as the
Capitals lost Mike Knuble for three to four weeks on Friday with
a broken finger that will require surgery. The veteran right
wing has five goals and 10 assists in his first season with
Washington after signing a free-agent deal in July.

Ovechkin had two assists, but saw his shootout attempt saved by
Martin Brodeur in a 3-2 loss to the Devils on Oct. 12. He has
six goals and 13 assists in 17 games against New Jersey.

The Devils return home for one game after beating Pittsburgh 4-1
on Thursday to run their road winning streak to nine consecutive
games, one shy of the record to start a season set by Buffalo in
2006-07. They'll try to equal the mark on Monday in
Philadelphia.

"Honestly, I don't even pay attention to that record,"
defenseman Bryce Salvador said. "We're just really trying to be
consistent. We're hoping the road play starts rubbing off at
home and we'll start a good streak there, too."

New Jersey has won three in a row at the Prudential Center to
even its record there at 4-4-0, and the seven-game winning
streak is the club's longest since an eight-game run from Jan.
13-30.

Brodeur lost his first two starts of the season, but is 11-2-0
with a 1.89 goals-against average and one shutout in 13 games
since. He's won his last five with a 1.38 GAA.

The four-time Vezina Trophy winner is still one shutout away
from tying Terry Sawchuk's NHL record of 103. His last shutout
came in a win over Carolina on Oct. 17, and he has six in his
career versus Washington.

While Brodeur may have a tough time matching the record on
Saturday, he's 11-2-0 with a 2.41 GAA in his last 13 games
against the Capitals.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133695-Capitals-Devils-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133695-Capitals-Devils-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:51:56 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Knuble breaks finger in Caps' 3-1 win over Wild]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON(AP) -- Just as Alex Ovechkin is about to return, Mike
Knuble breaks a finger and will be sidelined three to four
weeks.

Time for a pity party for the Washington Capitals? Of course
not. They've won four straight, have sole possession of first
place in the Eastern Conference and lead their division by nine
points.

The Capitals beat the Minnesota Wild 3-1 on Friday night, again
displaying the type of balanced attack that has kept the team
successful during five games without their two-time reigning
league MVP. Ovechkin is due back any day from his upper-body
injury - perhaps as early as Saturday night at New Jersey - and
it'll be a timely return given what happened to Knuble in the
first period against the Wild.

With the Capitals on a power play, defenseman Marek Zidlicky
sent Knuble hurdling over goalie Josh Harding and into
Minnesota's net. Knuble skated straight to the locker room and
did not return. The team announced he will have surgery but did
not say which finger was broken.

Asked if Knuble's injury will speed up Ovechkin's return, coach
Bruce Boudreau shrugged and said: "I don't know yet. I've got to
talk to the powers-that-be."

Knuble has five goals and 10 assists this season. He was one of
Washington's major free-agent acquisitions, signing a two-year
deal, $5.6 million deal in July.

But the Capitals are playing well no matter who is missing. On
Friday, Mike Green scored a power-play goal in the second
period, Brian Pothier got the go-ahead score early in the third,
and Brooks Laich added an empty-netter in the final minute.
Semyon Varlamov made 29 saves as the Capitals moved two points
ahead of New Jersey atop the East, and Boudreau wasn't shy about
letting his players know it.

"If they're like me, I want to be No. 1 in everything," Boudreau
said. "I've let them know where they stand. No matter what
you're playing, you like to be on top, and right now we are.
During the course of the season it goes peaks and valleys and
other teams take it over, and you never know how it's going to
end up, but it's always fun to be there at one point in the
season."

Still, the NHL's highest scoring team was nearly thwarted by a
backup goalie who more than doubled his save total for the
entire season. Harding entered the game 0-2 and had saved only
35 of the 46 shots he had faced. Against the Capitals, he
stopped 38 of 40.

"Josh, I thought was tremendous," Minnesota coach Todd Richards
said. "And that's what you want from your goalie. It's nice to
see him off of the previous two games that he played come in and
play a game like this."

Cal Clutterbuck scored for the Wild, 2-9-1 on the road this
season. Minnesota showed the effects of playing on back-to-back
nights, having lost in a shootout at Tampa Bay on Thursday.

"It's not easy to get into a city at almost 4 o'clock in the
morning and have to get up and play the next day," Clutterbuck
said, "and play an extremely fast, skilled team that's coming
off not playing the night before. I'm sure it had something to
do with it. I'm pretty sure we gave it all we had. I don't think
we held anything back. I think the guys in here are pretty
exhausted."

Harding ended a pair of Capitals seven-game streaks: Washington
failed to score in the first period - and failed to score the
game's first goal.

Clutterbuck opened the scoring early in the second with a drive
from the top of the right circle seconds after a Washington
penalty expired.

Green tied the score with a one-timer from Tomas Fleischmann on
a power play, making him the 11th Capitals player to score
during Ovechkin's absence.

Pothier put the Capitals ahead with a wrister from the left
circle 2 minutes into the final period.

NOTES: Mathieu Perreault assisted on the winning goal, giving
him a goal and three assists in five games since being called up
from the minors. ... Pothier has two goals and three assists in
his last four games. ... The Wild haven't won in Washington
since Nov. 21, 2002.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133575-Knuble-breaks-finger-in-Caps-3-1-win-over-Wild</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133575-Knuble-breaks-finger-in-Caps-3-1-win-over-Wild</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:48:10 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Capitals RW Knuble breaks finger, out 3-4 weeks]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON(AP) -- Washington Capitals right wing Mike Knuble has a
broken finger and will be sidelined three to four weeks.

Knuble was injured on a power play in the first period of Friday
night's 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. He crashed into the
net when defenseman Marek Zidlicky sent him hurdling over
goaltender Josh Harding.

The Capitals said Knuble will have surgery. The team did not say
which finger was broken.

Knuble has five goals and 10 assists for the Capitals this
season. He was one of Washington's major offseason acquisitions,
signing a two-year deal, $5.6 million deal on the first day of
NHL free agency in July.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133601-Capitals-RW-Knuble-breaks-finger-out-3-4-weeks</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133601-Capitals-RW-Knuble-breaks-finger-out-3-4-weeks</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:05:42 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Wild-Capitals Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Minnesota (7-10-1) at Washington (11-3-4), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Washington Capitals might be excused if they saw a drop in
production with Alex Ovechkin missing from their lineup. A host
of players have made sure he hasn't been missed too much.

They may need to continue producing as the Capitals are expected
to be without the two-time reigning Hart Trophy winner again
Friday night when they host the Minnesota Wild.

Washington (11-3-4) appeared to suffer a major blow when
Ovechkin suffered an upper-body injury in a 5-4 overtime loss to
Columbus on Nov. 1. The left wing, who is considered
week-to-week, remains tied with Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar for
the league lead with 14 goals despite missing the last four
games.

The Capitals, though, haven't cooled off without Ovechkin, going
3-1-0 while outscoring opponents 18-12 as 10 players have found
the back of the net. Washington also leads the NHL with 70
goals, and is tied with New Jersey atop the Eastern Conference.

"Alex is the best player in the league, and he's going to get
the ice time that he deserves," right wing Chris Clark said.
"But if he goes down, there's a lot of ice time to share. So I
think the guys are definitely putting the effort in and showing
that they can do it when you give them a chance."

Clark has an assist in each of the last four games, setting a
career record. He extended that streak Wednesday before scoring
in the 11th round of the shootout en route to a 5-4 win over the
New York Islanders.

Alexander Semin snapped a six-game goal-scoring drought with two
tallies before converting his attempt in the tiebreaker. The
right wing's first goal came eight seconds into the contest,
tying the club record set by Gaetan Duchesne in 1987.

Semin is second on Washington with nine goals, but coach Bruce
Boudreau claims motivation has been an issue.

"He looked like he wanted to play," Boudreau said after Semin
had a career-high 11 shots Wednesday. "When he wants to play, he
could've had six. He's scary good when he's motivated."

The Capitals lost 4-3 to the Wild (7-10-1) on Nov. 24 in the
clubs' only meeting last season, dropping to 3-5-1 in the
all-time series. However, all three victories have come in
Washington.

The Wild are looking to rebound from Thursday's 4-3 shootout
loss at Tampa Bay. They settled for a point after giving up two
third-period goals, including one with 14.7 seconds to play,
before missing both shootout attempts.

Despite the defeat, Minnesota is 4-1-1 after opening the season
with nine losses in 12 games.

"They're all disappointed," first-year coach Todd Richards said.
"That's an emotion you want from them, that we didn't get win.
You just tell them that we deserved a better fate."

Captain Mikko Koivu is on a scoring surge with two goals and
three assists over the last three games. The center had an
assist against the Lightning, but saw his shootout chance saved
by Antero Niittymaki.

Koivu leads the Wild with 12 assists and 17 points. He has two
assists in three games against the Capitals.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133394-Wild-Capitals-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133394-Wild-Capitals-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:14:31 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Clark's 11th round goal gives Caps shootout win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON(AP) -- Chris Clark scored the deciding goal in the 11th
round of the shootout, and backup goalie Semyon Varlamov came on
in relief and carried the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 comeback
victory over the New York Islanders.

Alexander Semin scored two regulation goals for the Capitals,
who played their fourth straight game without top scorer Alex
Ovechkin (upper body strain), and added one in the second round
of the shootout.

Semin gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead just 8 seconds in, but the
Islanders ended starting goalie Jose Theodore's night with three
quick goals. New York scored three times on five shots against
Theodore. Varlamov stopped 25 of 26 shots and then sealed the
win by denying Mark Streit's shootout attempt in the 11th round.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133105-Clarks-11th-round-goal-gives-Caps-shootout-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133105-Clarks-11th-round-goal-gives-Caps-shootout-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:41:09 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Islanders-Capitals Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JON PALMIERI
STATS Editor

New York (6-6-5) at Washington (10-3-4), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Clearly the Washington Capitals are a better team with arguably
the league's best player in their lineup. Succeeding now without
Alex Ovechkin, however, could be beneficial in the long run.

The Capitals seek their third straight victory without Ovechkin
on Wednesday night when the New York Islanders open a seven-game
road trip at the Verizon Center.

When Ovechkin - the reigning two-time Hart and Richard Trophy
winner - suffered an upper-body injury in an overtime loss to
Columbus on Nov. 1, Washington (10-3-4) figured to experience a
dropoff in offense. After a 3-2 loss at New Jersey in their
first game without Ovechkin, the Capitals scored 11 goals in a
home-and-home sweep of Florida, capped with a 7-4 home victory
Saturday.

Tomas Fleischmann scored twice during a five-goal third period,
and Mike Knuble added two goals and two assists for Washington,
which improved to 3-4 in the seven games Ovechkin has missed
since joining the team in 2005.

"Alex is a tough guy to replace, but we've got four lines that
can score," said Brooks Laich, who had a goal and an assist.

Also missing from Washington's lineup Saturday were injured
defensemen Mike Green (upper body) and Jeff Schultz (lower
body). Green - a 2009 Norris Trophy finalist - returned to
practice Monday, but his status for Wednesday is uncertain.

"Green and Ovie aren't in the lineup. I think that says
something: that our other players are good," Capitals coach
Bruce Boudreau said. "People seem to forget that."

Fleischmann has elevated his game in Ovechkin's absence,
tallying five goals and two assists during a career-high
five-game point streak. Laich has also been a big contributor
with three goals and three assists in his past four contests.

Jose Theodore started both games versus Florida and has helped
the Capitals gain at least a point in six straight starts
(4-0-2). Theodore is 5-0-1 with a 2.30 goals-against average in
his last six starts against the Islanders, including a 4-3
overtime loss Oct. 30.

New York (6-6-5) avoided a third consecutive defeat with a 6-3
victory over visiting Atlanta on Saturday, as Sean Bergenheim,
Blake Comeau and Jack Hillen each scored their first goals of
the season.

Matt Moulson added a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who
registered a season-high 45 shots in their fourth straight home
win.

"That's a feel-good for everybody," Islanders coach Scott Gordon
said. "If you can get balanced scoring, you're a lot harder to
play against."

While strong play at home has helped them exceed expectations,
the Islanders are a dismal 1-4-3 on the road, scoring two goals
or fewer in five of those games.

That lone victory away from home came at the expense of the
Capitals, as defenseman Mark Streit scored 53 seconds into
overtime. That ended New York's five-game losing streak (0-2-3)
against Washington and marked the fourth time in the past five
meetings that the teams played past regulation.

Gordon has alternated his goalies most of the season, but Dwayne
Roloson is making a case for more playing time. He made 31 saves
Saturday to improve to 5-1-3 with a 2.74 GAA this season, and is
6-0-2 with a 1.97 GAA in his last eight starts against the
Capitals.

Islanders forward Trent Hunter (torn pectoral muscle), tied for
fifth on the team with 14 goals in 2008-09, could make his
season debut in place of right wing Kyle Okposo, who is likely
to miss the next three games due to the H1N1 flu. Okposo is
third on the team with 10 points.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132729-Islanders-Capitals-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132729-Islanders-Capitals-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:19:50 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Ovechkin: Extended absence report was a joke]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ARLINGTON, Va.(AP) -- Alex Ovechkin says he was joking when he
told a reporter over the weekend that he could be out more than
a month.

The Washington Capitals star practiced lightly Monday and said
he would actually miss about a week.

He hasn't played since leaving a Nov. 1 game against Columbus
after he was hurt in a scrum. The Capitals said last week that
Ovechkin, whose 14 goals and 23 points lead the team, was week
to week with what they called an upper-body problem.

Ovechkin, who was quoted by Yahoo! on Saturday night as saying
he could miss four or five weeks, insisted his left shoulder was
not affected by the still unspecified injury, animatedly flexing
the joint and telling reporters with a smile, "The shoulder's
fine, see?"

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau ruled Ovechkin out for Wednesday's
home game against the New York Islanders, but held out hope that
his superstar could be ready by the weekend. Washington hosts
Minnesota on Friday and travels to New Jersey on Saturday.

"I know Alex's determination is he wants to play," Boudreau
said. "I don't think Wednesday's an option, but I'm not counting
anything out after that."

Added general manager George McPhee: "We'll see if he can play
this weekend. There's that hope, but we want to be smart about
it. ... He's a guy you almost have to hold back. You don't want
any setbacks."

Ovechkin, wearing a yellow, non-contact jersey, joined his
teammates about 55 minutes into Monday morning's practice.

He skated while the rest of the Capitals finished their workout,
pausing briefly to autograph a jersey for a fan who opened a
door in the practice rink and shoved it through, then took part
in light shooting drills with assistant coach Bob Woods and
teammate Eric Fehr once the rest of the team departed the ice.

Most of Ovechkin's attempts were wrist shots, though he did wind
up on a couple of soft slap shots from long range, once raising
his arms in his familiar celebratory pose after finding the net
on a drive.

"It was easy shots, no hard ones," he said. "I don't want to
rush my body to make some real hard shots."

Ovechkin reported none of the discomfort that forced him to cut
short a Friday session in Sunrise, Fla.

"Now, it's no pain. It's progress, I think," he said. "I'm happy
about it."

About an hour after practice ended, Ovechkin was back on the ice
for a 15-minute skate with strength and conditioning coach Mark
Nemish.

Also, Michael Nylander, who has not played this season because
Boudreau doesn't think he fits into the team's system, cleared
waivers Monday. McPhee said the Capitals were weighing their
options with the veteran center and hoped to have a resolution
by Tuesday, when he plans to attend GM meetings in Toronto.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132546-Ovechkin-Extended-absence-report-was-a-joke</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132546-Ovechkin-Extended-absence-report-was-a-joke</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:05:55 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Fleischmann rallies Capitals past Panthers 7-4]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON(AP) -- Even without two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin, the
Washington Capitals are still quite adept at putting the puck in
the net - especially against the defensively challenged Florida
Panthers.

Tomas Fleischmann scored twice during a five-goal third period,
and the short-handed Capitals beat the Panthers 7-4 Saturday
night for a sweep of their home-and-home series.

Washington played a third straight game without Ovechkin, who
has an upper body injury. The Capitals were also without injured
defensemen Mike Green and Jeff Schultz, both of whom were hurt
Friday night during a 4-1 victory in Florida.

But Washington prevailed anyway, amassing a season-high seven
goals in the process.

"Alex is a tough guy to replace, but we've got four lines that
can score," said Brooks Laich, who had a goal and an assist.

Mike Knuble scored twice, and Mathieu Perreault and Quintin
Laing tallied 40 seconds apart for Washington.

"If they win this hockey game, it's a split and we look at it as
a missed opportunity," Laich said.

The Capitals trailed 3-2 before Perreault scored his first NHL
goal with 17:39 to go. Laing then scored his second of the
season, and Fleischmann extended his point-scoring streak to a
career-high five games with a goal off an excellent pass from
Nicklas Backstrom.

Knuble made it 6-4 with 8:54 remaining, and Fleischmann scored
again with 6:22 left. Fleischmann has five goals and two assists
in six games since being sidelined with a blood clot in his leg.

"Green and Ovie aren't in the lineup. I think that says
something: that our other players are good," Capitals coach
Bruce Boudreau said. "People seem to forget that."

Cory Stillman scored twice for the Panthers, and goalie Scott
Clemmensen absorbed his first loss with Florida after starting
off 2-0-0.

"It was like Murphy's Law. Anything that could go wrong, went
wrong," Clemmensen said. "We weren't very good down low; there
were a lot of open guys around the net. It looked like a fire
drill down there. It was total chaos from my perspective."

The Capitals repeatedly broke free along the backboards before
passing to open teammates in front of the net.

"One thing we need to do is work on our coverage down low and
behind the net," Clemmensen said. "I'm not sure how it gets so
bad at times. It's a matter of knowing responsibility. Forget
about tonight; we're not quite there yet as far as taking care
of our own end."

Panthers defenseman Bryan McCabe preferred to give credit to the
Capitals.

"They are a very skilled team with or without Alex," he said.
"They're one of the best offensive teams in the league, and they
showed that tonight."

The Panthers took their first lead at 16:03 of the second period
when Kenndal McArdle sent a backhand pass from the backboards to
Michal Repik, who beat goalie Jose Theodore with a wrist shot in
the slot to make it 3-2.

That capped a three-goal period for Florida - on only 12 shots.

Washington went up 1-0 in the first period when Knuble scored
from the right side of the crease after getting the puck from
Brendan Morrison, who weaved behind the net with a pass from
Laich.

Early in the second period, Stillman fired a shot that Theodore
tipped with his glove before the puck bounced off the left post.
Seconds later, however, Michael Frolik jammed in the rebound of
a shot by McCabe to make it 1-1.

Laich put the Capitals back in front with a power-play goal at
6:17, but 19-year-old rookie Dmitry Kulikov answered for the
Panthers with his first career goal midway through the
period.

Notes: Washington has scored first in 14 of 17 games, including
each of the last six. ... Frolik had two goals in Florida's
first three games, then went 11 straight games without one
before his second-period tally. ... The Capitals are 2-1 without
Ovechkin this season and 3-4 in the seven games he's missed
since joining the team in 2005.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132223-Fleischmann-rallies-Capitals-past-Panthers-7-4</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132223-Fleischmann-rallies-Capitals-past-Panthers-7-4</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:48:46 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Panthers-Capitals Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Florida (5-7-1) at Washington (8-3-4), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Washington Capitals proved they can win without Alex
Ovechkin. The Florida Panthers are certainly aware of that.

With Ovechkin still out and injuries beginning to mount, the
Capitals look for a second straight victory over the visiting
Panthers when the teams conclude their home-and-home series
Saturday night.

Playing its second consecutive game without Ovechkin (upper-body
injury), Washington (9-3-4) snapped a three-game losing streak
with a 4-1 win at Florida on Friday.

Brendan Morrison scored twice, Brian Pothier had a goal with two
assists and Jose Theodore made 28 saves for the Capitals, who
are 1-1-2 since winning six in a row.

While Ovechkin - the two-time defending league MVP and current
NHL goal leader - is considered week to week and likely out for
this contest since being injured against Columbus on Sunday, the
Capitals could also be minus defensemen Mike Green (upper body)
and Jeff Schultz (lower body) after both were hurt at Florida.

"Really good teams usually have to play with a lot of injuries,
because their guys are willing to pay the price of winning,"
Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I just hope our price
wasn't too high."

Boudreau said the statuses of Green and Schultz would be updated
Saturday.

Washington's Nicklas Backstrom added an assist for his eighth
point in six games. He has a goal and 13 assists in 15 contests
against the Panthers (5-8-1), who had their three-game winning
streak snapped Friday.

"They're a desperate team," Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said of
the Capitals. "They'd lost three in a row. Got some key players
out, we've been on the other end of that. They were hungrier in
the tough areas than we were. There's no excuse for that."

Though Theodore improved to 4-2-4 with a 2.72 goals-against
average this season and 13-11-0 with three ties against Florida,
Semyon Varlamov could be in net for the Capitals in this
back-to-back scenario.

Varlamov, who has never faced Florida, is 5-1-0 with a 3.18 GAA
this season.

Coming off consecutive shutouts, Florida's Tomas Vokoun made 21
saves in the loss Friday.

Vokoun, who stopped 77 consecutive shots before Tyler Sloan
scored in the first period, is 3-8-1 with a 2.99 GAA on the
season and 7-10-0 versus the Capitals.

Backup Scott Clemmensen is 2-0-0 with a 4.26 GAA this season and
could get a start. He's 2-3-0 with a 3.17 GAA against
Washington.

Nathan Horton scored his fourth of the season Friday for
Florida, which outscored its opponents 13-5 during the
three-game winning streak.

"We have to be better," forward Michael Frolik told the
Panthers' official Web site. "We've got to battle for the pucks.
We (dumped) it in and they always have the pucks first and clean
it out."

Horton has two goals and six assists in his last five games, but
only two goals over a seven-game stretch against the Capitals.

Florida captain Bryan McCabe played in his 1,000th game Friday
to become the seventh player in franchise history and the 247th
in the NHL to achieve that feat.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131974-Panthers-Capitals-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131974-Panthers-Capitals-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:28:26 GMT</pubDate>
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