Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble scrapped all night to beat the Panthers 4-1.(AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez) The Caps’ winning streak is getting ridiculous. They’ve won nine straight (something the Redskins haven’t done since 1991), and their most recent win — 4-1 Friday against the Florida Panthers — came against the goalie with the second best save percentage in the NHL. “I think every team wants to be the team that comes in and beats…

Simeon Varlamov’s long trip from Hershey, PA meant he didn’t arrive in time to back up Brent Johnson when the puck dropped Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Instead, the Caps had to rely on team Web Producer and former Division III goalie Brett Leonhardt as their backup goalie for ten minutes of nail-biting NHL action. The Senators took every possible opportunity to try to hurt Johnson and get to Leonhardt, the only Division III goalie…

Just yesterday, the first reader question Hockey News columnist Adam Proteau answered about the entire NHL came from a Caps fan frustrated about the lack of information about Brian Pothier’s recovery from a serious concussion. Pothier missed the second half of last season and all of the playoffs, and was believed close to retirement. But one frustrated fan wanted to know for sure. You’ve got to love the quick and thorough response to an online…

This summer the Capitals planned to add a defenseman a center and a right wing, all of whom should contribute to the team’s sub-par power play. Yesterday, on hockey’s first day of free agency, the Capitals signed defenseman Tom Poti and towering center/right wing Viktor Kozlov, both of whom just finished contracts with the New York Islanders. Poti, thirty and heading into his tenth professional season, is a medium sized defenseman who plays mostly…