Caps/Canes Preview

The Capitals are preparing for another bout with Southeast Conference foes the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at the Phone Booth. You'll recall all the action and extracurricular activities that took place the last time these two met, which resulted in the two-game suspension for Alex Ovechkin for the knee-on-knee hit on Tim Gleason. The Canes are having an up and down week, winning a road game on Monday against the blasted Penguins and dropping one on Wednesday against Martin Brodeur and his New Jersey Devils. As we all know, our boys didn't fare so well either on Wednesday, with a big goose egg at the hands of probable starting goaltender for the U.S. Olympic team, Ryan Miller, who pretty much looked like a Circ du'Soleil acrobat for much of the night in handing the Caps a humbling defeat.

The Hurricanes also welcomed back their own starting goalie Cam Ward this week, who'd been out after suffering a skate cut on his leg. He will most likely face the Caps in net tonight - Semyon Varlamov is still out with his own injury woes. The Caps hope to welcome back Mike Knuble, who always gives the boys that added threat in front of the crease. Also expected to be back on the bench are new dad Matt Bradley (hopefully not too sleep deprived - I remember those days with twin infants, no wait maybe I don't) and Mathieu Perreault, who was under the weather.

Speaking of Mike Knuble, the first 2,000 fans to bring a new, unwrapped gift to tonight's game for the Capital's 10th annual holiday Toy Drive (held in conjunction with Comcast SportsNet, Elliot in the Morning and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and presented by GEICO) will receive a poster of Knuble (the official toy drive spokesman)!

Player's wives and girlfriends will be collecting the toys at Verizon Center's F Street entrance starting at 5:30 p.m. So while you're cheering on the guys in red tonight, help make the holidays a little brighter for less fortunate kids in our area!