I just peaked my head up long enough from news of the stock market hiccup that started in China to get a trade update, and all I can say is wow. Instead of the usual pre-game tonight, I'll be looking at what's transpired so far and trying to figure it all out.
See you in a couple of hours.
FROM THE ARENA: We're about an hour before faceoff and it's already getting busy here at Verizon Center. The Alexes, Ovechkin and Semin, are already on the ice in their crocs playing around, and I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes chatting with Marshall Johnston, a scout for the Carolina Hurricanes. Unlike previous nights here at Verizon, Marshall is the only scout in attendance. I'm sure now with the trading deadlines passed, we won't be seeing too many scouts heading out this way the rest of the season.
And what a deadline day it was. Ryan Smyth to Long Island? Bertuzzi to Detroit? Word here in the box that there are whole bunch of other deals that are stacked up in New York that have yet to be announced.
More in a bit.
UPDATE: Just got into a discussion with Tarik El-Bashir from the Post and Mike Vogel from the Caps all with an eye toward next season. Depending on who you talk to, the Caps need anywhere from between three to six players in order to make the playoffs next year.
As for me, I lean toward three, as I think seasons like the one we're enduring right now are the necessary pain you need to experience to find out whether or not your prospects are ever going to be ready to play or not. Head coach Glen Hanlon has said it many times this season -- it's just too much to ask a young blue line to grow up overnight and be ready to play 82 games in the NHL every year. Unless your name is Dion Phaneuf, it's always going to take a couple of seasons before you're ready to be an NHL-caliber defenseman. And the fact is the Caps have four guys who fit just that profile.
Caps thoughts...Zubrus to Buffalo, the team had little choice, as they were set to lose him as a free agent anyway...Heward to LA, glad to see the old vet get a chance to play out the string in the sun.
Other thoughts: Smyth to Long Island? How did Garth Snow ever convince Charles Wang to part with that kind of cash?...Bertuzzi to Detroit: Low cost, but high return if he can even come back and just take a regular shift. The Florida beat writers will be here soon, and I'll chat one up to see what they think...Norstrom to Dallas: As plenty of you already know, I think Dallas is lying in the weeds and is my darkhorse favorite to win out West if Anaheim falters. One of the best deals of the day.
END OF FIRST PERIOD: FLORIDA 4 CAPS 3: After coming predictably flat after seeing three of their teammates dealt out of town in the last 24 hours, the Caps finally woke up to close the gap before the end of the period.
* The scoring opened at 1:49 when Juraj Kolnik beat Johnson. Caps don't seem to be playing with much urgency...
* Less than six minutes later, Olli Jokinen makes it 2-0. Again, I don't see a lot of urgency...
* Twenty seconds later, Stephen Weiss makes it 3-0, and Glen Hanlon calls timeout.
* Finally, the Caps break through when Ovechkin picks up the puck just outside of the blue line and then beats Belfour glove side, 3-1.
* Sutherby gets another goal back, and it's 3-2.
* Caps go to sleep again, and Jokinen takes advantage as he tees off like he's at the first hole at Sawgrass, 4-2 Florida.
* Caps crawl back again courtesy of a nice deflection from Kris Beech after Bryan Muir lasers a slap shot from the point, 4-3.
END OF SECOND PERIOD: FLORIDA 5 CAPS 4:
* Frederic Cassivi replaces Johnson to start the second period.
* Nice effort from Brian Sutherby creates a scoring chance for Brashear, but he puts a backhand wide.
* Jokinen welcomes Cassivi with a wrister that beats him glove side, 5-3 Florida.
* Game is shaping up to be a contact optional practice.
* After the Caps go shotless on a power play, Cassivi redeems himself with a nice pad save on Martin Gelinas.
* Semin breaks in all alone on Belfour and misses wide.
* Nobody is playing defense unless they really have to.
* The only team goal for the rest of the season might be to get Ovechkin to 50 goals, and if the Caps keep playing like this, he may just get there.
* Bingo. Ovie curls out to the left wing faceoff circle and beats Belfour with a wrister, 5-4.
END OF THIRD PERIOD: FLORIDA 5 CAPS 5: It's another home overtime game...
* And the comeback is complete! With Pettinger screening Belfour, a Brooks Laich wrist shot finds it way to the back of the net, 5-5.
* Rob Yunich tells me that's three power play goals for the Caps, something they haven't done since a 12/24 win at Toronto earlier this season.
* We're having a good laugh over the ad for the new movie, 300 that was just played inside the arena, because you know, hockey is just like war.
* Fleischmann gets loose with only one man to beat, but Belfour turns the shot aside.
* A Semin bomb from below the right faceoff circle nearly takes off Belfour's head.
OVERTIME: FLORIDA 5 CAPS 5: We get some nice action, but here comes another shootout...
* Semin gets loose just over the Florida blue line, but he loses the handle on the puck.
* Sutherby gets a chance, and he whiffs from in close.
* Jokinen beats Cassivi, but hits the post.
* Ovechkin gets in deep, but gets hauled down in front of Belfour.
* Beech finds Eminger with a nice pass, but Eminger's wrist shot from the left point finds nothing but Belfour.
* Another Ovechkin wrister just hits Belfour in the chest.
FINAL SHOOTOUT: FLORIDA 6 CAPS 5: After a nifty comeback, the Caps are shutout in the shootout.
Up first for Florida, Jokinen...SAVE!
Up for Washington, Semin...Backhand, SAVE!
Up for Florida, Stumpel...Wrister, five-hole, SCORE.
Up for Washington, Ovechkin...Wrist shot, GLOVE SAVE!
Up for Florida, Peltonen...Wrist shot, stick side, GOAL.
