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head coach: Ron Wilson

roster: C - Adam Oates, Dale Hunter, Andrei Nikolishin, Joe Juneau. LW - Steve Konowalchuk, Andrew Brunette, Yogi Svejkovsky, Jeff Toms, Todd Krygier. RW - Peter Bondra, Esa Tikkanen, Richard Zednik, Craig Berube, Kelly Miller. D - Calle Johansson, Brendan Witt, Sylvain Cote, Sergei Gonchar, Joe Reekie, Ken Klee. G - Olaf Kolzig, Bill Ranford.

injuries: Pat Peake, rw (torn ankle tendon, out for season); Chris Simon, lw (shoulder surgery, out for regular season and first round of playoffs); Mark Tinordi, d (stomach/groin, day-to-day); Michal Pivonka, c (groin strain, day-to-day); Mike Eagles, lw (strained right foot, 2-4 weeks); Phil Housley, d (hairline broken finger, 2 weeks); Richard Zednik, rw (headaches, day-to-day).

transactions: Recalled Stewart Malgunas, d, from Portland (AHL). Recalled David Harlock, d, from Portland.

standings:

Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division   
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA     
New Jersey   69  42  18   9    93  194  135
Philadelphia 68  36  21  11    83  204  159
Washington   69  32  26  11    75  183  175
NY Rangers   70  22  31  17    61  176  197
NY Islanders 68  23  35  10    56  175  193
Florida      68  18  38  12    48  159  214
Tampa Bay    68  16  43   9    41  134  215

game results:

3/12 at NY Islanders W 2-1
3/14 at Ottawa       L 4-0
3/16 Phoenix         W 2-1
3/18 Carolina        W 1-0
3/20 New Jersey      W 2-0
3/21 at New Jersey   L 3-2

team news:

by Jason Sheehan, Washington Correspondent

Caps Gain Confidence Against Tough Devils

The New Jersey Devils have played the role of exterminator this season by demolishing Eastern Conference opponents. While accumulating a mark of 42-18-9, they have sliced through the league like a meat grinder going through chopped liver by using a perfected version of the neural zone trap.

They simply don't give opponents time and space to think. So, it would have been easy for the Washington Capitals to throw in the proverbial towel as they prepared for a home-and-home series against the tough foe March 20 and 21. But there was no towel throwing inside the Capitals' locker room. Instead, they were fighting mad.

Coming into the first contest having won three of its last four games, Washington swarmed the Devils by killing all five penalties and rode the coattails of goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a 2-0 shutout win. Washington, which ranks first in the league in penalty killing, became the first team to blank the Devils since January 1994.

But the feeling of victory quickly turned into the agony of defeat - albeit an agony that felt good to many players. The next night at Continental Airlines Arena, the Capitals lost a closely contested game, 3-2, but often outplayed the scorching Devils in the contest. They even received two goals from the most unlikely source, Ken Klee. The defenseman entered the game with only one goal.

The Capitals are only the second team in the Eastern Conference this season to amass a .500 or better record against the Devils. Washington is 2-2-1 against its Atlantic Division foe while the disappointing Florida Panthers are 2-2-0.

"We're battling for home-ice advantage [in the playoffs]," said coach Ron Wilson. "Some guys in the locker room read the papers and believe all the trade talk so it's good we're winning games now. We've got some veterans - we just picked up Esa Tikkanen - who are an echo of the coach's voice."

Although Wilson is happy with Tikkanen and hopes to gain home-ice advantage in the post-season, he does realize his team needs to make a deal by Tuesday at 3 p.m. - the NHL's trading deadline - to be recognized as an elite team.

"We're not one of the top three or four teams in the league," Wilson told The Washington Post. "And if we can make a deal that puts us closer to those top teams, I'm sure George will make the deal."

However the Capitals, fighting with three teams - Montreal, Boston and Buffalo - for four place in the conference, are not expected to make a blockbuster deal similar to the one made last March when they acquired Adam Oates, Bill Ranford and Rick Tocchet from the Boston Bruins.

Tuesday on WTEM, a sports radio station, general manager George McPhee said a deal probably wouldn't be made at the deadline. He also told the newspaper that demand around the league is high, but the supply is low with a majority of teams still fighting for a spot in the playoffs.

"It's not been as busy as I expected," McPhee told The Washington Post. "It's always so hard to tell what's going to happen with these things, but we're not looking to do a heck of a lot, so I don't think a lot of teams are looking to do business with us.

"If we could acquire a veteran player without giving up too much of the future, something along the lines of what we did with Tikkanen, I'd be interested."

Of course by the time this article is published, McPhee's theory may be proven wrong and the Capitals could have newly acquired players in the lineup. Then again, he may be the first general manager in history to be telling the truth without hiding any pertinent details. After all, he has already admitted that other general managers have tried to take advantage of him in trade talks to no avail. Apparently, the new kid on the block is not a human doormat.

Kolzig Wins Player of the Week

Kolzig edged Wayne Gretzky of the New York Rangers and fellow netminder Jeff Hackett of the Chicago Blackhawks to become the third consecutive goaltender to take home Player of the Week honors.

Kolzig, who struggled after the Olympics and was benched in favor of Ranford for four straight games, posted consecutive shutouts, three wins and a .989 save percentage.

Kolzig made several tough, acrobatic saves against Phoenix, Carolina and New Jersey to win the award for the first time in his career.

The 19th selection in the 1989 Draft, Kolzig ranks seventh in wins (25) and save percentage (.917) and is tenth in goals-against average (2.27). Kolzig replaced Ranford as Washington's No. 1 goaltender early in the season as Ranford recuperated from various injuries.

Wilson had the quote of the week regarding Kolzig's play after his shutout against Carolina.

"Olie was sort of in the 'Twilight Zone' after the Olympics but now he's in the zone," he said. "You need strong goaltending. Your best penalty killer is your goalie, and it just breeds confidence. When the goaltender is playing well, you take a few more risks up the ice."

Leaving MCI Center

Washington next embarks on a three-game Western Canada trip to Edmonton (March 25), Calgary (March 26) and Vancouver (March 27). All three teams are well below .500, but life on the road has not been friendly for the Capitals lately. Washington is 1-4-1 in its last five road contests.

After battling the three Canadian teams, the Capitals return home for four straight tilts, which include the New York Islanders (March 31), Los Angeles Kings (April 4), and a pivotal game with stakes for home-ice advantage on the line against Montreal (April 6).

News and Notes

Defenseman Sergei Gonchar fractured six teeth when he was hit by Kevin Dineen's follow-through shot in the second period while back-pedaling in his own zone against Carolina. He missed the rest of that game but returned for the home-and-home against New Jersey. He is wearing a plastic dome over his face to protect his mouth.

Defenseman Mark Tinordi, who has missed the last two months with an abdominal strain, has resumed skating and is listed day-to-day. He visited a specialist in Vancouver, B.C. about two weeks ago and was told he would be ready to play in 7-to-10 days. The doctor's prognosis was wrong, but Tinordi should be back in uniform soon.

Phil Housley will miss the next two weeks with a broken finger.

Left wing Steve Konowalchuk broke out of a two-month drought by scoring the team's lone goal in the win against Carolina. He scored yet another goal in the next game against the Devils, marking the first time since January 1997 that he's scored goals in consecutive games.

Wilson's healthy scratches of late have been Andrew Brunette, Yogi Svejkovsky, Klee and Jeff Toms.

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