Wojtek Wolski has signed with Torpedo Nizhni Novgorod of the KHL.
He wasn't utilized much by the Washington Capitals during the lockout-shortened season and was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Wolski produced four goals and five assists in 27 games with the Caps.

Matt Hendricks' teammates are hoping the Capitals re-sign him.
Hendricks is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after completing his two-year/$1.65 million contract. "There's always changeover from year to year, but he's one of those guys you're not going to replace," Jason Chimera said. "It's not an easy job to go out there and fight guys twice his size. He sticks up for guys on the team and brings energy when no one else has it." Hendricks had eight points, 73 penalty minutes, and 93 hits in 48 games this season.

Tom Poti won't be back with the Washington Capitals next season, but he wants to continue playing in the NHL.
The pending unrestricted free agent said, "It's time to move on." Poti has struggled with injury for the past couple of seasons, appearing in just 37 games over that time. It may be tough for him to find interested suitors at the age of 36.

The Washington Capitals have confirmed that Alex Ovechkin suffered a hairline fracture in left foot in Game 6 against the New York Rangers.
Ovechkin played in Game 7 despite the injury and in Russia's quarterfinal loss to the United States despite the ailment. He was reportedly told that he couldn't make the injury worse and that it wouldn't require surgery.

Alex Ovechkin notched a goal and an assist in Russia's quarterfinal loss against the United States on Thursday.
The Russians are now eliminated from medal contention at the IIHF World Championships following an 8-3 drubbing. Ovechkin's Capitals were knocked out of the NHL playoffs on Monday in Game 7 against the New York Rangers, so this hasn't been a very good week for the 27-year-old sniper. He enjoyed a spectacular end to the 2013 season and captured his third Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, but he couldn't muster much offense in the playoffs.

Mike Ribeiro reiterated that he's seeking a four- or five-year contract this offseason.
The 33-year-old center is coming off a five-year, $25 million deal, and says that the length of the contract is more important to him than the money. "If I can stay in the city and retire here. It's more about the kids. If I could stay in the city until they go to college," Ribeiro said. Ribeiro doesn't necessarily expect to make a decision before July 5, the start of free agency, though the Capitals will be in the mix if he hits the market. He had 13 goals and 36 assists this season.

Martin Erat dislocated his left elbow in Game 4 of the Capitals' first-round series against the Rangers.
The winger was injured in a collision with Alex Ovechkin and the Rangers' Derek Stepan. This won't be an issue heading into next season; in fact, Erat said he would've been ready for Round 2 if the Capitals had advanced. "I feel better," Erat said. "It's kind of sad, you know, when I was getting ready to go back and I'm not going to be able to."

Alex Ovechkin said he had some "bruises" but nothing that affected his performance in the Washington Capitals' opening-round series loss to the New York Rangers.
We would've been a little surprised if Ovechkin revealed a serious injury given the news that he'll play for Russia at the IIHF World Championships immediately. Ovechkin will have to endure another season of questions about his offensive performance after scoring just one goal in seven games against the Rangers.

Alex Ovechkin will join Russia at the IIHF World Championships on Wednesday.
This shouldn't surprise anyone, especially after the Caps scheduled Ovechkin's media session for Tuesday instead of Wednesday like the rest of the team. Ovechkin could play in Russia's quarterfinal matchup, which could be against the U.S. We imagine Ovechkin will have better offensive success in the worlds than he did in the first round of the playoffs.

The growing concern for the Capitals is whether they will ever make the leap in the playoffs with their current homegrown stars.
Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green are no longer young players in the league. Yet they also don't have an Eastern Conference final appearance between them and have two first-round-and-outs in the past four years. Will the Caps ever get over the hump? "Funny you ask that," Karl Alzner said. "A little bit. I don't know if that's the right mentality. I'm sure it's not the right mentality. But we all play this game to win and when you see one year after another year disappointments - and I know it's only been three playoffs for me. ... You don't want to see the time tick away. You want to at least get a taste of it before you're done.' So I hopefully have a long time. But, yeah, I've thought about it."

Adam Oates was a lot for words following the Capitals' loss to the Rangers that sent them home for the summer.
"Quite honestly, tough to explain. It's funny how over the years the seventh game turns into some form of blowout," said Oates. "I wish I had an answer for that. Obviously we pushed very hard in the first period, he made a lot of great saves. They got a lucky one and every bounce seemed to go their way after that." Oates was 27-18-3 in his first season as an NHL coach. The Caps certainly need to do some tweaking, but Oates seems like he has the makings to be a good coach in the league for quite some time.

Braden Holtby allowed five goals Monday night, but the Capitals aren't blaming him for not reaching the second round.
Holtby was a major reason the Capitals made a late-season surge and even advanced into the playoffs. He finished with a 2.22 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. "I think he's been playing great all series, all season," Nicklas Backstrom said. "He's a young, talented goalie and without him we wouldn't be here today in the playoffs. His performance this series and the whole year has been amazing, I think, and it's been fun to watch. He's not the reason we lost. That's me, myself, and on the players."

The Capitals were left shaking their heads after their no-show in Game 7 of their first-round series with the Rangers.
For a series that was so close, nobody expected a 5-0 result. "That's as tough as it gets right there," forward Eric Fehr said. "It's really disappointing. We played a hard series. And [I'm] not even sure what happened."

Alex Ovechkin put some of the blame on the league and its referees for the Capitals not making it out of the first round.
The Rangers had 28 power plays to the Capitals' 16 in the series and that clearly frustrated the Capitals captain. "I am not saying there was a phone call from (the league), but someone just wanted Game 7. For the ratings," Ovechkin told NHL.com contributor Slava Malamud, who translated to English after the loss. "You know, the lockout, escrow, the league needs to make profit. ... I don't know whether the refs were predisposed against us or the league. But to not give obvious penalties (to the Rangers), while for us any little thing was immediately penalized ..." Let's not forget that Ovechkin was held pointless in the final five games of the series, was sent home in the first round of the playoffs for the third time in six years and is now 2-5 in Game 7s.

Alex Ovechkin was caught slamming his stick against the boards during Monday's 5-0 Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers.
It's hard to blame Ovechkin, who was completely shut down and held scoreless after Game 2 by the Rangers' trio of goalie Henrik Lundqvist and defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Despite the lack of offensive output, Ovechkin was all over the ice Monday night, delivering game-high 13 hits, many of which were of the bone-crunching variety. This came after he laid down his body to block several Rangers shots in Sunday's Game 6 loss. Still, it'll be hard for Caps fans and pundits to ignore the lack of offense in a series that saw the Caps score just two goals in the final three games combined.

Braden Holtby allowed five goals on 27 shots in the Washington Capitals' 5-0 Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday night.
Holtby was excellent for the entire series, matching New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist seemingly save for save. Despite the five goals, it's tough to blame the young Washington goalie for Monday's loss. Holtby was screened on the Rangers' first and third goals and was completely left alone in goals No. 4 and 5 after brutal turnovers by the Caps. Holtby is pretty much the reason the Capitals were even in the playoffs to begin with and fans should take solace in the fact they might finally have a long-term solution in goal.

Tom Wilson will remain in the lineup for Monday's Game 7 against the New York Rangers.
Both Wilson and Aaron Volpatti took pregame warmups after coach Adam Oates said he might change his lineup for Game 7. Wilson will skate on the fourth line again and likely be limited to under eight minutes.

Martin Erat won't play Monday in Game 7.
He wasn't able to dress in Games 5 and 6 due to a wrist or forearm injury he suffered in Game 4.

It's possible that Joey Crabb could play in Monday night's Game 7.
Coach Adam Oates said there may be one lineup change, but he wouldn't say what it would be. Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times speculates that the change might be Crabb for rookie Tom Wilson, who has played in the past two games for the Capitals while seeing very little ice time.

Brooks Laich (groin) won't play Monday in Game 7 versus the New York Rangers.
There was some buzz that he could make his series debut, but coach Adam Oates said that won't be the case. Laich skated in nine just games during the regular season because of his troublesome groin.

Alex Ovechkin led the Capitals with five shots on goal Sunday, but was unable to find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss.
Ovechkin has struggled to find his way in the series, recording only one goal and one assist through six games, but he'll have an opportunity to redeem himself when Game Seven is played in Washington Monday.

Braden Holtby allowed just one goal on 29 shots Sunday, but suffered a loss as the Capitals were beaten by the Rangers by a score of 1-0.
Despite the fact the team has been unable to put away the Rangers in the series, Holtby has been excellent and really doesn't deserve to shoulder any blame for their losses in Games 3, 4 and 6.

The Washington Capitals will trot out the same group of players against the New York Rangers in Game 6 on Sunday as they did in Game 5.
Tough to argue with a group that won, especially one that got stronger as Game 5 went along. We'll see if Washington can land the knockout blow today.

The Washington Capitals take a 3-2 lead into New York today in their best-of-seven, opening-round playoff series against the Rangers, and coach Adam Oates thinks it's somewhat attributable to the hard play of right winger Joel Ward.
"It's been great to have him back. We missed him when he was hurt," Oates said of Ward's impact since he returned from a left knee contusion at the start of the playoffs. "That line with (Mathieu) Perreault and (Jason) Chimera," Oates continued, "they've really, the last 10 games of the year and so far in the series, they've really upgraded their game and really helped us." The third line of Chimera, Perreault and either Ward or, earlier, Eric Fehr has been the Capls' most effective unit through the first five games of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. They've done everything from creating sustained offensive zone pressure and establishing a hard-hitting forecheck to pitching in on the scoresheet and making smart plays in their own end. The current trio has combined for three goals and eight assists in the playoffs and they've been on the ice for only one even-strength goal against.

Tom Wilson played only six minutes and 24 seconds in his NHL debut for the Washington Capitals on Friday night, but the young winger still managed to make a solid first impression.
He was credited with a shot on goal and four hits in just eight shifts while demonstrating his strong skating ability and ably protecting the puck with his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. "For a 19-year-old to come in and establish a little bit of a presence out there and not back down from anyone, starting stuff and playing a solid fourth-line game, that says a lot about his character," said Jay Beagle, who skated on the fourth line with Wilson. Coach Adam Oates said that if not for the penalties the Capitals took early on in the game, he likely would have used Wilson more. So don't be surprised to see more ice time for the 2012 first-round draft pick against the New York Rangers today, depending on the game situation.

Superstar forward Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is critical of the ice surface at Madison Square Garden in New York.
"The ice is not that good. I can tell you right now," Ovechkin said when asked what the Caps have learned after their two previous visits to the Garden in their opening-round playoff series against the New York Rangers. "But the atmosphere is unbelievable, the intensity is there, the speed is there. We just have to control our emotion and don't take lots of penalties because we give them chances when they play 5-on-4. ..We just have to be disciplined and stay same way." The Caps lead the series 3-2 and can eliminate the Rangers with a victory today in New York.

The Capitals have a chance to advance to the second round by winning their first game at Madison Square Garden in the series in Game 6.
In fact, the Rangers haven't won on the road in this series either. The Capitals know MSG will be rocking, but they believe it's a matter of adjusting to the way New York played in Games 3 and 4, which they believe has happened now. "They made adjustments for Game 3 and it took us two games to figure that out," Karl Alzner said. "We thought we had it figured out in Game 4, but they came out really hard again. So it's just all about being able to adapt, and they changed and we didn't get there quick enough. There's no doubt that it's a tough building to play in; they'll have more energy and more emotion but we've got to use that [to our advantage]."

Martin Erat (arm) is not skating Saturday morning with his teammates.
That all but settles it. Erat will not play Sunday night in Game 6. If the series is extended to seven games with a Caps' loss there is no guarantee Erat will play Monday either.

Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates said that it's at least "possible" for Martin Erat to play another game in the team's first-round series against the New York Rangers.
His return for Game 6 seems unlikely, however. With zero points in four playoff games and three in nine regular season contests as a member of the Capitals, it's not as if he's really a make-or-break player for his new squad.

Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates said that Game 5's win "bought the team a day" when it comes to Brooks Laich's recovery process.
It sounds like Laich won't be playing in Game 6, but the door's at least slightly open for him to suit up for the team at some point in the postseason. It's hard to imagine him actually appearing in the 2013 playoffs, yet the Capitals seem eager to try.

Braden Holtby kicked out 24 of 25 shots in a 2-1 overtime win.
Holtby allowed eight combined goals in his previous two games. This ended the Capitals' two game losing streak. Each team has won all of their home games thus far, which bodes well for the Capitals. Washington now has a 3-2 series lead.

Mike Ribeiro scored the game-winning goal in Washington's 2-1 overtime victory.
Joel Ward scored a power-play goal at 7:44 minutes of the second period. Marcus Johansson, Nicklas Backstrom, Troy Brouwer, and Karl Alzner each registered an assist for the Capitals. Alex Ovechkin had a team-high nine shots on goal, but he ended up with no points and a minus-one rating. Matt Hendricks led the team with seven blocked shots. Jason Chimera delivered a team-high seven hits and spent two minutes in the sin bin.

Tomas Kundratek has been called up by Washington.
Fellow defensemen Dmitry Orlov, Cameron Schilling and Nate Schmidt as well as goaltender Philipp Grubauer have also been brought up from AHL Hershey. They aren't likely to play in the playoffs though.

Martin Erat won't play in Friday's contest even though he is feeling better.
He appeared to hurt his wrist or forearm in Game 4 and coach Adam Oates wouldn't discuss the results of his MRI. Consider him day-to-day for now.

Tom Wilson will make his NHL debut in Game 5 Friday night.
The 16th overall pick in the 2012 draft recorded 58 points and 104 penalty minutes in 48 games with Plymouth of the OHL this season. He plays a physical style and he's capable of chipping in offensively. Coach Adam Oates said he's looking for a "spark" and Wilson could provide that on the fourth line alongside Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle.

Alex Ovechkin has been named a finalist for the Hart Trophy.
'The Great Eight' is one of only 11 players to win the Hart in consecutive years (2008-09) and he's up for the Ted Lindsay Award as well after returning to form in the latter portion of the lockout-shortened season. Ovechkin led the league with 32 goals in 48 games and he ended up with 56 points despite a sluggish start. His play helped the Capitals win the Southeast Division.

Alex Ovechkin knows he has to better and that the Capitals' top line has to rebound from a disappointing two games in New York.
"Our line have to create chances," Ovechkin said Thursday following practice. "And last game, I don't think we create lots of opportunity for our line, and everybody knows Backie, me and JoJo have to play better. We have the most minutes on the ice. We have to have at least 10 shots a night." Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson combined for just four shots in Wednesday's 4-3 loss and none of them recorded a point. They will look to bounce back in Game 5 on Friday night.

Coach Adam Oates is waiting for the results of Martin Erat's MRI after he left Wednesday's game with an apparent injury to his left wrist or forearm.
It doesn't look like he will available for Game 5 on Friday thought. Erat left Wednesday night's game after playing just six shifts for 4:42 of ice time.

Brooks Laich said he didn't have sports hernia surgery in April, but he he did undergo a "small procedure that was groin related."
He has been skating but there's no timetable for his return to the lineup. Laich hasn't played in the playoffs yet and he was limited to nine regular-season outings because of a troublesome groin problem.

Tom Wilson has been recalled by Washington and he might play in Game 5 on Friday night.
He skated with Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle on the fourth line during Thursday's practice. Joey Crabb, who was also called up from the minors Thursday, joined extras Wojtek Wolski, Aaron Volpatti and Brooks Laich. Coach Adam Oates would not confirm Wilson's presence in the lineup, but said Crabb, Wolski and Volpatti are options to play as well.

Joey Crabb has been summoned from the minors by Washington.
The Hershey Bears were knocked out of the AHL playoffs in the first round, so Crabb will rejoin the Capitals. Washington also lost Martin Erat to an injury in Game 4. Crabb had two goals in 26 games with the Capitals during the regular season before being sent down to the minors.

Mathieu Perreault generated a goal and an assist in Washington's 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers Wednesday night.
His first career playoff marker came just past the midway mark of the second period to get Washington on the scoreboard. Perreault has been productive in the playoffs with four points in four games. He had five shots in Game 4 after registering two in his previous three contests, so hopefully he's learned that he needs to shoot the puck more.

Alex Ovechkin was tabbed as a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award on Thursday.
The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL, as voted by members of the NHLPA. Ovechkin captured his third Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2013 after he registered a league-leading 32 goals in 48 games. He also led the NHL with 16 power-play goals. Ovechkin finished in a third-place tie with Sidney Crosby in scoring with 56 points and he amassed 41 of them in his final 29 games. He has won the award three times.

Braden Holtby gave up four goals on 34 shots in Washington's 4-3 setback versus the Rangers on Wednesday night.
The Capitals and Rangers have each won both of their games at home. Holtby was solid and made some big saves, but he definitely wasn't his best in this one. The first goal of the game came when the Rangers intercepted a pass after he went out to play the puck against the left boards. Holtby carries a 2.20 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in the playoffs into Game 5.

Troy Brouwer scored for the Capitals in their 4-3 loss against the Rangers in Game 4 of their first-round series Wednesday night.
The Capitals had trouble generating any consistent offense through the first half of the game, but found themselves tied 2-2 by the end of the second thanks to a slick backhander from Brouwer, who now has 15 points in 61 playoff games. Mathieu Perreault had the team's first goal, taking advantage of Joel Ward's hard move to the net and banking in the rebound. Karl Alzner had the other goal for Washington. Ward ended up with two helpers. Alex Ovechkin was limited to one shot on goal and a minus-one rating. He also had two penalty minutes.

Martin Erat left Wednesday's game after landing on his arm after a collision.
Erat was injured in a collision with teammate Alex Ovechkin and Derek Stapan as the Rangers forward was nearing a scoring chance. Ovechkin nailed the Rangers forward but also got a piece of Erat, who was also trying to stick the puck away. He fell and landed on his forearm/wrist area, leaving while in a lot of pain.

Alex Ovechkin responded to Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh's assertion that he was tired in Game 3 on Monday.
"No, I felt normal," Ovechkin said. "I don't know why he say that. I thought our line played well, and we had solid chances but we didn't sore. Of course, they try to find something [to say] if they win. Somebody looks tired, somebody looks lazy or somebody looks bad. I don't care what they say." Ovechkin turned it around and said that he finds it "nice" that McDonagh doesn't play a physical game "because they play too much minutes."

Brooks Laich (groin) was on the ice Wednesday.
Laich is recovering from his hernia surgery and might be available by for the second round. That being said, he's not giving himself a firm timetable. "Unsure right now," Laich said. "I've got to get some good practices in first and absorb a little contact. But the team's playing very well right now, so I don't feel the need to rush it and certainly when I get back in I want to stay in." Washington has a 2-1 series lead going into Wednesday's contest.

Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates disagreed with the idea that Alex Ovechkin was tired late in the third period of Monday's 3-2 loss.
The idea was broached by Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who said that Ovechkin appeared tired on Derek Stepan's game-winning goal. Oates said that had more to do with Ovechkin not being in rhythm due to the Capitals' six penalties. Still, Oates gave Ovechkin and the Caps the day off Tuesday instead of holding a practice as planned. We'll see if the extra rest does anything to help in Wednesday's Game 4.

The Capitals didn't record a shot on goal on the power play in the final 1:54 of Game 3 against the Rangers.
Essentially, it was a 6-on-4 man advantage as Braden Holtby was pulled for the extra attacker. That the Caps didn't get a shot on net is pretty inexcusable in that instance, even if the Rangers did a good job getting their bodies in the way. "We try to find the shooting lane and we didn't find it. It's blame on us," said Alex Ovechkin, who drew the penalty. "I think we didn't find the shooting lane and if we move the puck, we move the puck too slow."

The Capitals have already turned the page on their loss and are focusing on fixing their mistakes for Game 4.
"It's unfortunate," Mike Green said after the team's 4-3 loss. "We wanted to be up three, but we have a lot of work to do and we knew we would." The Capitals got the first goal of the game, then the Rangers held three one-goal leads as the Caps answered back twice.

Even though the Capitals hung with the Rangers, their parade to the penalty box early on set them back.
They took six minor penalties in the first 27 minutes of the game. The Rangers only capitalized on one (and scored just as one expired), but it kept the Capitals on their heels and kept their offensive players glued to the bench. "Your momentum gets killed," Jay Beagle said, "and it's tough to get going again. We need to keep our sticks down and stay off the refs." Mike Green also added: Anytime you're taking penalties, it's losing momentum and it's tough to get that flow of the game. Guys get tired and we can't have that."

Mike Green followed up his game-winning goal Saturday with a tying goal late in the second period of Monday's eventual 4-3 loss to the Rangers.
At the time of Green's goal, the Capitals were all over the Rangers after New York took a 2-1 lead earlier in period. Then, Green snapped a shot in between Henrik Lundqvist's glove and helmet and it looked as if the Capitals were going to turn the game around. Despite tying the game again in the third on a Jay Beagle goal, the Capitals couldn't convert on a 6-on-4 power play for nearly two minutes at the end of the game and now lead the series only 2-1 instead of 3-0.

The New York Rangers finally figured out Braden Holtby, who gave up four goals on 30 shots in a 4-3 loss Monday night.
Holtby had given up just one goal combined in Games 1 and 2 but his night got off to bad start when Brian Boyle found room on the short side from a sharp angle. Holtby played pretty well overall but faced a fair amount of shots thanks to the Rangers' six power plays and new philosophy of "shoot, shoot and shoot some more." Holtby will look to bounce back in Game 4 on Wednesday night.

Brooks Laich (groin) didn't skate Monday.
He isn't expected to play in Game 3 Monday night, as the Capitals are projected to keep their lines the same. They own a 2-0 lead in the series against the Rangers and Laich, who is getting closer to being able to play, hasn't suited up since April 4 because of a groin injury.

Jay Beagle and his Washington teammates have had to adjust to coach Adam Oates' new penalty kill system.
The Capitals improved their penalty kill over the course of the season. They surrendered 20 power-play goals in the last 39 games after giving up 15 in the first 11 and they killed all seven of the Rangers' man advantage situations in the playoffs after two matches. Washington has been credited with 38 blocked shots in the postseason, but Oates doesn't like his players to drop down in front of the opposition when they do it. "With a PK that's so structural, you can't afford to kind of get out of position," Beagle said. "There's also the time like [Saturday] when Fehrsie goes down and blocks that shot. That was a huge block. It's kind of a read. It's kind of like a player's read. If you see that he's going to make the shot and you have a chance to get down and block it, we obviously need to get those blocks, too. But it's a balance. You've got to keep it in the back of your mind."

Mike Green's Capitals teammates have taken to calling him "game-over Green" due to his propensity to score game-winning goals.
Green was humble after his most recent game-winner, which lifted the Caps to a 1-0 win over the New York Rangers Saturday afternoon. "I think the whole game was patience - whoever was going to make the mistake first," Green said. "Just a lucky one tonight. What an effort before we got that power play by the guys that were on the ice, pressuring their D. They had no choice but to try to go off the glass and they made a bad play." His most recent overtime winner was the 18th game-winner of the talented blueliner's career and the eighth of which that has come during extra time. That's an impressive track record, especially for a defenseman.

Mike Green scored the lone goal in Washington's 1-0 overtime win against the Rangers on Saturday.
Mike Ribeiro and Alex Ovechkin each recorded an assist for the Capitals, who now have a 2-0 series lead. Ovechkin also chipped in with seven shots on goal and seven hits. Steve Oleksy led the team with eight hits. John Carlson blocked a team-leading four shots.

Braden Holtby saved all 24 Rangers shots in a 1-0 overtime win on Saturday.
Holtby was probably the second best goaltender in this game, but that says more about how good the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist was than anything. Either way, Holtby has been everything the Capitals have needed in this series. He's been giving them every opportunity to pick up wins in the 2013 playoffs and so far it's worked.

Capitals coach Adam Oates downplayed the impact of the Rangers getting injured players back like Derek Dorsett.
"It might change a matchup, but it's not going to change the way we play," Oates said. "It's not going to change the way they play. Obviously every team wants all their guys in. They get some guys in the lineup. You know what? We know the way they play, and we have to be prepared for that." Washington claimed Game 1 of their first-round series already and will attempt to take a 2-0 lead Saturday afternoon.

Brooks Laich (groin) no longer is limping and is nearing a return to the Capitals' lineup.
He has been practising with his teammates and particiapted in Friday's full scrimmage on a regular line. Laich was also seen after practice roaming around the arena without any limp whatsever. Consider Laich a game-time decision for Saturday afternoon's matinee.

Braden Holtby will attempt to build on the momentum he created with his fine performance in Game 1 for Saturday afternoon's Game 2 against the Rangers.
Holtby was the difference Thursday night stopping 35 of 36 shots. He will have his work cut out for him Saturday afternoon as the Rangers are sure to be desperate for a win.

Joel Ward said Wednesday that his knee is almost 100 percent.
"It's a little discomfort but it's not too bad, actually, it's actually come down a long way," he said. "I'm hoping to get in if I can. I feel confident to get out there and do work. From a couple days ago to now it's been a huge drastic change, it's been a lot easier. I'm almost pretty close to pain free, which is good. I'm just a little bit - I got a small little percentage I've got to hunker down to get out, but other than that I've had a big drastic change." Ward skated in a third consecutive practice Wednesday and he might be ready to play in Thursday's playoff opener.

Mike Ribeiro will be back in the postseason for the first time since 2008 when Washington begins their first-round series against the New York Rangers Thursday.
"It's just going to be exciting. It's been a few years," said Ribeiro. "The first time you don't make the playoffs, you're kind of happy. You have a longer summer. But like four times in a row now, four times, four summers, it's long. You're out for like seven months; it's pretty long. And obviously this year was even longer for me, from April to all the way now. I'm just anxious to go and play and bring some emotions up." The playmaking center registered 36 assists and 49 points in 48 games with the Capitals this season and he's eligible to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. A good showing in the playoffs could land him that long-term deal he is seeking.

John Carlson feels the key to defeating the Rangers in first round of the postseason is to take what made the Capitals last year and blend it with their higher tempo style.
"It plays to our strengths a little bit," Carlson said. "If we can take that commitment level that we had last year in that series into this one with our system and our skills, I think we're a really good team." Washington played in a defensive shell last year under Dale Hunter, but with coach Adam Oates they have been given more freedom to create offense and get in on the forecheck. Committing to blocking shots and being able to grind out wins will be important against a Rangers team that prides themselves in playing that kind of game.

Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates expects Joel Ward (knee) to be in the lineup for Thursday's Game 1.
Ward missed the Caps' final nine regular-season games with a knee contusion but should be in the lineup Thursday as long as there are no setbacks between now and then. Ward is an important part of the Caps' depth but offers no real fantasy value.

Brooks Laich (groin) is projected to play at some point during the playoffs, but he hasn't resumed skating yet.
"He's on the way to recovery right now and as soon as he can recover we'll get him in," coach Adam Oates said. "You know how he is, he's trying as hard as he can to get there and we've just got to be careful." Laich has missed 39 games this season with an ongoing groin problem that forced him to undergo sports hernia surgery earlier this month.

Alex Ovechkin led the NHL with 14 goals and 22 points in 13 games during April en route to earning the first star of the month honor.
The Capitals posted an 11-1-1 record to claim their fifth Southeast Division title in the past six years, even though this one appeared highly unlikely at the beginning of the year thanks to a very slow start. Ovechkin had troubles of his own early this campaign but his scoring tear, which kicked into high gear in mid-March, helped him capture his third Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy with a league-leading 32 markers. He will be tough for the Rangers to slow down in the postseason.

Joel Ward (knee) is hoping to be ready to play in Game 1 against the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
"Obviously we'll see how these next couple days go," Ward said. "I think my mind feels pretty good, it's just I want to get in with the guys and kind of muck it up a little bit. I think the next couple days will be a pretty good test." He participated in some drills Monday on the fourth line. He was absent from the Capitals' last nine games of the regular season with a knee contusion which he sustained after blocking a shot.

Mike Ribeiro recorded two assists in Washington's season finale.
Ribeiro had 13 goals and 49 points in 48 games this season. Of the players currently scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this summer, he's the clear scoring leader. Of course, before that he'll try to win the Stanley Cup with the Capitals.

Alex Ovechkin will win the Rocket Richard Trophy.
Ovechkin got off to a slow start this season, but he recorded an incredible 24 goals and 41 points in 29 games. Washington is in for a rough first-round match against the Rangers, but Ovechkin should put up big numbers for as long as the Capitals are in the playoffs.

Braden Holtby made 32 saves in Washington's 3-2 overtime triumph over the Bruins on Saturday night.
Holtby has really found his game in April, sporting a season-best 2.16 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. Now he'll get read as he and the Capitals face the Rangers for the fourth time in five years in the postseason.

Mike Green lit the lamp twice for the Capitals in their 3-2 overtime win against the Bruins on Saturday night.
Green also had an assist, and he now has points in four straight games, seven altogether. When Green is healthy and going well, he is one of the best offensive-minded blueliners in the game. That he's playing so great now is a big plus for the Capitals entering the playoffs. Eric Fehr potted the game-winner, while Alex Ovechkin and Mike Ribeiro had two assists apiece.

Brooks Laich (groin) is probably a week or two away from skating.
Laich might be available for the second round, or perhaps even late in the first round, if the Capitals make it that far. He has been limited to just nine regular season games.

Joel Ward will not play Saturday night against Boston.
He is still recovering from a knee contusion. The Caps are hoping he will be ready for the playoff opener Tuesday night.

Michal Neuvirth has inked a two-year, $5 million contract extension with the Washington Capitals.
Neuvirth was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. He will make $2.4 million next season and $2.6 million in 2014-15. "We talk about it and I don't feel as a backup," said Neuvirth. "I feel I'm better than that, and that's why they offer me more money than the backups in the league." He might not feel like a backup, but he has his work cutout for him if he wants to wrestle the starting job away from Braden Holtby next season. It's certainly not an impossible task for him, but we'd sooner bet on Holtby.

Joel Ward (knee) skated with his teammates on Friday.
"I think today might have been my best day so far," Ward said. "It felt good. I got a chance to get in a few stops and starts that gave me trouble in the past. It's moving along. I've got some more cranking out to do but other than that a positive day." He might be ready for the Capitals' playoff opener.

Braden Holtby will start on Saturday.
Holtby will be aiming for his ninth win in 11 games. He has a 2.61 GAA and .919 save percentage in 35 contests this season.

The Capitals earned one point against the Senators this season.
Granted, the Senators were playing for their playoff lives Thursday and the Capitals had already clinched, but the Sens currently are slated to face the Caps in the first round of the playoffs. Ottwa outshot the Capitals 25-4 in the third period and overtime. "They came to play tonight. They skate hard and they skate fast, they're on us and they put the pressure on and it's tough to create anything," Capitals defenseman Mike Green said. "But we just came out flat. I don't know what it is the last couple times we've played against them. But it's the way it's gone."

Alex Ovechkin scored his 32nd goal of the season in the Capitals' 2-1 overtime loss to Ottawa Thursday.
Not even Craig Anderson could manage to shut down Ovechkin, who has registered an amazing 14 goals in 12 games during the month of April. Marcus Johansson and Mike Green drew assists on the marker.

Michal Neuvirth stopped 39 of 41 shots Thursday, but was saddled with a loss in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Senators.
Neuvirth looked sharp in this contest, but he has been outplayed by Braden Holtby this season and will take a back seat come playoff time.

Michal Neuvirth will get the nod for Washington Thursday night versus Ottawa.
The Capitals will give starter Braden Holtby the night off and will probably return to him in Saturday's regular-season finale against Boston. Neuvirth owns a 4-5-1 record with a .905 save percentage and a 2.81 GAA this campaign. But he has won his past two outings this month and allowed just two goals against in both of those contests.

Joel Ward (knee) participated in Thursday's morning skate, but he won't play against Ottawa.
He is expected to miss his eighth straight game with a bruised left knee, but he finally appears to be making some progress which bodes well for his chances of returning for the playoffs.

Coach Adam Oates likes Alex Ovechkin for the Hart Trophy this season.
This shouldn't come as a surprise but he did admit that Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby probably would've been everyone's MVP had he stayed healthy. "He's a fantastic player no matter what, but he's been hurt and he's missed a lot of games and his team has won every single night without them," Oates said while pleading Ovechkin's case. "I think that makes it tough for the voters, but like I said last week, I'm biased for my guy and I'm sure [Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma is] biased for his guy, and it's up to [voters] to vote." Crosby still leads the NHL in points entering Wednesday night's action, while Ovechkin leads the league with 31 goals and trails Crosby by three points for the scoring crown.

The Capitals have inked Aaron Volpatti to a two-year contract extension.
He will make $550,000 in 2013-14 and $600,000 the following year. Volpatti was acquired off waivers from Vancouver back in February. He has two points and 35 penalty minutes in 31 games between Washington and the Canucks this year.

Eric Fehr has inked a two-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals.
He will earn $1.4 million next year and $1.6 million in 2014-15. Fehr has registered eight goals and eight assists in 39 games with the Capitals this season after signing a one-year deal worth $600,000 in January.

Joel Ward skated for the first time at the team's practice facility Wednesday morning since suffering a knee injury on April 7.
He has sat out Washington's last seven games after blocking a shot by Tampa Bay defenseman Sami Salo and suffering a knee contusion. It's not clear if Ward will play before the end of the regular season, but he may be on track to suit up when the playoffs begin.

Nicklas Backstrom notched a goal and an assist in Tuesday's win over Winnipeg.
He has four points in his last two games to give him 48 in 46 contests this season. Backstrom is third in the NHL with 40 helpers and is tied for eighth in league scoring. Hopefully, you stayed with patient with him at the beginning of the year and you are being rewarded for it now.

Mathieu Perreault almost went from hero to goat in Washington's 5-3 win over Winnipeg Tuesday night.
He recorded what held up as the game-winning goal late in the second period and collected an assist to help Washington win the Southeast Division with a victory over Winnipeg. However, his third-period penalty gave the Jets an opportunity to tie the contest late in the contest. The Capitals killed the penalty and Alex Ovechkin sealed the win with his 31st goal of the year into an empty net. Perreault's linemate, Jason Chimera, and Nicklas Backstrom also had a goal and a helper in the match, while Matt Hendricks also scored for the Capitals in an emotional win.

Braden Holtby blocked 24 of 27 shots in a 5-3 win over Winnipeg on Tuesday.
The victory clinched the Southeast Division championship for the Capitals, which is impressive considering the team's abysmal start to the lockout-shortened season. Holtby has racked up eight wins in his last nine starts and has been fairly dependable after a bit of a rocky start.

Braden Holtby should get the start in between the pipes against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
Holtby is scorching hot with just one loss in his last eight games, but Tuesday's game is a huge one for the Caps' playoff positioning. The Jets are just a point behind the Capitals entering play tonight, but Washington could potentially ice Winnipeg's chances with a win in regulation.

Tom Poti has been selected as the Washington Capitals' Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee.
Poti was finally able to return to the NHL after missinf two seasons with groin problems and a fractured pelvis. "I still wanted to play," Poti said. "I still had the passion inside me. Hockey's still fun for me to this day and I wanted to do everything I could to get back." Unfortunately he's sidelined again, this time with a back injury. He has two assists and 16 games this season.

Joel Ward (knee) didn't practice on Monday.
Ward might not be able to return before the end of the regular season. He has eight goals and 20 points in 39 games this season.

Troy Brouwer has 19 goals in this 48-game shortened season, just three shy of his career-high of 22.
Brouwer has been scoring at a career-best pace this season thanks to increased ice time on the man advantage. With 30 points in 43 games this season, Brouwer should be owned in 12-team leagues for the stretch run.

Alex Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals scored in this 48-game shortened season.
Ovechkin recorded his 29th and 30th goals in the win last night in Montreal, increasing his league lead in that category to three. "I'm pretty happy I'm scoring goals. I'm pretty happy we're winning games," Ovechkin said. "But we still have three games left and next game is going to be the biggest game of the year. We have to be professional about it and be ready for the next game. Ovechkin will win the Rocket Richard Trophy for the first time since 2008-09, still has a shot at the Art Ross Trophy and will be in the Hart conversation as well.

Braden Holtby blocked 35 shots in Washington's easy 5-1 win over Montreal on Saturday night.
Holtby now has just one loss over his last eight games. The Capitals looked dead in the water a month ago, but now they're in the driver's seat for the playoffs, leading the division by three points. Holtby has a 2.64 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.

Alex Ovechkin enjoyed a three-point night to lead the Capitals to a 5-1 win over the Canadiens on Saturday night.
Ovechkin's torrid streak continues with his league-leading 29th and 30th goals of the season and an assist to up his point total to 51, good for fourth in the NHL. Troy Brouwer also potted two markers, while Nicklas Backstrom added a goal and an assist. Mike Ribeiro chipped in with three helpers, while Mike Green had a pair.

Brooks Laich (groin) hasn't been traveling with the Capitals.
Laich is still out indefinitely with a week remaining in Washington's schedule. Maybe he'll be return at some point during the playoffs, but we'd exercise extreme caution when determining his value in postseason pools.

Nicklas Backstrom took part in Saturday's morning skate.
Just another indication that Backstrom is fine to play Saturday night. He left Thursday's game after his arm was struck by the puck, but the ailment doesn't appear to be serious.

Nicklas Backstrom is expected to play Saturday night against Montreal.
He doesn't seem to be having any difficulties with his arm after blocking a shot in Thursday's contest. Keep the talented pivot active.