Legace Ready to Lead Capitals

After an excellent Season 4, goaltender Manny Legace returns to lead the Washington Capitals between the pipes in Season 5. The 32-year-old has two years remaining on his contract and if he continues his fine play, the Capitals will likely do whatever it takes to keep him in town.

Going into last season, Legace was expected to be on the bench for most of the action. Fellow veteran Tommy Salo was the man in Season 3, finishing with a 30-27-7 record, 3.36 GAA, and .876 save percentage. While a new GM took over, Legace didn't do anything in preseason to unseat the then 33-year-old Swede from the starting job.

As the early part of the season progressed, however, it was clear that Salo wasn't quite right and the team turned to Manny, a career backup. Legace ran with the opportunity and never looked back. He finished the year 27-21-6 with three shutouts. His 2.97 GAA ranked among the league's best, and the .894 save percentage kept the team in many games. Salo, on the other hand, struggled throughout the campaign. He got many opportunities, but finished the season 6-21-1 with a 3.44 GAA and .879 save percentage.

Legace isn't a big man in stature at only 5-10 and 162 pounds, but he's the big man in goal for the Capitals.

With the addition of several quality free agents and the development of a strong group of young players, Washington is surely looking to improve on last season's 73 points. If they do, Manny Legace will certainly play a huge role in between the pipes.