Caps Game Night – at Islanders, 2/26/11

Where » Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

When » 7 p.m.

TV » CSN HD

Radio » WFED-1500 AM

Best thing for the Caps is just forget about their debacle against the Rangers last night at Verizon Center. And let’s be honest – they’ve had to quickly put more than a few stinkers in the rearview mirror this season. Can’t take the Islanders lightly, of course, New York has had an interesting month at 8-5-1 and drew more than its share of national attention for that nasty brawl against the Penguins on Feb. 11.

Washington made some moves this morning. Forward Marco Sturm was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings and forward Jay Beagle was recalled from AHL Hershey. Meanwhile, forward D.J. King was placed on waivers and Mathieu Perreault was sent to Hershey. The Caps have been playing with an open roster spot for a while, but they won’t need it tonight with 22 still on the roster. Defenseman Mike Green – who wasn’t going to play anyway – is on the NHL’s bereavement list after the death of his grandmother. He is currently off the active roster so there’s a spot waiting for him when he returns – if healthy, obviously. 

Is that all? Absolutely not. Semyon Varlamov was expected to start tonight. Instead, he came up lame during the morning skate and Todd Ford – just signed by the organization yesterday – is up from the minors and now the back-up for Michal Neuvirth.

On the surface some of these moves look like table-setting. Putting Perreault in Hershey opens a center spot with the trade deadline looming Monday. You’d assume if King clears he’s headed there, too. The Caps brought John Carlson up to stay at the deadline last year. Does the same hold for Jay Beagle? He’s obviously not the same kind of impact player. Sturm has topped 20 goals seven times in nine years, but torn knee ligaments last spring have cost him one of his strengths: speed. Still, Sturm had four goals and five assists in 17 games with the Kings.

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