A lot of the talk around this one is going to center on the game importance; most Caps fans didn’t need Olaf Kolzig to tell them that this is the biggest game of the year. I can’t really elaborate on that in prose (plus I’m sure that JP and Caps Chick will do a much better job of it than me), so I can just present you with what I do best: cold, hard facts. And numbers. Now, if I could just somehow work a graph into this preview, I’d be in heaven…*

The importance of the game is thus: If the Capitals win, they’ll be two points out of first with three games in hand. If Carolina wins, the Caps still have the three games in hand, but they’ll be six points out. With how tight things are right now, that’s a world of difference.

Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008, 5:00 PM
RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina
TV: CSN+
Last Meeting: 2/8/2008, Caps lose 2-1

About the Opponent

Carolina Hurricanes: 31-28-5, 67 points, 1st in the Southeast Division, 3rd in the Eastern Conference

Team Leaders
Goals: Eric Staal (29)
Assists: tie - Rod Brind’Amour and Ray Whitney (32)
Points: Ray Whitney (57)
Plus/Minus: Bret Hedican (+16)
Penalty Minutes: Tim Gleason (74)
Fights: Wade Brookbank (8)

Random Hurricanes Fact
According to Wikipedia, ‘Canes winger and United States Olympian Erik Cole “is the only player in the NHL to ever be accorded two penalty shots in the same game.”

Random Hurricanes Statistic
28% of the Hurricanes goals this season have come on the powerplay.

Keys to the Game

Washington
Avoid mistakes. One of the Capitals’ calling cards early in the season was solid play for most of the game, with a few disastrous moments mixed in. During their recent struggles, this trend seems to have reoccurred. Whether it’s giving up a shorthanded goal, allowing the other team to score from behind the goal line, or blown defensive coverage, the Capitals need to avoid making these kinds of mistakes, because Carolina is going to be enough of a test without any extra help.

Carolina
Play a full sixty minutes. The Capitals have given up leads in five straight games, so the opposition isn’t out of it until the final buzzer.

Players to Watch

Washington
Alexander Ovechkin - when Ovechkin said the team may have been distracted on their recent vacation-like tour through Florida, he may have been speaking for himself as much as any other players. But a big game, with Alex having gone three in a row without a point…I think he’s the player to watch.

Olaf Kolzig - The last time Washington went up against Carolina, for the division lead, it was Brent Johnson in net. Kozlig has to feel like he’s got something to prove.

Carolina
Joe Corvo - As solid as they’ve been offensively in recent years, the ‘Canes haven’t had a good puck moving defenseman. The fact that they now do, with the addition of Corvo, makes them even more dangerous (for more about Joe Corvo visit this informative post from Japers’ Rink). As an aside, man do I like Japers’ Rink today.

*Yeah, that’s good enough to earn an ‘economics’ label.

Around the (Inter)net
If everyone keeps playing at the same pace they have been so far in 2008, the Caps will make the playoffs…The many faces of Wayne Gretzky…Apparently Alexander Semin isn’t a very good defensive player (who knew?)…Snippets from George McPhee and Bruce Boudreau…Someone’s going to have to make a trade, because these trade rumor stories are getting weirder and weirder…