RED ALERT: Caps look to extend streak to 7 wins

Tonight, the Washington Capitals take their 6 game winning streak into the Big Apple for a show down with the pesky New York Islanders.  Don't expect many changes, nor should you, things are clicking quite well in the Caps world.  Bruce Boudreau may very well be known as a coach willing to shake things up on the ice, but when you are playing this good, you just leave it be.

So Boudreau reunited Alex Ovechkin with Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble on the first line; shifted Tomas Fleischmann from left wing to center on the second line with Laich and Alexander Semin; and placed then-newcomer Jason Chimera with Brendan Morrison and Eric Fehr on the third line. (The fourth line materialized a game later, when Boudreau put Boyd Gordon with David Steckel and Matt Bradley.)

The results since then have been hard to ignore. The league's best offense has become even more prolific, and the Capitals have won nine of their past 10 games. In that span, all the lines have contributed consistently as the team has amassed 49 goals, including 33 at even strength and four from fourth-liners.

"Since we made the trade for Jason and since we've moved [Fleischmann] to the middle, a lot more things have fit," Boudreau said. "I like the chemistry on all four lines. I anticipate this is the way we'll go unless injuries dictate otherwise."

They have fit quite well, catapulting the Caps to first place overall in the Eastern Conference with a 3 point lead over New Jersey and a 19 point lead in the Southeast Division. Wins over Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Phoenix were big measuring sticks for this Club.  In particular, the win over Detroit has to have Cap fans feeling pretty satisfied.  The Caps were out played, out hustled, out shot, and out strategized, but the Caps were NOT out scored.

Tonight, the Capitals face off against a young, quick, and upcoming Islanders team sitting in the 10th spot, just 1 point out of the 8th and final playoff spot.  Quite the swing from last season when the Islanders were buried in last place.

Read full version at

http://www.dcprosportsreport.com/articles/washington-capitals/red-alert.html