Brendan Morrison News

It didn't take long for Devils goalie Martin Brodeur's to notice the difference not having Alex Ovechkin on the ice made.

SUNRISE, FLA. -- Just when it seemed Washington's injury woes couldn't get any worse, they did.

With the team already missing two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin, defensemen Mike Green and Jeff Schultz both went down with injuries Friday night at BankAtlantic Center, where the short-handed Capitals gutted out a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.

Brendan Morrison scored twice, Tyler Sloan and Brian Pothier each tallied once and goaltender Jose Theodore was occasionally spectacular in making 28 saves to snap Washington's three-game losing streak. But the Capitals' collective health was their biggest concern as the players and coaches headed back home for Saturday night's rematch against Florida at Verizon Center.

SUNRISE, FLA. -- Alex Ovechkin was one of the first Washington Capitals on the ice for practice at BankAtlantic Center and was wearing his full complement of equipment and carrying his stick.

It took only a few minutes for the two-time MVP to realize that he's not quite ready to return to the lineup.

After tapping a teammate's pass into an empty net, Ovechkin, who was practicing for the first time since suffering a strain near his left shoulder Sunday, jokingly began to celebrate. But he couldn't raise his arms much above his chest, and moments later, he put his stick on the bench.

The Washington Capitals, looking for someone to provide a spark in the absenceA of two-time defending Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin, got the complete opposite last night in a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils .

"He couldn't have done any more at Michigan than he did," said Wolverines coach Red Berenson of Brendan Morrison's four-year run at the school.

With Alex Ovechkin on the mend, the Washington Capitals need several players to increase their production in order to supplement the offense.

For the second game in a row, the Washington Capitals fell in overtime at home to an opponent they should have dominated.A On Sunday afternoon, in a strange 5:00 p.m. start, the Caps fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 when R.J. Umberger scored a power play goal, his second of the game,A 1:45 into the overtime period.

Published on Sunday, Nov. 01, 2009 8:51PM EST Last updated on Sunday, Nov. 01, 2009 11:27PM EST B oth times the Columbus Blue Jackets fell behind in the third period, Raffi Torres bailed them out.

There is no doubt about the Washington Capitals ' ultimate goal this season: It begins and ends with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman handing the Stanley Cup to captain Chris Clark.

Ovechkin will try to help the Capitals bounce back Sunday against the only team to keep him goalless in multiple games last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets .

Alex Ovechkin scored twice and added an assist, as the Washington Capitals claimed a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena.

The Washington Capitals have assigned center Michael Nylander to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL on a conditioning stint.

Brooks Laich scored one minute into overtime to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders.

It's no surprise that the Capitals are the early front- runners in the Southeast Division.

With six of their first eight games against teams that made the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring, Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau often spoke of the two-week stretch as a litmus test for his team, which entered this season with so many high expectations.

The results weren't perfect: The Capitals won just two of the six against some of the NHL's elite. Four of the losses came by one goal -- one in a shootout and one in overtime.

In most cases, the Capitals were undone by a minor lapse in attention -- from unnecessary penalties to missed backchecking assignments to lackadaisical power plays.

Washington Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore left Thursday's game against the San Jose sharks with an undisclosed injury.

Washington, D.C.: Alex Ovechkin did what he does best: score goals.A He scored twice in regulation and again in the shootout to lead the Washington Capitals over the Nashville Predators 3-2.A Nashville has now lost five games in a row.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice and added the deciding goal in a shootout, giving the Washington Capitals a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Fantasy Forecast for Thursday, October 15 WEDNESDAY'S ROUNDUP: Thursday's Sharks-Capitals matchup is a fantasy owners dream offensive game.

Brendan Morrison is scoring goals, but he wants to create more chances for his linemates.