Earlier today, the Washington Capitals claimed veteran winger Marco Sturm off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.  The speedy, defensively responsible Sturm recently returned to action after missing a good chunk of the season with a knee injury. 

He has four goals and five assists in 17 games played for the Kings this season.

Sturm, 32, is a 13 year NHL veteran of three teams, and has been a consistent mid-20s goal scorer throughout his career.  He brings 52 games worth of playoff experience to the Capitals as well.

F D.J. King was placed on waivers to make room on the roster for Sturm.  If he clears waivers, he should report to AHL Hershey.

The Caps also recalled F Jay Beagle for tonight's game with the New York Islanders and have sent C Mathieu Perreault to Hershey,according to Mike Vogel of Caps.com. 

In that same update, Vogel reported that G Semyon Varlamov, who was scheduled to start tonight, was injured in pre-game skate and Michal Neuvirth will take his place.  Todd Ford will be recalled from AHL Hershey and make his NHL debut backing up Neuvirth tonight.

This move could be a pre-cursor to a flurry of activity before Monday's trade deadline.  Sturm presents a cap hit of about $810,000 (pro-rated), and GM George McPhee might have to do some rearranging of the deck chairs to make a significant move.

One possibility is placing D Tom Poti, out since mid-January, on the Long Term Injured List, freeing some space to maneuver.

Regardless, McPhee figures to be one of the busier GMs between now and Monday.  Friday night's debacle against the New York Rangers couldn't have left anyone in the organization with any confidence in the Caps fleeting hopes of securing a fourth straight Southeast Division banner.
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Vogel also reported that Mike Green was placed on the "non-roster" list today so that he could attend his grandmother's funeral and that Geren has already departed for Calgary.

THE RESULT:  The Washington Capitals shut out the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in their last game on the 2010 calendar and last home game filmed by HBO.

The Caps faced the Habs on Tuesday night for the first time since the devastating loss in game seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the spring 2010. 

Many of the Caps took this game to heart. "We've had these guys marked on our calendar for a while" said Mike Green after the win. "They [Canadiens] broke our hearts last summer and we all had to live it with it through two to three months and we don't forget that."

This was just one of eighty-two regulation games for the season, however, one Caps player got an opportunity for redemption and played like it was the playoffs.  Semyon Varlamov was the goaltender in game seven losing by one goal and on Tuesday night, completely shut down the Habs.  It appears as though Varly may have earned a start at the Winter Classic.  It should be noted that Jaroslav Halak is now playing for the St. Louis Blues and Varly beat Halak earlier in December.

Defense was key to the Caps win.  It was no coincidence that Jeff Schultz returned to the ice the same night that the Caps get a shutout.  Schultz broke his finger on December 6 and has been working very hard to get back on the ice. He doesn't want to miss the Winter Classic and his defensive skills were greatly missed.  Welcome back Mr. Nasty.  “We missed him. He’s so consistent. He hasn’t played in however many games and he comes back and he’s solid just like he always is" said teammate Mike Green. "You have to admire that.” 

Kudos to all of the recent call-ups from Hershey.  Jay Beagle played in his seventh game since being recalled from Hershey. "There's a guy who is making a great case to stay here." Coach Boudreau continued, "It's his fourth year professionally (his first in the NHL), and his work ethic is second to none."

Beagle scored his second goal of the season and the first of the night in the first period.  “I throw a lot of backhand, but I don’t think shelf like that." Beagle said of his "Ovechkin-esque" goal. "I knew that [Carey] Price was a big goalie and I just wanted to put it on net and try to get it up." "I’m trying to [make an impact in the NHL]. I’m working hard. When you work hard, good things are going to happen. It’s fun playing with Chimmer [Jason Chimera] and Fehrsie [Eric Fehr]. They make it easy."

Check out Beagle's pretty goal at around 50 seconds.

Caps recalled Keith Aucoin from Hershey to take Marcus Johansson's spot.  After the game, Andrew Gordon tweeted that he was heading back to AHL. He has played well for the Caps and will hopefully get callled up again soon.

Photos 2010 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/

Caps News Network. All Rights Reserved.

The Caps continued their strong play on the penalty kill, killing all five penalties.  The same cannot be said about the 0-for-8 Power Play.  Coach Boudreau said in post-game presser, "They’re doing really well [on the penalty kill]. I think the power play is a little different – we are not scoring goals, but we must have had seven or eight really good chances.”

It should be mentioned that the Caps dominated in face-off 36 to16. Nicklas Backstrom may not be scoring goals, however, he won 10 out of 12 of his face-offs and David Steckel went 15-for-22.

The win gives the Caps 49 points (22-12-5) through 39 games to take over first in the Southeast Division and second in the Eastern Conference behind Pittsburgh. "We played a solid game," Green said, "We played our system to a tee and when we do that, we're usually sucessful no matter who we play."

"It was more important for us to protect the lead and not be too aggressive and play a solid game. And we did that tonight," said Mike Green.

It was a solid effort for the Caps and they should be ready for the weekend in Pittsburgh. Mike Green spoke about the momentum building for this weekend's Winter Classic, "Yep, yep, but we can't get too high now, we have to feel like we have over the last week where we keep building and building and building."

When Coach Boudreau was questioned about Winter Classic roster decisions, he said, "There's a lot of guys trying to make their case and I am trying to not think about playing somebody just because he is who he is. I am just going to put the best lineup that there is to win that night."  Is Bruce excited about the Winter Classic? "I just want to get it over with and I hope it doesn't rain." 

THE GOOD: Jay Beagle. Congrats on his first hard hat!

THE BAD: Habs' P.K. Subban. He tried very hard to get into a fight, however, the Caps didn't bite. He was after Chimera and Hendricks most of the night. 

THE UGLY: Power Play. 0-for-7. Ouch. 

THE STATS: Jay Beagle (2) from Eric Fehr (8); Matt Hendricks (7) at 16:20 of 1st.  Mike Green (7) from Nicklas Backstrom (25) at 19:22 of 1st.  Alex Ovechkin (14) empty net from Karl Alzner (4) at 19:28 of 3nd.

NEXT GAME: Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 1:00 pm vs. Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA for the Fourth Annual NHL Winter Classic.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Mike Green. Another strong defensive game and goal.\
2. Jay Beagle.  Scored his second goal of season with "Ovi-esque" style and earned first hard hat.
1. Semyon Varlamov.  Shutout with 25 saves.

Could Andrew Gordon be any happier? (D.Nichols/Caps News Network)

THE RESULT:  You've got to give Washington Capitals fans one thing: They know who's next on the schedule.

Mid-way through the third period, when this one was well beyond doubt, the chant started.

"WE WANT PITTSBURGH!"

It's certainly premature for the fan base of a team just two games removed from an eight-game losing streak to start taunting their fiercest rival, but there it was.  It was heard by a national television audience on the Versus Network.

And you KNOW they heard it in Western PA.

But the Capitals did exactly what they HAD to do tonight:  dominate a completely inferior opponent on home ice.

After the misery that was going through D.C. in recent days, the win was a hopeful sign to the fan base that their Capitals were back.  You'll have to forgive them for their exuberance.

After the Caps put the finishing touches on their second straight win, a 5-1 drubbing of the New Jersey Devils, the locker room as well seemed to have a different feeling.  Not of relief, per se, but of normalcy.

Washington regains first place in the Southeast Division by one point (20-12-4, 44 points) over Atlanta and remains two points behind Pittsburgh for second place in the conference.

The Caps got great contributions from recent call-ups from AHL Hershey in this one, as Andrew Gordon and Jay Beagle both chipped in with goals, and Jason Chimera broke his long scoreless streak with a goal, his 200th career NHL point.

John Carlson added a goal, assist, and was plus-4 on the night.

To say Gordon was excited about his first NHL goal is an understatement.  After tipping in a perfect crossing pass from the boards by Marcus Johansson, he found his Swedish center back on the bench and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, of course caught by the TV cameras.

“It’s a weight off my shoulders," Gordon said. "I came here wanting to contribute and show I could do it up here. I’ve had a couple opportunities the last few games but finally got a nice one to squeak through on a great pass.”

"The boys have been through quite a bit in the last few weeks and to get a couple wins in a row is always a good feeling.”

Video D.Nichols/Caps News Network

For his part on the play, Johansson just needed to beat a cheating defenseman to the puck.  “I was just hoping the puck would bounce over the defenseman’s stick at the redline and it did. I looked to the middle and saw Gordon had more speed than his defenseman so I just tried to hit him and it turned out pretty good.”

Pretty good, indeed.

Chimera's milestone came as a relief as well.  "It's nice.  It seems like I was on it for 85 games.  My three-year old made me goals scoring cookies today, so I think they helped out, so I'll give the credit to him."

"It's nice to get back-to-back wins, especially with all the questions about us, whether we're gonna play good or not.  We played pretty solid tonight."

Coach Bruce Boudreau remarked on the play of the recent call-ups after the game.

“I thought they all played great. They had lots of energy, they followed direction and they played with passion and enthusiasm. When you do that, usually, no matter what league you’re in you’re going to have success.”

And does adding a youthful outlook to the locker room alter the mood?  “I think winning rejuvenates guys too. I mean it’s a much happier locker room the last couple of games, so that’s good.”

The Capitals needed this one.  After squeaking out a 3-2 win over Ottawa Saturday night, they needed to come home and take care of business against one of the worst teams in the NHL, something they could not do two weeks ago against Toronto.

But with the Penguins looming Thursday, then again on New Year's Day, this team needs to find a semblance of efficiency and cohesion.

Perhaps the influx of talent from their very well-prepared minor league affiliate was just what the doctor ordered, starting with Carlson and Karl Alzner, then Johansson and Mathieu Perreault, now continuing with Gordon and Beagle.

Can a team whose best players aren't even at their physical prime yet already be ushering in another wave of "young guns"?

THE GOOD:  Going to the bakery.  Four of the Caps five goals were from close in, including Beagle's stuff from a nice Steckel move and pass and Mike Knuble's redirect of an entry feed by Tom Poti.

THE BAD:  Matt Bradley broke a finger and will miss two-to-four weeks.  He will also miss the Winter Classic.  We'll have more on this from practice Wednesday, but it's a huge blow to the soul of this team.

THE UGLY: Mark Fayne.  The New Jersey defenseman was victimized by Johansson on the first goal at center ice, and Chimera skated right past him on his goal.

THE STATS:

1st Period:  16:41 WSH Andrew Gordon (1) Tip-In - Assists: M. Johansson (3) & J. Erskine (5)

2nd Period:  4:56 NJD PPG - Patrik Elias (7) Tip-In - Assists: J. Langenbrunner (9) & T. Zajac (14)

10:00 WSH Jay Beagle (1) Wrist Shot - Assists: D. Steckel (4) & M. Bradley (6)

12:39 WSH Jason Chimera (5) Wrist Shot - Assists: A. Gordon (1) & J. Carlson (13)

16:31 WSH John Carlson (4) Slap Shot - Assists: A. Ovechkin (27)

3rd Period: 12:01 WSH Mike Knuble (7) Tip-In - Assists: T. Poti (5) & B. Laich (14)

NEXT GAME:  Thursday night at 7:00 pm against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Verizon Center.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Michael Neuvirth.  35 saves on 36 shots.  Kicked pucks to the corners all night long.

2. Andrew Gordon.  First NHL goal and assist.  And the kiss that sealed the deal.

1. John Carlson.  Goal.  Assist.  Plus-4. He's growing up right before our eyes.

PHOTOS (all photos C. Nichols/Caps News Network)



According to the notes section in this Hershey Bears press release, the Washington Capitals have recalled centers Matthieu Perrault and Jay Beagle from AHL Hershey.  Both players were scratched tonight from the Bears' game with Wilkes-Barre, a 3-2 loss.

There has been no word from the Capitals yet with any corresponding moves, but it's no secret the Caps have struggled down the middle so far this season, with rookie Marcus Johansson registering just one point in six games, while he and veteran Tomas Fleischmann both own faceoff percentages lower than 35 percent.

The Capitals have their pre-game skate at Kettler Capitals Iceplex at 10:00 am Saturday morning in preparation for a 7:00 pm game with the Atlanta Thrashers.

We'll update this story as we gather more information.

BOX SCORE//GAME SUMMARY//EVENT SUMMARY

The Washington Capitals, as they have so many times this season already, dominated through two periods, taking a 3-1 lead into the final frame against the Ottawa Senators Monday evening.

What followed was "a collapse by 20 guys and I don't know how else to sugarcoat it," according to coach Bruce Boudreau after the game. 

Ottawa scored twice in the third to tie and Mike Fisher, the NHL's No. 3 star of the week last week, batted home a centering pass from Chris Phillips past Semyon Varlamov (33 saves) in overtime to seal Washington's fate.

The Capitals (13-5-6), tied for the lead in the Eastern Conference with Pittsburgh, lost for the fourth time in five games (1-2-2) during a very trying time on the schedule, and with the accumulation of injuries across the team.

Missing again from the lineup were Alexander Semin, Milan Jurcina, Boyd Gordon, Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti, Mike Knuble and Quintin Laing.

No one wants to blame injuries and the schedule for the recent troubles, but reasons are different than excuses.

"I don't think the problem was physical," center David Steckel said. "I just think mentally we shut it down."

"It's a tough loss. I still can't really believe that we let it slip away," said Jay Beagle, who registered his first NHL goal to give the Caps a two-goal lead.  "I scored but at the same point you're disappointed with the loss so it's kind of a bitter feeling."

Washington has allowed a power play goal that has tied or been the go-ahead goal in the third period eight times this season, and unfortunately the trend continued.

Three penalties in the third period made playing with the lead more dangerous than it should have been.  Ottawa tied it up with Alex Ovechkin in the box for a questionable roughing call.  "I think he just go low and I just hit him," Ovechkin said. "But I don't take a penalty."

The Caps could do nothing with a gift later in the period, as the Senators were whistled for too many men on the ice.

"They wanted it more.  We take three dumb penalties, they get the momentum, they get the crowd into it and we leave our poor goalie out to dry," Boudreau said.

"What happens a lot to us is that we go two periods without a penalty and then all of a sudden it's, well, 'We got to call something on them.' And you get a cheap one. But at least two of them were deserved."

Washington outshot Ottawa 25-15 through the first two periods of play, but the table was reversed in the third, as the Sens dominated, beating the Caps in shots 18-3.

The Caps got first period goals from Chris Clark (2) and Brendan Morrison (8) to take the early 2-1 lead, and Beagle got his first in the second period, which should have made things comfortable in the third period.

But it seems like lately, when things should be comfortable, that's when the Capitals have their most trouble.

The Caps are off until Wednesday night, when they host the Buffalo Sabres at 7:00 pm at Verizon Center.

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THREE STARS

1. M. Fisher - OTT (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)

2. P. Regin - OTT (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)

3. M. Green - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)

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NOTES

Mike Green assisted on Morrison's goal, extending his point streak to seven games.

According to Capitals Insider, goalie Jose Theodore has left the team and retuned to Washington for "personal reasons".  The Caps recalled Michael Neuvirth to back up Semyon Varlamov tonight against the New York Rangers.

Also, Jay Beagle was recalled in case David Steckel can't go.  Steckel took a puck off the foot in yesterday's practice and was limping around afterward.

More details about Theodore's situation as they become available.

Photo © 2009 Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.