you shoot you score you win - nhl.comcapitals.nhl.com/v2/ext/capsextra/caps_2-10.pdf · speculate...

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YOU SHOOT YOU SCORE YOU WIN AN ALL-NEW 2010 FORD TAURUS! Additional Prizes Enter to Compete & Win at WashingtonCaps.com Personalized Jersey Limousine Skybox Tickets No Purchase necessary. Must be 18 or older. Residency restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes end 4/1/10. See website for official rules. PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY! ������� ��The Capitals vaulted to the top of the Eastern Conference by winning 13 of 15 games in January and outscoring their opponents 70-35 during the month. Alex Ovechkin was named the NHL’s player of the month after netting nine goals, 26 points and a plus-16 rating – the 26 points were tied for the most he has had in a calendar month in his career. Not to be outdone, Hershey’s Keith Aucoin was named the AHL’s player of the month as well. Aucoin, who has played nine games for the Capitals this season, had 12 goals and 35 points in 14 games in January for the Bears, Washington’s American Hockey League affiliate. CAPITALS NOTES Photo: Getty Images INSIDE MIKE KNUBLE proven to be the perfect complement to Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom THE CAPITALS move into their fancy, new home downtown BRENDAN MORRISON trying to rebuild his career after two disappointing seasons THE CAPITALS join other sports franchises in raising money for earthquake victims in Haiti WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2O10 See Today’s Examiner Inside SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

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Page 1: YOU SHOOT YOU SCORE YOU WIN - NHL.comcapitals.nhl.com/v2/ext/capsextra/Caps_2-10.pdf · speculate that he would replace Viktor Kozlov on the team’s first line with Alex Ovechkin

YOU SHOOTYOU SCOREYOU WINAN ALL-NEW2010 FORD TAURUS!

AdditionalPrizes

Enter to Compete & Winat WashingtonCaps.com

PersonalizedJersey

Limousine SkyboxTickets

No Purchase necessary. Must be 18 or older. Residency restrictions apply.Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes end 4/1/10. See website for official rules.

PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!PUT OUR ALL STAR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!

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★ The Capitals vaulted to the top of the Eastern Conference by winning 13 of 15 games in January and outscoring their opponents 70-35 during the month.★ Alex Ovechkin was named the NHL’s player of the month after netting nine goals, 26 points and a plus-16 rating – the 26 points were tied for the most he has had in a calendar month in his career.★ Not to be outdone, Hershey’s Keith Aucoin was named the AHL’s player of the month as well. Aucoin, who has played nine games for the Capitals this season, had 12 goals and 35 points in 14 games in January for the Bears, Washington’s American Hockey League affi liate.

CAPITALS NOTES

Photo: Getty Images

INSIDE★ MIKE KNUBLE proven to be the perfect complement to Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom★ THE CAPITALS move into their fancy, new home downtown★ BRENDAN MORRISON trying to rebuild his career after two disappointing seasons★ THE CAPITALS join other sports franchises in raising money for earthquake victims in Haiti

WEDNESDAYFEBRUARY 10, 2O10

See Today’s

Examiner Inside

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

Page 2: YOU SHOOT YOU SCORE YOU WIN - NHL.comcapitals.nhl.com/v2/ext/capsextra/Caps_2-10.pdf · speculate that he would replace Viktor Kozlov on the team’s first line with Alex Ovechkin

NOTE: Caps Extra will count down each week with one of the top 12 events in Washington Capitals’ history.

For more than two decades the hockey team from the nation’s capital didn’t actually play in the nation’s capital.

That changed when the Washington Capitals played their first game at MCI Center, the team’s new, modern downtown arena on Dec. 5, 1997. After years of residing in the suburbs, D.C.’s hockey team was finally home.

“I remember the pressure of that night because you have to win your first game in the new building,” Capitals general manager George McPhee said. “I also remember feeling like we had arrived. Like this is where, if you’re representing Washington, D.C., then you should play in D.C.

“I think we won it in overtime.” Indeed, Jeff Toms’ goal gave Washington

a 3-2 victory in overtime and sent the sold-out crowd home happy. MCI Center, which eventu-ally became known as Verizon Center, was erected in the middle of the New Arena Era (22 of the 30 current NHL rinks opened between 1993 and 2001) when franchises raced to build modern temples of sport that were plush with improved sight lines, and more importantly, lavish luxury boxes.

Moving from Maryland to F Street not only

helped the Capitals and NBA’s Wizards compete with the finances state-of-the-art arenas yield, but the place affectionately dubbed The Phone Booth also was a key part of revitalizing the neighborhood.

A decade ago the area where Verizon Center stands was not exactly a hot spot for night-life and entertainment, but that has certainly changed.

“Good planning, great ideas and it has worked,” McPhee said. “You’d be hard pressed to say any rink in any NHL city has worked better than this one has anywhere else in the country.”

Added defenseman Brian Pothier: “It is one of the best setups in the league. Everybody I know hops on the train, gets here at 3 or 4 [p.m.], and there are great restaurants around

the rink. You can come from out of town and make a weekend out of it.”

Pothier used to play in Ottawa, where the arena can be an hour drive from downtown depending on traffic. The move downtown for the Capitals helped set the stage for everything that has happened for the franchise in the past decade, including the construction of the current team that looks to compete for a Stanley Cup.

“It is one of the great places to watch a game, and it is the reason you get great events here, like the NCAA Frozen Four, because people can walk out the door and there are 100 restaurants plus museums and the National Mall,” McPhee said. “It has succeeded even better than anyone could have imagined even though everyone had lofty aspirations.”

proves to be perfect fit

Several teams in the National Hockey League have done their part to contribute resources to the relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, and the Washington Capitals are one of them.

People associated with the organization, including players’ wives and members of the Red Rockers, accepted donations from fans Sunday, Feb. 7 at Verizon Center during their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Washington Capitals Charities is planning to match those donations.

The money will be given to Inova Health System Foundation, which has been helping solicit resources and has medical personnel in Haiti assisting with the rescue process.

“It is unfortunate when something like that happens,” Brian Pothier said. “It is catastrophic, but it always amazes me how people sort of band together at the right time and make a difference. Whether it is resources or time or energy or prayer, whatever it is – people are pretty phenomenal at supporting one another in need. Sometimes governments aren’t always as efficient as they need to be, but people are.

“For us, we have an opportunity to help rally support. We have a nice base of fans that support us, and if we’re supporting a cause it is a neat way to help more people come together for that common cause. That’s definitely a good thing.”

The NHL donated $100,000 on behalf of the 30 teams, but some individual franchises have gone to work to help out. Other teams such as

Montreal, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Buffalo and Caro-lina have helped raise more money as well.

Members of the Capitals said they have been monitoring the events in Haiti.

“Absolutely – it is a disaster what happened there,” Brooks Laich said. “One of our players in the league has family there [Georges Laraque], but it goes beyond that. It goes beyond us here in America being fortunate and being able to help others where a bottle of water or a package of rice will go miles. We’re doing some other stuff here in the locker room to try and help out and around the league I think the league is doing a great job.”

Added general manager George McPhee: “The team itself is a public trust and we’ve really tried to do our best and help where we can. It is one thing I am routinely amazed about with our organization is how much we do with various charities and organizations.”

When the Washington Capitals inked Mike Knuble to a two-year, $5.6-million contract this past offseason, people immediately began to speculate that he would replace Viktor Kozlov on the team’s first line with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Knuble drifted back and forth between the top two lines for the first three months of the season, but January proved to be a month where coach Bruce Boudreau ensured stability with the combinations and Knuble settled in on the top unit. The rugged right wing scored 11 goals in 15 games, which matched the most productive month of his 13-year career.

“I think he fits that line perfectly,” Brooks Laich said. “He doesn’t want the puck a whole lot until he gets around the net, which works perfect with his two linemates. [Backstrom] wants the puck all the time, and [Ovechkin] wants the puck all the time and there’s only so much of the puck to go around. [Knuble] likes finding his way to the front of the net, and he knows it is going to get there.”

Alexander Semin has also spent a lot of time playing with Ovechkin and Backstrom, in part because they have told Boudreau they like playing together. But the Capitals are a more dangerous team when Ovechkin and Semin are able to anchor different lines, and that proved true in January.

When Washington lost Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov to the Kontinental Hockey League this past summer, the Capitals needed a forward

capable of playing with their elite players and a veteran leader. General manager George McPhee was able to find both in Knuble.

Knuble’s style of play differs from Kozlov’s, and his strengths have made the team’s top line even more potent.

“You need to add something different to a line sometimes,” Knuble said. “I don’t consider myself a real skilled player. I try to complement the guys I play with. I’m the type of player that honestly, if you put better players around me then I become better. I’m not the type of guy who makes players around him better. I’m the other way, but at least I know that, and I think the coaches know that.”

While Knuble has already surpassed Kozlov’s goal output from each of his two seasons with the Capitals, he has also proven to be a valu-able replacement for Fedorov in the team’s dressing room. Like Fedorov was last season, Knuble is the only player on the team who owns a Stanley Cup ring – he won two with the Detroit Red Wings.

“He fits right in – he’s just one of the guys now,” Laich said. “I think our management has done a great job of bringing in not only good hockey players but also good hockey people. He’s slid right in here in our locker room, and he’s a guy who has Cup rings and brings that kind of experience to the team. He doesn’t get worked up about too much – he’s never too high and he’s never too low.”

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BY COREY MASISAK | PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

THE DEFINING DOZEN: NO. 11 Capitals move into their downtown digs

Caps contribute to Haiti relief

Feb. 10 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.Comcast SportsNetCaps Radio 1500 and 820 WashingtonCaps.com GameDay

Key Notes: The Canadiens led the NHL in power-play percentage in 2006-07 and 2007-08 before falling to 13th last season, but they were second to the Capitals this season as of Feb. 2 ... Tomas Plekanec has seven goals and seven assists in his past 11 games against Washington.

Feb. 11 at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Comcast SportsNetCaps Radio 1500 and 820 WashingtonCaps.com GameDay

Key Notes: Alex Ovechkin’s 28 career points against the Senators is third most against a non-Southeast Division oppo-nent and his plus-11 rating is tops against any foe ... The Senators went 10-5 in January, including nine straight victories to close the month.

Feb. 13 at St. Louis, 8 p.m Comcast SportsNetCaps Radio 1500 and 820 WashingtonCaps.com GameDay

Key Notes: Goaltender Chris Mason is 2-0-0 and has allowed four goals in three career games against the Capitals ... The Blues were tied for the fewest home victories in the NHL as of Feb. 2, while only three teams had more road victories than the Capitals.

UPCOMING GAMES

BY COREY MASISAK | PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

BY COREY MASISAK | PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Knuble

John Erskine’s wife, Karie, was one of several wives collecting for Haiti relief prior to last Sunday’s game.

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Capitals Q&A: Brendan MorrisonQ: What was it like for you this summer – I’d guess this might have been the least amount of certainty you’ve had in your career?A: I’d say that’s probably accurate. I wasn’t coming off a very good year, and a lot of people were questioning if I could stay healthy. The last few years I’ve been through quite a few surgeries, but I’ve used all of that as a motivating tool.

Q: What has it been like to spend so much of your career in one city and then be in three new cities in a span of 12 months?A: I know – that was strange. It was a little unsettling. I was in Vancouver for eight years, and I thought there was a real good chance that I’d finish my career there. Last year I wasn’t really performing in Anaheim and I got picked up by

Dallas. I thought I played well at the end of the year. Coming here to Washington was kind of like a clean slate. Coming to a new team and coming from the West to the East, you want to come in and prove yourself to your teammates and your coaching staff.

Q: It seems like it has gone pretty well – what have you thought of the transition?A: It was a really good start, but the past month has been slow offensively. When you’re a scorer and you’ve done that throughout your career, if you go through a stretch where you don’t, it wears on you. I think the silver lining in all this is the team is still winning. When you’re on a team that’s not winning and you’re not producing, you feel like you want to jump off a bridge with cement shoes.

Q: Have you seen much the city?A: There’s probably too much to see in one year. I know my family and my wife have been to the museums quite a bit.

Q: Do you have a favorite?A: I have not been to a Smithsonian museum this year, but when I traveled in from out of town I’d go all the time. Air & Space, the Spy Museum – I really liked the Air & Space, but there are some other Smithsonian places I need to check out. I know my kids are excited about the butterfly exhibit because they want to have butterflies land on them.

After years of being a steady producer for the Vancouver Canucks, Brendan Morrison dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness the past two seasons. He talks with Corey Masisak of Caps Extra about rebuilding his reputation as a quality NHL player and settling in as a resident of the Washington, D.C., area.

Photo: Getty Images

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