Eric Fehr News

Chris Clark scored the deciding goal in the 11th round of the shootout, and backup goalie Semyon Varlamov came on in relief and carried the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 comeback victory over the New York Islanders.

Alex Ovechkin scored 14 goals in his first 14 games before being sidelined by an unspecified upper body injury.

Michael Nylander was placed on waivers Saturday by the Washington Capitals, a move that could expedite a resolution to an awkward situation that has hung over the team since training camp.

If Nylander is claimed, the team that picks him up will assume the remainder of his $5.5 million salary (and pay the Capitals a waiver fee of just more than $3,000). If Nylander is not claimed, he will remain on Washington's roster, but the path will be cleared for the Capitals to loan the 37-year-old center to a team outside of the NHL.

Thanks to a three-point night from , 28 saves by Jose Theodore and some excellent late work on the penalty kill, the short-handed Caps ended a three-game skid with a 4-1 victory against the Florida Panthers at BankAtlantic Center.

Walk into the Washington Capitals dressing room at Kettler Capitals Iceplex and you won't find a single player feeling sorry for himself or his team. The Capitals may have to play without the two-time reigning league MVP, Alex Ovechkin, for a little while, but they aren't about to panic.

Instead, Washington is eager to prove that it can not only survive, but win, with its marquee player watching from the press box beginning Wednesday night against the New Jersey Devils.

'Take some nachos, Coke and enjoy the game,' Ovechkin said with a laugh when asked about traveling with the team despite being injured. 'Hopefully guys gonna win.'

Radio: WWCD-FM , WBNS-AM The series The Blue Jackets are 3-4-3 against Washington, including 1-2-1 in the Verizon Center.

The Washington Capitals will try to rebound from a close loss and extend their point streak to nine games when they welcome the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets for today's clash at Verizon Center.

Alex Ovechkin got Washington off to a good start. Semyon Varlamov bailed out the Capitals the rest of the way.

Alex Ovechkin got Washington off to a good start. Semyon Varlamov bailed out the Capitals the rest of the way.

The Washington Capitals will shoot for a fourth consecutive victory when they visit the lowly New York Islanders for tonight's contest at Nassau Coliseum.

Jeff Schultz, Matt Bradley and Chris Clark scored in an 88-second span of the second period, Semyon Varlamov stopped 22 shots and the Washington Capitals beat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-4 on Thursday night for their third straight win.

Sixth-grader Lajai Kirkpatrick, 11, gets a lesson in hockey stick- and puck-handling from Washington Capitals defensive player Tyler Sloan at Greenbelt Elementary School on Monday.

The juggling act has begun. As the Hershey Bears were preparing to head north Thursday to begin a two-game road trip that begins tonight in Glens Falls and ends Saturday in Binghamton, center Keith Aucoin was headed south.

For the first time in nearly two years as coach of the Washington Capitals, Bruce Boudreau stayed off the ice during practice.

The Washington Capitals have to start the season without Tomas Fleischmann and possibly without Eric Fehr, creating an immediate opening for someone who can fill in as a top-six forward with an offensive touch.

Bourque and Sloan are two of the players on the bubble for the Washington Capitals , who completed the preseason Sunday with a 4-3 matinee victory against the New York Rangers at Verizon Center.

Here are the rosters for tonight's season opening game between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.

The Washington Capitals' offseason strategy revolved around a single player and his specific skill set. Fortunately for them, Mike Knuble wanted to be a Capital as much as they wanted to see him crashing the crease in a red, white and blue jersey.

Only minutes after free agency opened on July 1, Washington had added the veteran winger they so desperately needed to complement their young cadre of skilled scorers -- and, perhaps, the final piece to the championship-caliber team General Manager George McPhee has been assembling for the past four seasons.

After missing two preseason games with concussion-like symptoms, left wing Chris Bourque is expected to return to the lineup when the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers in the exhibition finale on Sunday.

'This was probably the one camp where I had a chance to crack the opening lineup,' said Bourque, a second-round pick in 2004. 'That's not gone, but it definitely put a dent in my training-camp hopes.'

Bourque, in a tight battle with Alexandre Giroux, Quintin Laing and Keith Aucoin for the two remaining forward spots on the opening night roster, was upset by the hit that led to his injury.

The Washington Capitals ' goaltender roulette wheel seems to have taken another turn, with Michal Neuvirth missing some practice time with an injury.