Home Record At Risk?

Philadelphia just leaped frog over the Rangers last night with a shoot out win in Anaheim. The Rangers and Flyers are now tied, but Flyers lead the charge in the Atlantic Division due to games played. This is going to make the game against the Rangers tonight that much more of a challenge for the Capitals. Teams always seem to play better when they have a goal or a hurdle in front of them, and I don't expect the New York Rangers to be any different.

Not only that, but the Caps face a familiar foe in the Philadelphia Flyers not too long after that. It's a confident Flyer squad that seems to have the Caps number. That impressive 16-1-1 record is definitely going to be challenged tonight and on Tuesday.

Makes you wonder what the heck is going on with Pittsburgh?

Caps notes:

• According the the St. Pete Times Forum, Jamie Heward didn't remember much about the hit that landed him at Sibley Memorial Hospital. But when he was told it was Alex Ovechkin, Heward was quick to dismiss any dirty notion.
  
  "Once I found out it was Alex, he's in my opinion, he's probably one of the cleanest players in the NHL as far as being honest," Heward said. "He'll play hard on you, but now that I know it was him, I know it wasn't intentional. I played with him for two years. We were pretty tight when I played there. I totally agree, and I think it was an accident."


• Jose Theodore gets the nod tonight against the Rangers, a team he sort of turned it around on. Not that Brent Johnson is no slouch either. But the team really needs consistency in net. Who is going to provide that? Your guess is as good as mine.


• Alex Semin is back. Another dangerous weapon on the ice (with some kind of back protection hopefully). Chris Bourque has been sent back to Hershey.