D2 HOCKEY CAPITALSNOTEBOOK
Southeast success creates separation
BY GENEWANG While winning the StanleyCup
is at the top of the Washington Capitals’ to-do list, the entire or- ganization is keenly aware that to reach those uncharted heights, players first must target more modest objectives during the reg- ular season. The most immediate during this latest stretch includes extending the club’s robust open- ing kick against Southeast Divi- sion competition. Next in line is Carolina, which
at this early stage of the season is onthe outer fringes of theEastern Conference playoff race. The Cap- itals, meantime, continue to lead the NHL in points, and much of that is attributable to their domi- nance within the division. TheCapitals are6-2against the Southeast, and only one other team in the league has as many wins asWashington against divi- sion foes. Among the Capitals’ past nine games, five have been against division opponents, in- cluding the past two. Washing- ton’s only loss to a Southeastteam during that time was 5-0to Atlan- ta on Nov. 19 in perhaps its worst performance of the season. Since then, the Capitals have
won two straight games within the division, including a 6-0 rout over surging Tampa Bay on Fri- day. The Lightning had won five consecutive games before playing the Capitals, who have outscored Southeast opponents 21-14 this month. “The goal at the start of the
season is first off to win your division,” said forwardBrooksLa- ich, whose 17 points are fourth on the team. “So obviously the divi- sion games are the most impor- tant, and after that you focus on the conference and the league in general. Our division has im- proved this year, and Carolina always plays us tight.” Washington last played the
Hurricanes on Wednesday, win- ning on the road, 3-2. Both of the Capitals’ games so far this season against Carolina have come away from Verizon Center, where the teams will meet Sunday evening. Washington blanked Carolina, 3-0, behind goalie Michal Neu- virth’s first NHL shutout when they first played on Oct. 27. Following Sunday’s game
against Carolina, the Capitals draw just three more division opponents through the end of the year after six this month, includ- ing the final three consecutively. “It’s so important, our division-
al games,” Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I mean you look at our division right now. It’s not the
CAPITALS’NEXTTHREE
vs. Hurricanes Today, 5 Comcast SportsNet
at Blues Wednesday, 8 Comcast SportsNet+
at Stars Thursday, 8:30 Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WFED (820 AM, 1500 AM)
weak sister everybody used to think it is. . . . Our division, I think, is really tough, so there’s a big importance anytime we play somebody in our division.”
Poti sits out practice The Capitals conducted a brief
practice on Saturday afternoon at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, and among the notable absences was defenseman Tom Poti, who has been in and out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. Boudreau indicated the move to hold him out was precautionary. Poti played one of his most
complete games of the season against Tampa Bay, scoring the final goal, his second of the sea- son, and logging the second-most ice time on the team with 24 minutes 40 seconds. He also helped the Capitals kill off a five- on-three penalty by blocking a shot even after he was cross- checked to the ice. “We talk to him, and we make
sure he does his off-ice stuff to keep his legs strong, and it’s all maintenance with him,” Bou- dreau said of Poti. “If it was a 7 o’clock game [Sunday night], he would have taken today off and practicedtomorrowmorning,but it’s a 5 o’clock game after a game, and we didn’t want to push it.” There was no such issue with
defenseman Mike Green, who missed Friday night’s game with an undisclosed ailment but par- ticipated fully in practiceandsaid he would be in the lineup against the Hurricanes. Green missed three games earlier this season with what was believed to be a hurt shoulder. With Green ready to come
back, the Capitals assigned Brian Fahey to Hershey. Fahey, 29, was in the lockerroomfollowing prac- tice gathering his belongings and saying goodbye for now to his teammates after collecting the first point of his NHL career on Friday. He has played in five games for the Capitals this sea- son.
wangg@washpost.com
EZ SU
KLMNO PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
Wizards put up a worthy fight, but fall in final seconds to Orlando
wizards from D1
stood between him and the bas- ket was Magic guard Jameer Nelson, andArenaswasn’t about to give up the ball after having scored 11 consecutive points to put theWizards in this position. As Arenas made his move, Or- lando center Dwight Howard came over to help, forcing what was supposed to be a layup into a fall-away one-hander that bounced tantalizingly on the rim before falling away at the buzzer. Arenas finished with a sea-
son-high 31 points, recovering nicely from a first half in which he missed 8 of 11 shots, and added five rebounds and five assists. Guard Nick Young put on a show in the fourth quarter with four straight baskets to chip in 21 points and extend his
WIZARDS’NEXTTHREE
at Miami Monday, 7:30 Comcast SportsNet
at Toronto Wednesday, 7 Comcast SportsNet
vs. Portland Friday, 7 Comcast SportsNet
Radio:WJFK (106.7 FM)
run of most 20-point perfor- mances in the league this season froma reserve. Andray Blatche added 10
points and a game-high 13 re- bounds for the Wizards, who outrebounded Orlando 47-38, a stunning development in light of the presence of the Eastern Conference’s preeminent center in Howard, who had a game- high 32 points and 11 rebounds. The Wizards’ inspired effort
came as rookie point guard John Wall watched from the bench with a bruised right shin. It was the fifth game Wall has missed this season but the first because of this latest ailment. He had missed four games because of a sprained left foot. Shortly before Arenas’s failed
final shot, the Wizards had led 95-91 with 2minutes 13 seconds to play on a pair of foul shots by the three-time all-star. But Quentin Richardson sank a three-pointer to draw Orlando to one, and neither team led by more than a point the rest of the way. Trailing by 10 at halftime, the
Wizards kept their improbable aspirations afloat with a 6-0 burst capped by Hinrich’s three- pointer that cut the deficit to 61-55with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter. That prompted Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy to call timeout in an attempt to stemthemomentum. Washington instead came out
TONI L. SANDYS/THE WASHINGTON POST
Brooks Laich and the Capitals will take on theHurricanes on Sunday evening.Washington is 6-2 this season against division opponents.
of the break even more deter- mined, with McGee’s block of Nelson’s driving layup attempt leading to a fast break for Are- nas. Then came the first of two offensive fouls charged to Are- nas, this one assessed after he made the basket despite contact on his way up. Arenas shook off that disputed call to convert a three-point play moments later, and Washington was within 63- 58 with sevenminutes to go. Washington tacked on the
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2010
TONI L. SANDYS/THE WASHINGTON POST
Wizards center JaValeMcGee blocks a shot from Orlando’s Brandon Bass.Washington produced for the first time this season a complete effort against one of theNBA’s top teams.
next six points consecutively, and Arenas was heavily in- volved. AfterMcGeemade 1 of 2 free throws, Arenas made a three-pointer and then a two foul shots to give the Wizards their first lead, 64-63, with 5:18 to play in the quarter. Orlando regained the lead, 68-64, thanks to a three-point play and an alley-oop dunk from Howard that induced Saunders to call timeout. The Wizards emerged from
DIGEST
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Carolina atWashington » Comcast SportsNet, WFED (820 AM, 1500 AM)
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m.
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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 3:30 p.m.
TENNIS 7 a.m.
Texas at Stanford » Comcast SportsNet Plus ATPWorld Tour Finals » ESPN2 12:30 p.m. ATPWorld Tour Finals » ESPN2 only from Comcast. PROFOOTBALL
FormerQB Brennan is out of the hospital Former University of Hawaii
and Washington Redskins quar- terback Colt Brennan has been released from a Honolulu hospi- tal more than a week after an accident lefthimwith brokenribs andinjuries to his headandcollar
bone.Brennanissued a statement saying he was leaving Queen’s Medical Center on Saturday and is headed to his parents’ home in Southern California to continue his recovery. Authorities say Brennan, 27,
was a passenger in an SUV that crossed a highway centerline and collided head-on with a sedan driven by 47-year-old Theresa Wang onNov. 19. Brennan said in the statement
that he goes home with a “heavy heart” because Wang remains hospitalized. . . . New Orleans Saints defensive
end Will Smith was arrested in Louisiana after he was accused of grabbing his wife’s hair and pull- ing her down the street. Police in Lafayette, about 50 miles west of Baton Rouge, said
Smith and his wife had gotten into an argument just after 2 a.m. while leaving a nightclub. . . . Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel won’t play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday because of a knee injury. He injured his knee while recov- ering a fumble in a 27-17 win over theNewYork Giants. . . . The Bufflao Bills placed
Shawne Merriman on injured re- serve because of a nagging Achil- les’ tendon injury.
SOCCER The U.S. is on its way to the
Women’sWorld Cup after beating Italy, 1-0, on Saturday in Brid- geview, Ill., on a first-half goal by Amy Rodriguez. The Americans won the home- and-home playoff on 2-0 aggre- gate to earn the last spot in the 16-nation World Cup, which will be played June 26 to July 17 in Germany. The draw isMonday in Frankfurt. The top-ranked Americans
were in danger of missing the tournament they’ve won twice
after an upset loss to Mexico in the semifinals of regional qualify- ing. It was just their second loss since the 2007World Cup. . . . Dimitar Berbatov scored five
goals to lead Manchester United into the English Premier League lead with a 7-1 rout of visiting Blackburn. Berbatov took just two minutes to end a 10-match goal drought. United helped the Premier League set a single-day scoring record with 36 goals, ac- cording to Sky Sports.
TENNIS Roger Federer joined Rafael
Nadal in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals by beating No- vak Djokovic, 6-1, 6-4, in London. Federer picked his shots throughout the match, keeping Djokovic on the run and forcing the third-ranked Serb into errors during the long rallies. The 16-time Grand Slam cham-
pion will face the top-ranked Na- dal in Sunday’s final at the O2 Arena. Nadal beat Andy Murray, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), earlier in a back-and-forth match.
HOCKEY Detroit Red Wings center Mike
Modano is out indefinitely after having surgery on his right wrist. General Manager Ken Holland
said the team doesn’t have a time- table forModano’s return.He had nervedamageanda slicedtendon in his wrist after getting cut by a skate blade Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
OLYMPICS Michael Walchhofer won the
first men’s downhill of theWorld Cup season, leading a strong Aus- trian showing on a day when Bode Miller finished eighth in Lake Louise, Ontario. Walchofer is competing in his
lastWorld Cup season.He won in 1 minute 47.78 seconds. . . . Tessa Worley of France won a
World Cup giant slalom, edging Olympic champion Viktoria Re- bensburg ofGermany by 0.01 of a second in Vail, Colo. Three-time World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn failed to finish the first run.
COLLEGEBASKETBALL Michigan State center Derrick
Nix has rejoined the team in a mutual decision after hemet with teammates and coaches. —From news services
the stoppage inspired again, get- ting a free throw by Gee and a three-pointer and jumper from Young to reclaimthe lead, 70-68, with 2:58 to play. Those field goalswould be amere prelude to a breathtaking run of sharp- shooting by Young in the fourth quarter that gave the Wizards the lead for good and had them on theirway to some hectic final moments. TheMagic began its first push late in the first quarter by scor-
ing 10 straight points for a 23-12 lead following the second per- sonal foul on JaValeMcGee. The Wizards kept themargin within reach thoughwith six points in a row, but Orlando countered with seven consecutive for a 30-18
cushion.The closestWash- ington got the rest of the first half was within seven with 5:21 to go before intermission after Hinrich’s field goal, two Blatche free throws andMcGee’s basket.
wangg@washpost.com
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