Since trading away team leader and expert benchwarmer Brian Sutherby to save money and cure a losing streak, the Caps have chalked up two more uninspired losses to teams from subtropical climatic zones. Last night’s nominal crowd at Verizon Center cheered optimistically when the Caps lobbed soft shots from the blueline into the catching glove of Atlanta’s third-string goalie, Johan Hedberg. They cheered sarcastically when Capitals museum piece Olaf Kolzig stopped easy shots. Some fans…

Yesterday we picked up a false report from a usually reliable news source, and conveyed misinformation as facts. Washington Capitals team webmaster Mike Vogel ran a story on the official team website stating that Caps forward Alexander Ovechkin had been disciplined for a “hit from behind,” and we picked it up as fact. After all, there was a link to the story on the NHL.com homepage, so someone must have checked it out. Hitting…

It’s been almost eighteen months since the last time a professional hockey game was played in Washington. Tonight, that streak ends, as the Capitals take to the ice to play their preseason home opener against the Buffalo Sabres. A lot has changed during the labor dispute. The NHL has been busy drafting rule changes aimed at encouraging offensive production. More significant, no doubt, will be the roster changes. Teams throughout the NHL have been…