Record setting night in Sunshine state.

It took Mike Green just under 35 minutes to re-write the record books. The Caps defenseman has been red hot lately, leading all NHL players in goals over the past few weeks. Last night, he put himself in a position no other rearguard has ever been.

Eight straight games with a goal. A new NHL record, which will likely stand for awhile. As previously noted by FEAR THE WEAGLE, Mike O'Connell set the record at seven games in the 83-84 season with the Boston Bruins. Other notable defensemen on the list were Ray Bourque (7) and Bobby Orr (6).

A throng of Capitals came off the bench to celebrate the monumental achievement set by the 23 year old blue liner, and his father David was also in attendance. Green had a chance for back-to-back multi-goal games, but rang one off the post in the third.

However, Green was not the only one setting records last night.

Michael Neuvirth - a Caps rookie - probably never thought he'd get a sniff of NHL action this season. An ECHL All-Star with the Capitals affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, Neuvirth was recalled by the Hershey Bears when both Darren Machesney and Simeon Varlamov were unable to suit up due to injury. While in Chocotown, Michael posted a modest 4-3-2 record with a 3.03 GAA and .890 SV%.

When it became clear that Brent Johnson was hampered by a season ending hip injury, Washington was forced to turn to their young net minders to play in spot duty down the stretch. Varlamov would have most likely gotten the call for last night as he already has two NHL games under his belt this year with a 2-0-0 record. Varlamov however, is still ailing from a knee ligament injury, which he hopes to return from this week. The Capitals took a chance with Neuvirth hoping for the best.

Last night, Neuvirth looked calm, cool and collected, stopping 23 shots en route to a 5-1 Washington victory. The win marks Neuvirth's first of his NHL career, and hopefully one of many in his young career.

It seems as though the Capitals future in goal looks bright with both Varlamov and Neuvirth showing the ability to play at the NHL level at a young age. The test will be if they can carry a heavier load in the years to come, with successful results.

GM George McPhee has been unclear about any plans in goal past this season, saying only he plans to spell now starter Jose Theodore with Neuvirth and Varlamov. It is unclear whether or not they will re-sign Brent Johnson through next season, or give his job to one (or both) of these young net minders.

But the main story of last night's action was the play of Mike Green. We at FEAR THE WEAGLE would like to extend our congratulations to Mike on a milestone that may never be eclipsed again. He is definitely now looking as a legitimate Norris Winner, and we wish him the best.

Green will try to extend his record to nine games as the Caps take on the Panthers tonight.

Thinks finally coming up "Fehr"

It took Eric Fehr only 33 seconds to wrist his 6th goal of the season past an unsuspecting Tomas Vokoun in last nights 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. His latest tally has doubled his past two seasons in combined scoring, as he only put in 3 goals between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

Fehr began his professional career with Washington's AHL affiliate in Hershey, where he scored 53 points in 73 games, as well as potting 11 points in 19 playoff games en route to Herhsey's 2005-06 Calder Cup Championship.

The following season, the 6'4" 212 lbs forward battled through injuries while putting up a point per game average for the Bears (41pts in 40 games and a ridiculous +20 rating).

However, last year put a halt to Eric's professional hockey career as he suffered from a hip problem which doctors could not treat as they were unable to find the source of the problem.

Fehr was shelved for the majority of the season when he finally met a specialist who concluded he suffered from a lower back injury which was causing the symptoms in his hip.

He was able to suit up for 34 games last year, splitting time between Hershey and Washington, with mild success. It was evident that he was still not in peak condition to be an every day NHL player.

This past off season, the Capitals resigned Fehr to a one year $735,000 deal, hoping that he could prove he was worth the 18th overall selection in the 2003 draft.

The signing seems to be paying off in spades, as Fehr is on pace for 25 point season, which is one shy of the 26 which fellow Capital Tomas Fleischmann registered in 2007-08.

The Winkler, Manitoba native has really turned on his game as of late, contributing 5 points in his past 5 games, while making good on his opportunity to return to the line-up after Chris Clark has been placed on IR for the remainder of the season.

Evidently, Eric's campaign won't match the point production he saw with Brandon of the WHL or his rookie season in Hershey, it is certainly a step in the right direction for the 23 year old winger.

He still projects as a top six forward in this organization, and with this being a contract year for Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov, it will be interesting to see if Fehr is given the opportunity to step into the role in which he was drafted.

As for now, at least Fehr can take solace in the fact that for the first time in three seasons, things finally seem to be coming up "Fehr".

Kronwall vs Dorsett

Just a quick fight between the Capitals newest acquisition and Columbus tough guy Derek Dorsett.

Capitals claim Kronwall

Today the Capitals claimed defenseman Saffan Kronwall off of entry waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Jarfalla, Sweden product (and younger brother to Detroit's Nicklas) has posted solid numbers this season with the Leafs AHL affiliate, leading all defenseman in scoring (25 points in 42 games).

Kronwall will not be in the line up for tomorrow night's game against the Panthers as he has immigration issues to clear up. He will also have to play a minimum of 10 games, or spend the next 30 days on the Capitals roster before he becomes waiver exempt, giving Washington the opportunity to send him to Hershey without risk.

"He played real well in his first year pro in North America, but then he's had some setbacks with injuries the past few years. He's a puck moving defenseman who might have some upside. So we'll take a look." - GM George McPhee

The Capitals have also recalled Karl Alzner and Alexandre Giroux for tomorrow night's game.

Varlamov will start on National Stage

This morning Bruce Boudreau confirmed that rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov will start in tonight's game in Montreal. The game will be broadcast nationally across Canada on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.

"My thought was, 'Let's see what he's got'," Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "The last time I saw him [in Hershey] he was great. If it's baptism under fire, well then it's baptism under fire. We'll see how he reacts to it."

Varlamov has posted a 10-3-0 record in Hershey this year, as well as a 2.34 GAA and .909 SV%.

He was selected by Washington in the first round, 22nd overall in the 2006 draft.

Also, take a gander over at www.capitals.nhl.com and have a look at their roster page. Brett Leonhardt has been added to the list of their goalies.

The WEAGLE will return tomorrow with thoughts on Varlamov's first professional start.

Leonhardt lives every hockey fans dream.

Just when things couldn't get any wackier for the Capitals, they did.

A rash of injuries forced Washington to morph into a hybrid NHL/AHL team, which featured a dozen call ups over the past month.

And yesterday, things got a bit hairier.

During a Thursday afternoon practice goaltender Jose Theodore tweaked a hip flexor, ironically the same injury which has hampered Brent Johnson through the early part of the season.

On game day things went from bad to worse as Theodore was forced to leave practice early as his injury persisted.

Summon Brett Leonhardt.

Leonhardt, a web designer and media personality for the Capitals had been called in to practice with the on Thursday, as he played Division 3 collegiate hockey with Oswego State and Neumann College.

While Friday rolled on, it became more and more apparent that Leonhardt might have to suit up for that nights game. Hershey Bears goaltender Simeon Varlamov was stuck in San Antonio, Texas and had a devil of a time getting both himself and his equipment to D.C.. South Carolina Stingrays goaltender Michael Neuvirth couldn't get a flight out of Fort Myers, Florida and as game time approached the Capitals were forced to turn to Leonhardt.

Dawning his unmarked stall in the locker room was the cherry red Capitals jersey. Number 80. Leonhardt. A dream come true for any hockey player, regardless the level they competed.

As Leonhardt took to warm ups, the team anxiously awaited the arrival of Varlamov from Texas. He arrived at the 10:57 mark of the first period, putting an end to Leonhardt's brief tenure as the Washington Capitals back-up.

This was not the first time a similar situation has arose in the NHL. In December of 2003, the Vancouver Canucks were set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins when goaltender Dan Cloutier went down with a groin injury.

With the Manitoba Moose on the east coast, it was impossible for Alex Auld to be called up in time for the game.

The Canucks were forced to roll the dice with University of British Columbia back-up Chris Levesque, who almost had to play in the game as Johan Hedberg was shaken up.

While Levesque and Leonhardt never played in their respective games, they both will be able to tell their NHL stories, which will resonate with them for their lives.

"[My teammates] were pumped," Leonhardt said. "(Sergei) Fedorov said: 'This is why I love this organization, this is great.' Mike Green just started laughing his head off then put his arm around me and said 'Let's go.' Even (Johnson) who doesn't talk before games came over, went through warm up with me said 'Hey have fun out there.' It couldn't have been more perfect."

And perfect it was.

Taking it all in stride.

Karl Alzner never could have imagined his NHL debut being quite like this.

Alzner would join a Washington Capitals defensive corps featuring of Tom Poti, Mike Green, Jeff Schultz and John Erskine - or more like replace, as all those aforementioned have been out of the line-up.

This has paved the way for Alzner and his AHL mates to display their skills at the NHL level, which so far has been impressive.

On paper it doesn't take a skeptic to point out the flaws on the Capitals blue line. Having a whopping five AHL players - none of whom have played a lick of NHL hockey - as well as lacking offensive production as Alexander Semin and Sergei Fedorov are still shelved, would lead many to believe this team is in trouble.

However, quite the opposite has transpired.

The Capitals have been able to remain a respectable .500 club the past 8 games, as they've worked tediously at patching the holes as the number of man games lost continues to climb.

All of which came to a crescendo Tuesday night as the Capitals toppled the Eastern Conference's hottest team, the Boston Bruins, 3-1.

Alzner and company have proven they should not be judged by their pedigree - but more so - by their undiscovered talent.

In fact, Alzner has begun drawing comparison to the great Calle Johansson, as one of the Capitals more stable defenders in recent memory. He, like Johansson, displays a blend of patience, skill, smarts the ability to simplify his game, all of which has shown the veteran savvy that this 20 year old possesses.

Sean Collins, a 25 year old rookie, continued his solid play since being called up last week. He has proven that if necessary, he could handle loads of ice time.

Tyler Sloan has been hit or miss, but can be effective so long as he can minimize mistakes in the defensive zone.

With the return of Tom Poti on Tuesday night and that of Mike Green on the horizon, it seems only fitting to give credit to this rag-tag bunch that managed to keep the team afloat in their absences.

Alzner, Collins, Sloan, Helmer, Lepisto. All have played a large part in this teams success these past few weeks, and there's a good chance that fans will look back on this stretch of games come April and reflect on how valuable playing .500 hockey was.

There's an old saying that adversity doesn't build character, but reveals it. If so, Capitals fans can rest assured that if their team faces another set back - they'll be in good hands.

Hershey, PA: A Breeding Group for Future NHL Stars (Part 2)

In today's edition we will take an in-depth look at Hershey rookies that are turning heads early this season.


On the Rise

Francois Bouchard - Center - Drafted 2nd Round, 35th Overall in 2006 Entry Draft

Francois is the younger brother of the Minnesota Wild's Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and it shows as they both play a very similar game.

Francois tore through the QMJHL with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, putting up back to back 100 point seasons in 2005 and 2006. Last season was a bit of a drop off as he only managed 92, but he still lead his team in points.

This season he has made the jump to the AHL and is showing no worse for wear putting up 14 points in 16 games.

Bouchard is considered a shifty play making winger who can also find the net. His future with the Capitals is still atleast a full year away, but his ability to produce at every level he has played have the Capitals high on Bouchard's future.

Oskar Osala - Left wing - Drafted 4th Round, 97th Overall in 2006 Entry Draft

Continuing with the theme of 2006 draftees, Oskar Osala is a breath of fresh air in the Capitals orginization. Selected out of Missisauga of the OHL, the rugged Finn brings a blend of grit and a set of gifted hands.

Washington has very little on the radar in terms of a power forward, and they are hoping that Osala can fill that role, while still contributing to the score sheet on a consistent basis.

After his junior career had been completed, he jetted back to Finland where he played a season with the Espoo Blues, where he earned rookie of the year honors as he was among his team leaders in points scored.

This year he has returned to North America and since joining the Hershey Bears has set the AHL ablaze, leading his team in goals with 13, and being nominated as AHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 2, 2008.

With any luck, Capitals fans could see Osala "rocking the red" as early as next season, though with the teams financial leverage being tight, it could take a little longer.

Matthieu Perreault - Center - Drafted 6th Round, 177th Overall in 2006 Entry Draft

The story of Matthieu Perreault's journey at the 2006 draft is one that not many players share. Matthieu made the cross country trip to Vancouver where he sat agonizing for 2 full days on whether or not he would be selected. Finally with their last selection in the draft, the Washington Capitals approached Perreault and informed him that they would be selecting him 177th overall.

Needless to say he has returned the favor tenfold and is another of Washington's many prospects who will be pushing for a roster spot in the near future.

Perreault, like Bouchard, played his junior hockey in the QMJHL, where he also put up two consecutive 100 point seasons with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

He is listed at 5'9", but in fact, is probably a tad smaller, which some consider to be a knock against him. However, he is proving that making the jump to professional hockey is not as difficult as the pundits predicted it would be for a player his size.

Perreault has assumed the role of set up man, playing a very Adam Oates-esque style of game, while ranking third on the Bears leaders in assists.

His speed isn't quite at the caliber of Chris Bourque's but he comes a close second, which is very adventageous for his style of play.

In the past he has had great success centering a line with Francois Bouchard, and with Oskar Osala on his left wing, you could potentially see this line assemble in D.C. in the next coming years.

Hershey, PA: A Breeding Group for Future NHL Stars

After sweeping through their weekend schedule, I felt it was due time to take a look at the state of affairs with the Hershey Bears.

So far this season they have left nothing to the imagination of fans, racing out of the gates to a 12-5-0-1 record, while blowing out their opponents in the process.

Case in point: Saturday November 14th, 2008 and Sunday November 15th, 2008. The Bears took on the Philadelphia Phantoms and the Binghampton Senators and beat them soundly; 7-4 and 9-0 respectively.

This is nothing out of the ordinary, as they have already beaten Wilkes-Barre 8-4 on Opening Night, as well as a 7-1 drubbing of the Syracuse Crunch.

Needless to say, the offense has been tantalizing to date, and indicates the bright future ahead for the Washington Capitals.


On the Cusp

Karl Alzner - Defense - Drafted 1st Round, 5th Overall in 2007 Entry Draft

Alzner has exceeded the monumental expectations bestowed upon him rather effortlessly. Playing for the most part with Sami Lepisto (as well as Josh Godfrey), Alzner has been a staple on Hershey's blue line, and is tied for first in rookie +/- (fourth in the entire AHL) with fellow teammate Oskar Osala. Though he will never be leaned upon to produce the numbers of an offensive defenseman, he is still able to find the score sheet (8 points in 16 games) as well as log quality powerplay time. It appears that it is only a matter of time before this budding prospect gets his crack at the NHL.

Chris Bourque - Left wing - Drafted 2nd Round, 33rd Overall in 2004 Entry Draft

Since arriving at Capitals training camp in September, the former Boston College product has been a man on a mission. Despite his lack of size, Bourque is following up a record year stats wise with one that's been equally impressive to date. A late cut from Capitals camp, Bourque clearly has dazzling offensive talent and when put to use, he ranks amongst the Elite in the AHL. If he is able to increase his statistics, he will have a legitimate chance to make Washington's roster next season.

Sami Lepisto - Defense - Drafted 3rd Round, 66th Overall in 2004 Entry Draft

It took Sami a little longer than expected to make the trek to the North American rinks. A major shoulder surgery set him back half of a season with Jokerit in 2005-06, but he showed no ill-effects the following season, as he finished the year with the most points of any Bears defenseman. His defensive partner Josef Boumedienne has since left the organization, now playing with the Toronto Marlies, forcing Lepisto through a transition period. After a sluggish start, he is now starting to find his stride and is returning to the form he showed last year. With the lack of depth on the Capitals blue line this season, there is a chance they could make a trade to involve both Lepisto and Alzner in their immediate plans.

*Sunday's installment of THE WEAGLE will focus on the abundance of rookies whom are on the rise.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/21/08 Washington Capitals at Calgary Flames

For 27 year old defenseman Tyler Sloan, Hollywood itself could not have delivered a better script. The rugged Calgary, Alberta native has been a career journeyman through the ECHL and AHL ranks, not yet having a chance to suit up for NHL action, excluding preseason.

Until tonight.

And what better way for Sloan to get his first crack at the bigs than in his home town in front of his family and friends.

"I didn't think it was going to be this soon, but I'm ecstatic," Sloan said of the call-up. "I'm going to Calgary, my hometown, you can't ask for any more than that."

Sloan will indeed have his work cut out for him, joining a depleted defensive corps who is without the veteran leadership of Tom Poti. Poti is sidelined with a groin injury and will not suit up for tonight's game. This will give Sloan an opportunity to see ice-time both at even strength, and most probably on the penalty kill as well.

Sloan will not be the only home town boy in a Capitals uniform tonight fellow defensemen Mike Green and Jeff Schultz also hail from The Stampede City.

Washington will be taking on a Calgary Flames club that hasn't quite lived up to their standards so far this season. A team that prides itself on defense has yet to find a way to put it all together, sputtering out to a 1-3-1 start to their year.

However the off-season acquisitions of Todd Bertuzzi and Mike Cammalleri seem to be paying off as they are both producing at a point per game status.

It will be important for the Capitals to perform as they did against Vancouver, in regards to using their offense as their best form of defense. In that game they held the Canucks to only 10 shots on goal, and coasting to an easy 5-1 win. Given the injures to not only Poti, but Viktor Kozlov and Donald Brashear, Washington will have to use their strong fore check and team play to cover for their lack of man power.

So far this season, Jose Theodore has paralleled A Tale of Two Cities, a Charles Dickens classic to many a Caps fan. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That has essentially summed it up for the French Canadian net minder who has shown flashes of brilliance, but also hasn't erased the memories of the last three seasons of the Olaf Kolzig era (1995-2008). His play has been indicative of his confidence, which seems to fluctuate as the game progresses. It will be interesting to see if he can put in his first well rounded performance of the season tonight.

For the Flames, word is that Curtis McElhinney may get the start tonight, but that has yet to be confirmed nor denied, so for the time being we will assume it will be Mikka Kiprusoff in the pipes.

Here's hoping Tyler Sloan writes himself into the record books in a very special way.

Washignton Capitals Quick Hits 10/20/08

A couple quick hits before tonight's pre-game thoughts:

Tyler Sloan has been recalled by the Washington Capitals. Coach Bruce Boudreau plans on playing Sloan in tomorrow nights game in Calgary. Washington's line combos in practice today were as follows:

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Clark
Laich-Backstrom-Semin
Fleischmann-Nylander-Bradley
Brashear-Steckel-Fehr/Gordon

Morrisonn-Green
Sloan-Schultz
Erskine-Jurcina

Sloan, a native of Calgary, Alberta will suit up in his first ever NHL match, so it will be a great career milestone for the 27 year old defenseman. He played a handful of preseason games with the Caps back in September

Tom Poti will make the trip out west with the rest of his teammates, but will not play Tuesday as he is still nursing a sore groin.

The Hershey Bears recalled goaltender Michael Neuvirth, though he is not expected to play. It appears that he will in fact be loaned out to another AHL squad after all. Simeon Varlamov is also nursing a slight injury but should be fine.

Finally, the Washington Capitals signed goaltending prospect Braden Holtby today. From Tarik's blog:

"The Caps have signed goaltender Braden Holtby to a three-year entry level contract.

The 19-year-old fourth round draft pick (2008) is 6-3-0 this season for the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. He's also got a 2.23 goals against average and a .922 save percentage."

Pre-game thoughts on tomorrows game in Calgary will be loaded later tonight.

The Puck Stops Here: Caps beat Luongo and Canucks 5-1.

Roberto Luongo loved playing the Washington Capitals. After winning eleven straight against the Caps, he had good reason to.

However, last night was not as planned for the outstanding net-minder as Washington hung five goals in two periods on their way to a 5-1 win. Luongo was pulled in favor of Curtis Sanford for the remainder of the game.

Alexander Semin continues to build on his rampant start to the season, scoring twice more in last nights win. He now sits third overall in NHL scoring with three goals and three assists for six points (3G, 3A), trailing Ranger forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros.

The Capitals were able to limit Vancouver to only 10 shots on goal (though Bruce Boudreau felt it to be more like 15), which set a new team record which was previously 11 shots.

Another player who had a good game was center Michael Nylander who had a four point night (1G, 3A), including a penalty shot goal after Willie Mitchell shot an errand stick to prohibit a pass on the power play. Credit to WeRocktheRed for the nice shot!


Brent Johnson recorded his 100th career win last night, and Bodureau has yet to divulge who will get the start in Pittsburgh on Thursday.




Sergei Fedorov showed Caps fans and management that he can be relied upon to play defense, with another good showing on the point; the first being during the preseason. Last night the 38 year old Selke Winner tallied an assist and was a +3 rating to finish the game.

Fedorov's position for Thursday's match-up is still undetermined was back at center position in practice today. However, Corey Masiak of the Washington Times reports that it was due in large part to the lack of fowards in practice today as Alexander Semin, Donald Brashear and Viktor Kozlov did not skate today.

"No real updates on Sergei Fedorov's position for Thursday night. He practiced at forward today, but Boudreau said it was because they were short up front. Fedorov seemed OK with playing either position, which has been his stance all along."

Other notes:

-Viktor Kozlov will be out a couple of weeks with an undisclosed injury suffered in last nights game.

-Capitals General Manager George McPhee stated today that they are close to loaning out one of Simeon Varlamov or Michael Neuvirth to another AHL team. More news will most likely be made available tomorrow.

To read up on either or both of these notes, you can check out Tarik's blog for more information.

Tomorrow will be an off day at The Weagle as we'll be working on some articles on Capitals Prospects for this weekend.

Our next write-up will preview Thursday's contest in Pittsburgh.

Here is a video of the Washington Capitals 2007-08 Southeast Championship Banner run posted by the Washington Capitals YouTube Crew.

Hershey blows out Wilkes-Barre 8-4.

The Hershey Bears AHL season began tonight with a bang. In front of 7459 fans, Hershey showed why they are being predicted to have a big season. It didn't take long for the scoring to get underway as veteran Keith Aucoin netted a rare even strength goal 1:36 into the first period. By the end of the stanza the Bears had racked up a 4-1 lead on the strength of three power play goals.

The trend continued through the rest of the game as Wilkes-Barre put in back up goalie Adam Berkhoel to weather the storm. He didn't. By games end both Penguins goalies had given up 4 goals a piece.

Hershey finished the game an incredible 5-7 on the power play, with Graham Mink netting a hat trick with the man advantage. He would finish the game with 3 goals and 2 assists, good enough for first star of the game.

Chris Bourque didn't have much time to get ready for the game, being sent down only two days ago, but the let down from being cut from the Capitals roster didn't seem to phase him. Bourque made an incredible individual play off a Penguins turn over to notch the second goal of the game, proving that his pre-season play was no fluke. He ended the game with 1 goal and 2 assists.

The Bears will now head to Norfolk where they will play Friday night.

Other notables: Keith Aucoin 1 goal and 4 assists, Alexandre Giroux 1 goal and 2 assists, Andrew Gordon 1 goal and 1 assist, Josh Godfrey 1 assist, Karl Alzner 1 assist and +2 rating, Matthieu Perreault 1 goal.

Godfrey notches hat trick as Bears beat Pens.

Rookie defenseman Josh Godfrey scored his first professional hat trick last night as the Hershey Bears steam rolled the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins 8-2 at the GIANT Center. Godfrey, a 2nd round draft pick of Washington in 2007, had just recently been reassigned to the Bears earlier last week after a successful Rookie Camp, as well as a few preseason games in D.C. Godfrey is coming off a 51 point season for the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, where coach Craig Hartsburg (now coaching the Ottawa Senators) stressed the importance of playing a well rounded defensive game to compliment his offensive side. Godfrey will log heavy minutes this year in Hershey where he will try to develop his game at the pro level. He was named first star of last nights game.

Also contributing on the score sheet last night were off-season acquisition Keith Aucoin who tallied 3 assists, and Alexandre Giroux who had 2 goals and 2 assists. Aucoin was named third star while Giroux was named second. Daren Machesney stopped 35 of 37 shots in the victor.

The Bears will open up their regular season against these same Pens on the road this coming Wednesday.

Quick Hits - Weekly Edition No. 1.

The following is a list of news and notes for the Washington Capitals organization from Septebmer 26 to October 3.

Capitals prospect Joel Broda (selected 5th round, 144th overall in 2008 draft) has been named CHL Player of the Week. In 4 games this year, Broda has tallied 6 goals and 2 assists, putting him fourth overall in WHL scoring. The Moose Jaw Warriors center was one of the standouts at Rookie Camp only a month ago and hopes to continue making strides towards his professional career.

Sergei Fedorov will be playing defense in tonight's preseason game against Philadelphia, and will be paired up with 6'5'' Jeff Schultz. Don't read too much into the scenario as Bruce Boudreau says it's just an experiment. "If Sergei can play defense, we wanted him to get some sort of an idea of how we play on defense," the coach said. "Nothing more than that. We might try him on defense for [today's] game, just to get him a feel for it in case he has to go back there someday. I was just thinking outside the box."

Goaltender Simeon Varlamov and defenseman Sami Lepisto were part of the latest batch of players to be assigned to Hershey to start the year. Omitted from the list were winger Chris Bourque and defenseman Karl Alzner who continue to try to crack the opening night roster. Bourque will play on a line with Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom tonight -- a spot I previously thought was reserved for Eric Fehr. If Bourque is able to have a solid game tonight he could very well make the roster. As for Alzner, he will again be paired up with Tom Poti, which could foreshaddow that they will start the season together.

Regina Pats Brett Leffler suffered a concussion last Saturday's game, as the Pats lost 3-2 to Prince Albert in a shootout. Leffler will be out of the line up for atleast a full week while trainers diagnose the severity of his injury. He was selected by Washington in the 5th round of the 2007 Entry Draft.

The Hershey Bears defeated the Norfolk Admirals 5-4 in their first AHL preseason match up. Michael Dubuc scored twice, while Francois Bouchard and Ben Boudreau each potted a goal in the win. The moment was extra special for Boudreau, son of Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau, who scored his first ever professional goal with his father in attendence. The Bears will open their season September 8 in Wikles-Barre Scranton.