Canadiens Conquer Capitals

The Washington Capitals fell 3-0 to the Montreal Canadiens on Day 118 for its fourth straight loss. The setback dropped Washington to 23-32-9 for the season.

Montreal took the lead at 17:14 of the first period when Kozlov scored from Zherdev and Hannan.

After a scoreless middle stanza, the Canadiens added two late goals in the final period to put the game away. Zherdev struck first from Hannan and Kozlov at 16:35, before Bartecko converted from Donovan and Bulis at 17:11.

Kevin Weekes stopped 19 shots in the loss. Brent Johnson made 27 saves to earn the shutout victory.

The Capitals visit New Jersey on Day 120.

Hurricanes Storm Capitals

The Washington Capitals slipped further out of the playoff race on Day 117, falling 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on home ice. The loss dropped Washington to 23-31-9.

Carolina took the lead in an action packed opening period when Parise scored an unassisted goal on the power play at 12:27. Washington came back and tied the game on Joffrey's Lupul marker from Severin Blindenbacher and David Vyborny at 17:06.

The Hurricanes took complete control in the second period. Carolina outshot the Caps 15-3 and scored three timed to put the game away. Stuart struck first from Ryder and Connolly at 2:19, before Zetterberg netted from Stuart and Connolly at 5:19. Heatley finished it off from Fisher and Nash on the power play at 16:01.

JS Giguere made 33 saves in the loss. Former Capital Manny Legace stopped 21 shots to earn the win.

The Capitals visit Montreal on Day 118.

CANES DEAL TWO OF TOP PLAYERS IN ONE DEAL, PLAYOFF DREAM OVER?

Carolina

On a Saturday following another loss, the Carolina Hurricanes went into selling mode and auctioned up two of its highest profile players. Both Henrik Zetterberg, the Swedish sniper and Chris Pronger the man mountain on defense, were dealt together as part of a seven player swap.

“There is a lot of disappointment from an organizational perspective this season,” said Joel Quenneville, coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. “These were two high end players who we had hoped all along would spark this team and lead us to where we needed to be. I don’t want to make excuses for everyone else but when we picked up both of these guys, we did so to expect them to be stars. I think neither guy really demonstrated to me that they were untouchable.”

So while the Canes were upset at their seasonal outcome, the return on these two players could play a significant role in the future.

Firstly, the Canes picked up the rocket like speed and offensive creativity of Simon Gagne. Gagne who comes to the Canes as their new leading scorer is one of the most complete wingers in the game today. A possible drop off offensively from Zetterberg, Gagne makes up for that with the other aspects of his game. He is defensively sound, incredibly fast and could be a game breaker and the guy to finally spark some life into another fellow speedster, Tim Connolly.

Second, the Canes acquired a future lock on the Canes blueline in Ron Hainsey. Hainsey is already a steady defender and is surprisingly smart on the backend assessing the situation. He has an excellent first pass out of the zone and could easily find himself getting power play minutes in the future, but his real impact will be as a shutdown defenseman and will likely find himself patrolling the checking line alongside Jaroslav Spacek.

Alexander Polushin is also another young acquisition. The talented 24 year old has a powerful shot and a quick release and along with his above average speed, he has a feel for the offensive side of the game and should eventually evolve into a top 2 line winger.

Chris Clark was also brought in. A true story of hard work and determination should likely find this veteran in the lineup next season. A surprising offensive upside and a tenacious determination should compliment his apparent leadership skills and experience but it is not likely he will find himself seeing much ice time this year.

Finally, the Canes reacquired speedy Blake Comeau. Comeau is a young junior winger who has found his mark in the passing department with the help of additional camps. The Canes are hoping he can continue his development and are glad to have him back aboard.

Overall, the deal likely makes the Canes less of a threat this season but in reality, the season might be over sooner than one wanted. What they did bring in is hopefully the missing link to Tim Connolly’s game, depth up front and hopefully a decrease in excessive penalty minutes, Chris Pronger’s only real flaw to his game. Also, by moving Zetterberg, the Canes only have 3 players currently on their roster who will be in renegotiating mode this following offseason. Manny Legace will be franchised in Carolina while Varlamov and Fedoruk will be looking to add some wealth to their portfolios.

“We felt we needed to make this move now. Prong risn’t getting any younger and he wanted the playoffs as badly as anyone on this team. We wanted to make him happy and set us up better for the following year. As bad as this might sound, especially with the poor showing of this team this year but I really think this club is looking incredibly strong for next season. I guess disappointment may be inevitable, but at this moment, I am confident, but again, I was at the beginning oh this year. Oh expectations.”

Injuries Plague Sens as they make the Final Push

Well, don't expect any mind-altering defeats and major upsets as we round off the end of this season in Ottawa folks. The Senators who have played the role of "King of the Upset" this season, pulling off seemingly impossible victories and very close to securing a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Wales Conference, are not expecting much from this last 10 game stretch.

"We are a hurting unit out there" stated GM Schmucky this afternoon, "we've got Teemu, Alexei, Poti, Osgood, Bouchard and Tarnstrom who've all been injured and sat out games in the last week. "

Osgood has been missed. After Turek stole a game away from Pittsburgh, their likely round 1 foe, he got shelled in a game versus the Flyers; a game the Sens were missing their #1 Forward, #1 Defenseman and #1 Goalie.

"We just want to be healthy heading into the playoffs but we also want to stay ahead of the old New York Islanders club, thus, we have to finish 7th or better. We feel that the other seven teams would be great series foes, but the Isles have been nothing short of excellent this year."

Capitals Roasted by Rangers

The Washington Capitals suffered an 8-3 loss to the New York Rangers after blowing a 3-1 lead on Day 116. The setback was Washington's second straight and moved the club to 23-30-9.

New York got on the board first midway through the opening period. Eminger got the goal at 10:13. The Capitals rallied with a pair of markers to go up 2-1. Todd Warriner struck first from Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo at 11:58, before Cory Sarich converted from Nik Antropov and Henrik Tallinder at 19:08.

Washington pushed its advantage to two goals when Sarich scored his second of the game early in the second period. Oleg Saprykin and Peter Tenkrat earned the assists at 4:18. The Rangers battled back with two scores to tie the game after 40 minutes. Pilar started the comeback from Berglund and Kilger at 11:26. Alfredsson tied the game from Backer and Redden at 14:06.

New York blew the game wide open in the final period. Lukowich netted the eventual game-winner from Alfredsson and Prucha at 0:35, and Eriksson started a late surge with a goal from Prucha and Fedorov at 15:36. Prucha made it 6-3 from Fedorov and Eminger at 17:38, before Alfredsson completed his hat trick with a pair of markers from Girard and Dumont at 18:52 and 19:48.

JS Giguere stopped 21 shots in the loss. Kevin Weekes made just one save on four shots in relief. Mike Dunham picked up his 30th win after stopping 24 shots.

The Capitals host Carolina on Day 117.

Capitals Slashed by Sabres

The Washington Capitals' eight-game unbeaten run came to an end on Day 112 in a 7-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The setback dropped Washington to 23-29-9 for the season.

Buffalo opened the scoring at 5:54 of the first period when former-Capital Berard netted from Spezza and Parrish. Ivan Rachunek evened the score just 23 seconds later with a goal from Severin Blindenbacher and Joffrey Lupul. Pettinger gave the Sabres the lead again when he tallied from Decaire and Hlavac at 8:57, before Parrish converted from Spezza and Berard to make it 3-1.

Washington pulled a goal back early in the second period to make it 3-2. Greg Watson got the goal from Artem Chubarov and Frantisek Lukes at 6:22. The Sabres responded with a pair of goals to go ahead by three. Hagos scored both in a 22 second span. Markov setup the first, while Berg and Petrov earned the helpers on the second. Todd Warriner got the Caps back within two when he scored from Patrick Marleau and Blindenbacher at 19:44.

Buffalo surged to a four-goal lead with two more goals early in the final period. Vasicek netted first from Pettinger and Hlavac at 1:19, and Sykora made it 7-3 from Berard and Kovalchuk at 3:35. Lukes scored his 14th of the year for Washington from Chubarov and Watson at 9:16, before Marleau finished the scoring from Blindenbacher and Dan Boyle at 13:33.

JS Giguere made 16 saves in the loss. Kevin Weekes stopped eight of 10 shots in relief. Jani Hurme earned the win with 28 saves.

The Capitals host the New York Rangers on Day 116.

Caps Collapse in Tie With Predators

The Washington Capitals gave up three goals in the final period on Day 111 to blow a 5-2 lead and earn a point in a 5-5 tie against the Nashville Predators. The result extended Washington's unbeaten run to eight games and moved the club to 23-28-9.

Jonathan Cheechoo struck first for Washington with a power play goal from Cory Sarich and Todd Warriner at 16:57 of the opening period. Nashville came right back and tied the game on the man advantage 1:07 later. Arnason got the goal from Sturm and Pothier.

The Capitals came out quickly in the second period and scored three times to open a 4-1 lead. Nik Antropov started the surge from Oleg Saprykin and Peter Tenkrat at 2:49. Dan Boyle netted from Joffrey Lupul at 6:16, and Severin Blindenbacher converted from Saprykin and Antropov at 11:43 to finish the run. Sturm pulled a goal back for the Predators from Hartnell and Smrek on the power play at 12:43.

Washington continued its strong play early in the final 20 minutes, and Radoslav Suchy's goal from Greg Watson and Artem Chubarov at 2:33 made it 5-2. Nashville came alive after the goal, however, and rallied for three goals to force overtime. Modin started the comeback from Modano and Nikulin at 5:19, before Hamrlik netted twice just 42 seconds apart to make it 5-5. Brunette and Thornton assisted on both goals.

The Caps dominated the play in overtime and outshot Nashville 7-0, but it wasn't enough to get one past Martin Prusek.

JS Giguere made 30 saves for Washington. Kevin Weekes stopped all four shots he faced in relief. Tomas Vokoun had 25 saves for the Preds, while Prusek was the hero in relief with 12 stops.

The Capitals host Buffalo on Day 112.

Capitals Tame Panthers

The Washington Capitals extended its unbeaten run to seven games on Day 109 after a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. The result lifts Washington to 23-28-8.

Jonathan Cheechoo gave the home club a perfect start when he scored his 22nd goal of the season from Todd Warriner and Dan Boyle at 0:36.

Florida came back to tie the game with a power play tally early in the middle stanza. Dagile got the goal from Langenbrunner at 5:06 while Greg Watson was in the box for cross-checking. The Capitals regained the lead midway through the period on Patrick Marleau's 20th of the season from Severin Blindenbacher and Todd Warriner at 11:28.

Washington kept the pressure up in the final period, and Andrew Ference added an insurance goal two minutes into the action. Frantisek Lukes assisted on the goal.

JS Giguere stopped 19 shots to earn the win and improve to 24-16-8. Roberto Luongo stopped 24 shots in the loss.

The Capitals visit Nashville on Day 111.

Capitals Tie Devils

The Washington Capitals scored twice in the final period on Day 107 to earn a 3-3 tie against the New Jersey Devils. The result extended Washington's unbeaten run to four games and moved the club to 22-28-8.

Greg Watson gave the Caps a perfect start when he scored his third of the season from Artem Chubarov and Frantisek Lukes at 2:16 of the first period. New Jersey battled back to tie the game on Dvorak's unassisted goal at 18:33.

The Devils carried the play in the middle stanza and scored twice to take a 3-1 lead. Legwand struck first from Devereaux and Spiller at 9:37, before Biron converted from Huselius and Malone at 17:27.

Washington came back in the final period to tie the game with a pair of goals. Jonathan Cheechoo got the first from Andrew Ference and Chubarov on the power play at 0:02, and Chubarov sent the game to overtime from Lukes and Watson with just 57 seconds remaining.

JS Giguere stopped 29 shots for Washington. Nikolai Khabibulin made 27 saves for New Jersey.

Capitals Win Third Straight

Peter Tenkrat scored a pair of goals, including the overtime game-winner, to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers on Day 104. The result lifts Washington to 22-28-7.

Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Bondra started it off from Johnsson and Nolan at 7:28, before Weiss converted from Nolan at 17:44.

The Panthers extended the lead to 3-0 when Langenbrunner netted from Visnovsky and Stefan at 3:16.

Washington came roaring back in the final period to tie the game and force overtime. Todd Warriner sparked the rally with his 21st of the season from Jonathan Cheechoo at 1:10. Tenkrat's first of the game from Nik Antropov and Henrik Tallinder at 7:56 made it 3-2, and Ivan Rachunek forced the extra session when he netted from Severin Blindenbacher and Dan Boyle at 13:18.

The Caps wasted little time securing the win in overtime. Tenkrat did the job from Oleg Saprykin and Cory Sarich after just 15 seconds.

JS Giguere made 27 saves to earn the win and improve his record to 23-16-7. Roberto Luongo stopped 20 shots in the loss.

The Capitals return to action on Day 107 against New Jersey.

Flyers struggles continue

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Since the Flyers picked up winger Matt Cooke the team’s fortunes have changed from bad to worse.

In the last 18 games the Flyers have a record of 5-11-2 with only 2 of those wins coming in the last 10 games, the rest of the games are losses. It is a tough road ahead for the team to try and salvage a season from hell. The team’s record dropped from 2 or 3 spots out of a playoff spot to 4th worst record in the league.

So far this season there has been several disappointments and also some positive signs for the future. Let’s start with some disappointments; Igor Grigorenko 22 pts (13 goals, 9 assists), Andrew Raycroft 3.96 GAA .871 Sv% and 4-11-1 record with 0 SO, Carlo Colaiacovo 18 pts (4 goals, 14 assists, -27 rating and rising), Jay Harrison 6 pts (4 goals, 2 assists, -18 rating). Here are a few positives from the season so far; Martin Gerber 2.94 GAA .895 Sv% 16-27-6 record with 2 shutouts, Kyle Wellwood 43 pts (19 goals, 24 assists, 134 hits, 6 PIM), Chris Gratton 27 pts (12 goals, 15 assists, 64 hits, 311 PIM), Denis Seidenberg 28 pts (6 goals, 22 assists, 95 hits, +1 rating), and captain Martin Grenier 19 pts (5 goals, 14 assists, 151 hits, 248 PIM and +12 rating).

Through all the tough times the organization has faced this year they can see light at the end of the tunnel with youngsters maturing on the pro team, solid juniors preparing for their pro careers and also a potential top 10 pick this year in one of the best entry drafts in recent years. Goaltending does not seem to be a problem for the Flyers as it was in the past. Maturing will be the key for this team and once that happens they will become a playoff team once again. It is expected for young gun Wojtek Wolski to be on the pro roster to start next season and he expected to play big minutes for the club.

Philadelphia has 16 games remaining on the season with 6 of those at home. The games include the following teams: Sabres (x3), Jackets (x2), Senators, MapleLeafs (x2), Rangers (x3), Lightning, RedWings, Capitals and Canadians (x2).

CANES SEASON OF FAILURE

Carolina

Once again, the Carolina Hurricanes failed to capitalize on anything as they dropped an embarrassing 2-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday.

After falling to the Atlanta Thrashers not long ago and another slight defeat at the hands of the Evil Empire, the Canes still sit comfortably behind the 8th and final playoff spot in the conference.

What is wrong with this team?

It has become more than evident that there is something wrong with the players commitment to trying to succeed. It has not mattered who was brought in, it has not mattered who was sent away. It hasn’t mattered what lines are used, who is scratched or who is in net. The fact of the matter is, this team has made itself locked in a one way track to seasonal failure and no changes seem to matter.

So what is wrong with them?

For starters, all season long, the club has not received top line numbers from any number of combinations used. Tim Connolly, who was brought in to play the role of top line center has been pathetic all season. His 21 points in 35 games makes him about as effective as several teams third liners and the guy has consistently received ample minutes to try and help him bust out. Dany Heatley, while currently leading the non potent offense has 47 points in 61 games and has basically been looked at as a bust as well, especially considering the excessive package of youth that was dealt to acquire his services. Add in Henrik Zetterberg, who aside from a hat trick in his second game, has shown no flair or spark to get this team rolling.

What about the D?

Taking nothing away from the top two defensemen on this team but both Brad Stuart and Chris Pronger need to figure out a way to stay on the ice. Both have been continually goaded into fights and in the long run have hurt the club. When the duo is on the ice, the Canes have a stabilizing force, but suspensions, game misconducts and unnecessary fights have led to the duo watching the game more than playing.

Secondary scoring, is there any?

Not really. The Canes have been one of the bottom dwellers offensively since the season started. The odd thing, however, is that the power play is successful on most nights, but during play 5 on 5, the Canes collapse and look uninterested. Players like Dainius Zubrus, Mike Fisher and Shawn Horcoff were looked at to provide some points, but all are averaging a half point or less per game and have been more of passengers on most nights.

What about goaltending?

Sure, it is an easy target but on this team, the goalies have not been the issue. Both Patrick Lalime and Manny Legace have been solid in between the pipes. They should promote some confidence but in general, the team ends up backing up too often.

Sustaining pressure has been a real problem for the not so mighty Canes. A much needed forecheck has been elsewhere all year and for many of the fans in Carolina, this attitude is getting old.

When a club makes as many moves in the offseason as this team did, to build itself up and make a run at the title, expectations rise as well. The fans have sat through defeats at the hands of teams who have no business beating them, and usually it is done solely on effort, or lack thereof.

Where have the leaders gone. Why does Chris Pronger, Brad Stuart, Tim Connolly, Dany Heatley, Phillipe Boucher and company accept this failure and just twiddle away as the season progresses. Why do they feel they get a free pass?

The fact of the matter is, this team has made many in the organization unhappy. Next season it will be obvious that the new breed of kids will be entering the year on this club and one can probably expect to not see some of these overpaid stars still sitting around Raleigh collecting pay checks. Failure is not accepted by the management, regardless of what the players feel.

Ownership has placed the blame on management, as they tend to do, and while the players may feel as though their play is not reflected upon, rest assured that if this slide continues, these big guns of Pronger, Zetterberg, Zubrus and Connolly could find themselves landing on someone elses shores.

Boom goes the Canucks season

Well it has become very obvious that the Vancover Canucks really do suck.After a season of what looked like good moves to at least make the playoff the other shoe is about to drop.
The last straw was giving up 7 straight goals to the lowly Columbus BlueJackets.That was a total team effort and showed management that this team has no desire to compete for a playoff spot. So with that in mind the Canucks are gonna trade off the older talent on this team and plan on going with a much younger team next year.
First to go is veteran center John Madden .We wish Mr Maden all he best in New York.He is happy to be heading to a playoff team.This is why we play the game said a very happy Madden when told of the trade. This trade is all about next season said an agitated Gm Blkhawk. The Canucks picked up young center John Mitchell and defenceman Richard Stehlik.

We also picked up T Ericksson to relieve the rangers of some cap responsibility. He has no future in our organisation.

So who is next to go stay tuned if the right offer for our future is made there is nobody safe on this roster.

Buffalo Sabres on FIRE!

Buffalo – A.P.

The Buffalo Sabres miraculously recovered from their losing streak to reverse it into what is currently a five game winning streak.

Due to the recent winning streak, the Buffalo Sabres have been able to climb back up the standings and retake the second seed behind the Evil Empire as they hold a one point lead over the Florida Panthers with twenty games left in the season.

The last five games have pitted the Buffalo Sabres up against three teams above .500 and two below it, which resulted in the end the Buffalo Sabres outscoring their opponents 24 to 10.

The key person to the recent winnings can be placed on the shoulders of no other than Jason Spezza who posted in the last four games, eleven points, seven being assists as the Buffalo Sabres cruise on towards the playoffs.

Evil Empire 4 - Mouth Breathers 3

In the end, the ragged bands of rebels from Carolina put up a good fight, but were no match for the mighty dark side of the force known as the New York Islanders. The Carolina Hurricanes were able to battle back from a pair of 1 goal defecits, however in the 3rd period Joe “Dark Sith” Sakic scored twice and the Evil Empire held on for a 4-3 victory.

The Evil Empire was able to shutdown the Canes in the first 2 periods, giving up only 9 shots through 40 minutes. Coach Lorne Henning spoke about the 3rd period, where despite lots of action, the Isles were able to pull out the victory.

“With the score 1-1 after two periods, we really talked in the locker room about coming out strong in the final frame. Chara’s goal in the first 2 minutes gave us the lead, however it also seemed to wake up their team. When Zubrus scored for them 2 minutes later to make it 2-2, I called the timeout and as a team we called on the dark side of the force. From there, it was all the Dark Lord’s work, as Sakic scored the pair 33 seconds apart. The Force works in wonderful ways, and tonight it was all about the dark side.

The Islander victory gave the team the 3-1 season record against the mouth breathers from down south, and avenged their most recent loss (a 7-3 beating in Carolina). This was the last regular season meeting between the two clubs, however a matchup in the playoffs could be on the horizon. “It’d be great to meet in the 1st round of the playoffs. However there’s 40 days left until the playoffs start. Between now and then, most of the players on the mouth breather’s are likely to have been traded away anyways, so who know’s what we’ll be facing”.
The Islanders travelled to Toronto immediately after the game, where they’ll face the MapleLeafs on Wednesday.

Capitals Top Pens Again

The Washington Capitals scored four times in the first period and never looked back on Day 103, knocking off the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. The two points moves Washington to 21-28-7.

Patrick Marleau started it off for Washington when he scored from Jonathan Cheechoo and Todd Warriner at 0:37. Cheechoo made it 2-0 just four seconds later and one second into a power play. The goal, his 20th, was assisted by Warriner and Dan Boyle. Warriner scored a goal of his own from Boyle and Severin Blindenbacher at 3:35 to make it a three-goal lead, before David Vyborny netted from Boyle and Ivan Rachunek at 14:47.

Pittsburgh dominated the final 40 minutes, outshooting Washington 25-7, but the home club came up one goal short. Elias made it 4-1 from Warrener and Bure at 5:05 of the second period.

Morrow and Lessard added third-period tallies, but it wasn't enough. Roenick and Bure assisted on Morrow's marker at 7:15, while Dubinsky and Lehtinen recorded the helpers for Lessard.

JS Giguere stopped 29 shots to earn the win and improve to 22-16-7. Olaf Kolzgi made 13 saves in the loss.

The Capitals visit Florida on Day 104.

Capitals Edge Penguins

The Washington Capitals snapped a seven game winless run and extended its unbeaten streak to three games on Day 99 in a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The result lifts Washington to 20-28-7.

Cory Sarich gave the home club a perfect start when he scored from Peter Tenkrat at 2:08.

The Penguins answered in the second period to tie the game. Rathje got the goal from Morrow and Sundin at 16:25.

Washington turned up the pressure in the final period, and Todd Warriner made the strong play pay when he netted from Patrick Marleau at 14:17.

JS Giguere made 23 saves to earn the win and improve to 21-16-7. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 14 shots in the loss.

The Capitals visit Pittsburgh on Day 103.

Senators Crush Avalanche, Lose Poti

The Ottawa Senators came up with a huge win Monday night versus the nasty Avalance from Colorado.

Ottawa was a little nervous going into the matchup as Colorada holds sole possession of first place in their conference. However, that fear was alleviated quickly as the Sens blew the doors off the Avs, winning by a score of 5-1. Ottawa also outshot Colorado 30-19 showing their utter domination of this matchup.

The number one star of the game was Filip Novak who notched a goal and an assist in the win. Other notables were Petr Sejna who had 2 assists, Hal Gill, and Tom Poti who scored the game winner.

Tom Poti went down hard when he was viciously elbowed in the face by Avalanche goon Darius Kaparitus. "It was an awful hit. He's nothing more than a goon who shouldn't even be allowed to wear skates for fear he may use them as a weapon" stated GM Schmucky at a post-game press conference.'

Poti is expected to miss about one week due to a head injury while it is expected the league will rule on Kasparitus this afternoon sometime and hopefully lay down an appropriate suspension.

HURRICANES READY FOR WAR WITH THE EVIL EMPIRE

Carolina

Currently riding a two game winning streak, the Carolina Hurricanes prepare for another epic battle with Corporate America’s favourite team, the Evil Empire themselves, the New York Islanders.

With back to back defeats of the Montreal Canadians and the Boston Bruins, the Canes are hopeful that their playoff hopes have no vanished. If the Canes can somehow continue their roll, the 7th and 8th spots could eventually be theirs. An 8th spot, in fact, would put the Canes in a first round matchup with tonight’s opponent, who the Canes defeated handily last time they met.

“We need a big game from Lalime tonight,” said head coach Joel Quenneville. “He will have to be on his game. A team can’t go to the Island and win unless they get outstanding goaltending. The Isles don’t lack fire power at all and if we intend to beat them, we need goaltending and we need a counter attack.”

Lalime helped the Canes defeat the Isles last time the two squads met. The key to the game, however, was a strong balanced attack and t Canes are hopeful that their newly formed lines continue their production.

“You don’t walk in and beat the Isles just by showing up,” said assistant captain Mike Fisher. “We need to play 60 minutes and we need to get on them early and stay on them. If you give their superstars time to dance around with the puck, you might as well go home. They have lost 6 games this year. That should tell you something about them.”

Capitals and Bruins Kiss Sisters

The Washington Capitals extended its unbeten run to two games and its winless run to seven games after a 3-3 tie against the Boston Bruins on Day 97. The result moves Washington to 19-28-7.

Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening period when Bill Guerin scored a shorthanded goal.

The Bruins made it 2-0 early in the second period on Kopecky's marker from Meszaros and Hartigan at 4:52. Washington finally got on the board when Severin Blindenbacher netted from Jonathan Cheechoo at 6:57, but Boston regained its two-goal edge less than six minutes later. Makela was the scorer from Hartigan and Kopecky at 12:43.

The Capitals came out flying in the final period and scored twice in the first 7:57 to secure the point. Patrick Marleau struck first from Todd Warriner and Cheechoo at 1:00, before Joffrey Lupul converted from Artem Chubarov and David Vyborny.

JS Giguere stopped 30 shots for Washington. Antero Niittymaki made 22 saves for Boston.

The Capitals host Pittsburgh on Day 99.

Capitals Tie Flyers

The Washington Capitals ended a two-game losing skid, but found a way to not win for the sixth straight game on Day 96 in a 2-2 tie with the Philadelphia Flyers. The point moves Washington to 19-28-6.

Nik Antropov gave the Capitals a good start when he scored his ninth of the season from Cory Sarich and Oleg Saprykin at 9:13 of the first period.

The Flyers battled back to tie the game in the middle stanza. Leeb got the goal from Grenier and Cooke at 7:14. Washington regained the lead 5:10 later with a power play marker from Andrew Ference. Severin Blindenbacher and Frantisek Lukes assisted on the goal.

Philadelphia earned a point when Laraque tied it up from Roy and Gratton with just 1:07 remaining in the game.

JS Giguere made 19 saves for Washington. Cam Ondrik stopped 29 shots for the Flyers.

The Capitals visit Boston on Day 97.

FLORIDA - The Pittsburg Penquins came into town after a big win against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Panthers come limping home on a three game losing streak with the first two of them losses at home.

So here we have it...A team playing with confidence against a team struggling to find out what to do.

The Panthers came out strong in the first out shooting the Pens 16-6. Jay Pandolfo opened the scoring at 2:42 and Jamie Langenbrunner made it 2-0 at 17:59.

Jeremy Roenick cut the lead in half with just :02 seconds left in the period to give his team a boost going into the locker room.

The second period was even as far as shots go but it was the Penquins Michal Handzus who tied the game at 15:57 and that is the way it would stay untill the third.

Just 3:23 in Mike Sillinger gave the Penquins their first lead of the game and Pavel Bure notched his 30th of the season for what surely seemed to be the insurance marker at 4:49.

Surely the Penquins could hold on for their second straight win......

but wait....

Coach Keenen calls a time out and has a little chat with his players......

No one really knows for sure what was said but it was effective.....

Petr Bondra cut the lead to one with his 26th of the year at 6:08. Then Kim Johnsson tied the game at 13:38 with Kenny Jonsson assisting on both goals. So it was fitting that at 17:04 Kenny Jonsson notched the game winner as the Panthers clawed their way back and snapped their three game losing streak by defeating the Penguins 5-4.

Brow down to this Man

After clinching a playoff spot, the New York Islanders made a move Saturday that will pay dividends in the post season. The club acquired forward Bobby Holik and a 3^rd round draft pick, sending Brian Smolinski and a 2^nd round pick to the St. Louis Blues.

GM Ryan Long was very happy with the trade. “Holik was someone we targeted a couple months ago and were aggressively pursuing him on the trade market. A number of our offers were rebuffed, so we decided to be patient and make some other deals and adopt a wait and see position. Luckily for us, the Blues have been on a bit of a slide, and made them more agreeable to trading the UFA. Smolinski had been a healthy scratch for us, as we were struggling to try and find a defensive player to fill Mike York’s place on the penalty kill unit (York was traded a couple weeks ago with Teppo Numminen in the deal for Matthieu Schneider). We acquired Scott Parker and Dan Hinote to audtion in the role, however were always hopeful we’d get another crack at Holik.

Isles coach Lorne Henning is very excited about the addition of Holik. “Let’s see, we added a 6’4” 230lb forward, who has a history of performing in the playoffs, and brings a wealth of leadership to the locker-room. He’s like sandpaper, constantly getting under the skin of other team’s best players. Yeah, I’m pretty happy with the deal. Holik is the whole package; defensively he is almost perfect, and he is a hitting machine. He is also no slouch offensively, and brings some secondary scoring to our bottom lines.”

Holik, 35, is playing through the final year of his contract, and knows this could be his last chance at a Stanley Cup. “Look at Mike Richter last year. He got traded to the Isles, and ended up retiring a champion. I can think of no better way to end my career then a championship parade through Long Island.”

Capitals Crushed by Avalanche

The Washington Capitals went without a win for the fifth straight game on Day 94, going down 6-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in the Mile High City. The loss dropped Washington to 19-28-5.

Colorado took the lead in the first period when former Capital Renberg scored from Svatos and Kasparaitis at 9:35.

The Avalanche took complete control with three goals in a 4:15 stretch in the second period. Kobesaw netted first from Tanabe and Bergeron at 7:09, before he scored again from Renberg and Liles on the power play at 9:49. Bergeron made it 4-0 with another power play tally from Forsberg and Markov at 11:24. Patrick Marleau finally got the Caps on the board when he netted from Dan Boyle and Jonathan Cheechoo at 14:32, but the Avs regained its four-goal edge on Bergeron's 19th of the season from Kobesaw and Liles at 16:01.

Colorado continued to pour it on early in the final period. Renberg was the scorer again from Armstrong and Liles at 4:40. Cheechoo added a power play marker for Washington from Marleau and Todd Warriner at 13:53 to complete the scoring.

JS Giguere stopped just 17 shots in the loss. Kevin Weekes made nine saves in relief. Mikka Kiprusoff stopped 23 shots to earn the win.

The Capitals visit Philadelphia on Day 96.

Capitals Fall to Predators

The Washington Capitals saw its winless run extend to four games on Day 93 after a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on home ice. Washington is now 19-27-5.

Nashville took the early lead when Modin scored from Bradley and Arnason at 2:52 of the first period. The Capitals answered just 38 seconds later on Severin Blindenbacher's fifth goal of the season from Dan Boyle and Todd Warriner. The Predators took the lead for good just under four minutes later when Hartnell netted at 7:20.

Thornton gave the Preds a two-goal advantage with a power play tally at 6:29 of the second period. Czerkawski and Hartnell assisted on the tally while Cory Sarich was in the penalty box for highsticking.

Washington pulled within one early in the final period on Ivan Rachunek's goal from Andrew Ference and Frantisek Lukes at 4:47, but the Predators put the game away when Sturm scored from Modano and Krestanovich at 8:55.

JS Giguere stopped 31 shots in the loss and fell to 20-15-5. Tomas Vokoun made 18 saves to earn the win.

The Capitals visit Colorado on Day 94.

CANES PICK UP TWO MUCH NEEDED POINTS AS 4TH LINE SHINES

Carolina

A switch of roles can often lead to some success. Chris Pronger the team’s top defenseman and on ice leader of the club, was moved from his first line duty to the role of shut down man and double-shifting on the 3rd and 4th lines. A move like this can often lead to less production, but Pronger took the move in stride and ended up lighting up the contest with a goal and 3 assists.

Patrick Lalime got back on track by shutting the door late and keeping the Canes ahead throughout the game. Lalime stopped 21 of 24 shots and stood strong and enver allowed the Habs to go up a goal.

Carolina received more than enough offense from it’s newly formed line of newcomers, who together notched 3 goals and 3 assists. Led by Marc Savard’s 1 goal and 2 assists, including the game winner, and Michael Ryder’s two goal game, Zach Parise also notched an assist of his own. Quite an effort from a line who played a total of 6 minutes.

Of note, Brad Stuart and Scott Hannan, two former team mates, duked it out twice on the ice, both times resulting in a loss and an eventual misconduct for the duo. Hannahn will receive a 3 game suspension for his actions.

The Canes have tonight off and will await the Boston Bruins, a team who has given the Canes difficulties as of late.

Senators Make a Big Deal to improve!

The Ottawa Senators made a deal to shake up their team and try to make that little push at the playoffs.

However, this is not your typical "deadline deal" as the players involved are not rentals, but players both teams can use to improve in the future.

The Senators acquire flashy forward Jeff Friesen from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for youngster Michael Ryder, who is a stellar passer and strong winger, and Todd Fedoruk who is simply a BEAST on the wing.

Ottawa is happy to acquire a player like Friesen to play with Bouchard on line 2 and even take over on the first line if Selanne decides to go elsewhere next season being that he is a free agent.

Friesen possesses an 80 PA rating, a 79 SC rating an 83 SP and a whopping 92 DU. Thus, he is a legitimate first liner on most teams in this league. Friesen will help out on the Powerplay and also has a decently priced 4 year deal that will keep him in Ottawa as long as Schmucky feels he's helpful. In his first game Friesen notched a goal and seemed comfortable in his new surroundings immediately.

The Sens are looking forward to the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons! Go Sens Go!

CANES DELIVER BOATLOAD OF DEALS

Carolina

Several hours after the dust settled, the Carolina Hurricanes found themselves without a couple key veterans.

The Canes wasted little time and pulled off three back to back to back deals. When all was said and done the Canes had move

Brendan Shanahan, Kris Draper, Jeff Friesen, Jaroslav Svoboda and junior tough guy Andrew Peters

For

Zach Parise, Marc Savard, Sergei Varlamov, Micheal Ryder, Todd Fedoruk, juniors Dustin Boyd, Kris Chucko and Mark Tobin along with a second round draft choice.

The result of this mess is the Canes felt they addressed several key deficiencies. First and foremost, the Hurricanes had grown very easy to play over the past few weeks. Other than a couple punishing defensemen, the Hurricanes are not overly physical and rarely make opposing defense pay. Adding scrappy winger Michael Ryder might help that cause.

Todd Fedoruk added what the Canes have lacked all season long. A physical presence that isn’t shy to beat up the opposing team. Fedoruk is a powerful winger and should hep alleviate some of the pressures put on Chris Pronger and Brad Stuart, the teams top two defensemen, from having to fight anyone on the opposite team who is unhappy with them.

Sergei Varlamov is a talented winger as well and defensively, he might be one of the best the Canes have. While he has a powerful shot, Varmalov will not be counted on to put the puck in the net, only to stop it from going in. The Canes are confident he can do that.

Marc Savard and Zach Parise were brought in mainly for their production they will have in the future. Both players show outstanding skill but just need a bit of tweaking and the hope is in the upcoming months, the talented duo should begin to show their worth. Expect bigger things from both next season.

The juniors are all quality prospects, including former Cane first rounder Dustin Boyd. The depth gives the Canes options at the following draft and the pick puts the Canes draft pick total to 11.

Overall, it is a new look Canes squad, and a touch bit younger in the process. Can this depth and character bring more success? The reasoning behind the deals were just that, but of course, time will tell the true story.

Buffalo Sabres face possible Playoff Elimination

Buffalo – A.P.

The Buffalo Sabres fall back to the fourth seed in the Wales Conference after their recent three game stink which resulted in the Buffalo Sabres losing all three games and dropping from second seed in the Wales Conference to tied for fourth seed in the Conference.

Why are the Sabres having such a hard time winning games? Well let’s take a look. In there last three games the Buffalo Sabres out shot their opponents 91 to 66 yet lose all three of games, why? Poor goaltending, that’s the reason coming out of Buffalo for their losing habits. Of course one can say the defense needs to step up and do better, but they have been, minimizing shots to 17 to 18 a game yet Rick Dipietro still allows in 2 to 3 goals a game putting pressure on the offense.

However there recent skid is far from over as the Buffalo Sabres still have a game against Toronto Maple Leafs coming up in which Toronto is on a nine game winning streak and threatening to bump the Buffalo Sabres to fifth seed if they are to win. Following soon after the Maple Leafs are the San Jose Sharks, who under new management have gone 8-1-1 in their last ten and threaten to even perhaps bump the Buffalo Sabres out of the playoff picture entirely.

CANES DOWN SABRES

Carolina

The Carolina Hurricanes hosted the high octane offense of the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night and on this night were able to shut down the two headed attack.

“Well, we gave them almost a period of power play time,” said head coach Joel Quenneville, “but somehow we stayed strong and kept them from making this game into a disaster for us.”

Manny Legace was stellar between the pipes, only allowing one goal on the 9 power play attempts and turned aside 25 shots total. Legace, who was given his second straight start even after his last loss, was stellar in the net. The jury is out whether or not Legace or Patrick Lalime will start against the Oilers on Saturday.

The Canes received another big game from newly formed line of Mike Fisher, Dany Heatley and the team’s top scorer Rick Nash. Heatley led the game with 3 points while Nash added two.

Of note, twin towers Chris Pronger and Brad Stuart continued their brawling ways in the contest. Head coach Joel Quenneville had made a comment previously that he was not impressed by their willingness to drop the gloves.

“We need these two on the ice. They are our top two defensemen and when they are in the box for five minutes, it puts a strain on the rest of our team.”

The Canes take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight. No changes are expected in the lineup itself. The goaltender will be a game time decision.