West Coast Swing

On Monday morning the Caps traveled to Los Angeles. On Tuesday they got a skate in at the King’s rink.

"This is probably the closest group of guys we've had," Capitals centerJeff Halpern said. "Trips like this help, because it gets everybody, especially the guys with families, involved. It brings us together. The way our team plays, we should play as well as on the road as we do at home. It's hard to figure out." – Wash Post

The Capitals hope to have a revelation and a good start to this short west coast swing. The L.A. Kings got off to a hot start, but have since cooled. Their number one priority for tonight’s game is to stop rookie sensation Alex Ovechkin.

While today’s focus may be on the Capitals, the Kings have Olympic thoughts for the upcoming games in Turin. Craig Conroy and Aaron Miller have secured spots on team USA, but a big name missing is Jeremy Roenick.

"Would I like to be on it? No question. But I'm not expecting to be on it," the 35-year-old forward said. – LA Times

The Capitals could catch the Kings going through the motions, if there concentration is on AO, other Capitals must step up their games to give the rookie goal support. The Caps road record has been nothing to write home about. They must play better on the road.

The good news, since their only road win vs. Montreal (the win versus Buffalo was technically at a neutrual site) the Caps losses on the road have been one goal decisions. The Caps look to use their new brand of hard work to improve a dismal 2-10-1 record on the road.

Capitals at L.A. Kings Preview