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Restocked Capitals aim for sweep of home-and-home set with Isles

Mar 1, 2011 - 4:06 PM (Sports Network) - The Washington Capitals added a few new faces to their lineup at yesterday's trade deadline and will aim for a fourth win in five games when they host the New York Islanders in the finale of a home-and-home series tonight at Verizon Center.

The Capitals acquired veteran centerman Jason Arnott and defenseman Dennis Wideman in separate deals Monday. Arnott came from New Jersey in exchange for forward David Steckel and a second-round draft pick in 2012. Washington sent forward prospect Jake Hauswirth and a third-round pick in the 2011 draft to Florida for Wideman.

The 36-year-old Arnott tallied 13 goals and 24 points and was a minus-nine in 62 games for the Devils this season, the first year of his second tenure with the franchise. A former first-round pick of the Oilers in 1993 who scored a Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2000 with the Devils against the Stars, Arnott has compiled 396 goals and 897 points in 1,161 NHL games with Edmonton, New Jersey, Dallas and Nashville.

Wideman had nine goals and 24 assists in 61 games with Florida this season. The 27-year-old offensive defenseman could help offset the loss of Caps blueliner Mike Green, who is expected to miss the next two games due to the death of his grandmother.

Green has missed seven of Washington's last nine games due to a pair of head injuries. He was hit in the side of the face with a puck shot by Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik on February 6 and was forced to leave Saturday's game against New York after Rangers forward Derek Stepan hit him in the jaw with an elbow.

Both Arnott and Wideman are expected to be available for tonight's contest.

Washington enters today's action as the fifth seed in the East, and with 76 points, the Capitals are five behind Tampa Bay for the top spot in the Southeast Division.

The Capitals won the opener of this home-and-home set Saturday on Long Island, as Mike Knuble and Alexander Semin scored early in the third period to help lift Washington to a 3-2 decision at Nassau Coliseum.

Brooks Laich also had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who rebounded after a 6-0 loss to the Rangers on Friday. Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves in Saturday's win and is expected to start again tonight.

Down 2-0 in the second period, the Capitals got on the board at the 9:44 mark. Laich took a pass from John Carlson, made his way to the bottom of the left circle and fired a wrister past Al Montoya.

"We played like a hockey team after [Laich's goal]," said Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Kyle Okposo and Travis Hamonic lit the lamp for the Islanders, who have lost three in a row and are 13 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Montoya turned aside 19-of-22 shots in defeat for New York.

The Capitals have won all three encounters with the Isles this season and can sweep the season series tonight. Washington has won five in a row and 10 of 11 overall in this series and has also taken two straight and four out of five in D.C.