By Rand Paul
Obama acts as though we no longer have a Constitution
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
It was pitiful, and the Washington Capitals had no answers for the longest time. They couldn't manage to win even two straight on the road from December until March.
George McPhee is fond of telling the story of how a year ago the Capitals were coming off a Presidents' Trophy season and still plugged four rookies into their opening night lineup along with Matt Hendricks, who went into camp without a contract. The message to players again this year was: If you're good enough to make it, the team will make room.
Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau sees something he likes in Mathieu Perreault that few others do.
The Washington Capitals' race for the final roster spot is down to four players. Through three preseason games, Cody Eakin, Mattias Sjogren, Chris Bourque and Mathieu Perreault did little to distinguish themselves from the pack.
With just one spot up for grabs on the Washington Capitals roster, the competition for the third-line center position has been a focus of training camp. Cody Eakin, Mattias Sjogren, Mathieu Perreault Christian Hanson, Ryan Potulny and Chris Bourque spent the first week of camp battling each day.
For fringe NHL players such as Chris Bourque, Ryan Potulny, Mathieu Perreault and Christian Hanson, this is a valuable time of year.
With the clock ticking down and the Capitals trailing the Flyers by a goal in an exhibition rookie game, Dmitry Orlov was in his element. Not once but twice he kept the puck in the offensive zone and ratcheted up the pressure with the net empty 170 feet behind him.
George McPhee's offseason additions to the Washington Capitals have been hailed by many around the league and just about everybody within the organization. It's tough to discount - at least on paper - that bringing in players such as Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward add something substantial.
Marcus Johansson was a revelation for the Capitals in his rookie season. The team didn't go far in trying to find another center who might be able to make the same impact, inking 23-year-old Mattias Sjogren.
Marcus Johansson hardly came out of nowhere as a first-round pick by the Capitals. But he was a revelation as a rookie and will be counted on for more in the near future.
"It's important. You have to win most of the faceoffs," Sjogren said. "You have to be strong on faceoffs, especially in your own zone. That's the thing I really want to work on when I come over here."
Competition keen for Capitals' opening at third-line center →
"Yeah, I'm ready," he said.
