Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Lightning

[Gameday Preview]

The Caps head to Tampa for what was supposed to be the first of two games in two nights in the Sunshine State, but Hurricane Wilma had other plans, leaving the Caps with no plans for Saturday night (I hear A History of Violence is very good, if they're looking for suggestions). So it's a quick one-and-done down in F.L.A. after a visit to the St. Pete Times Forum to take on the defending Cup Champs, who you'll recall the Caps beat in a shootout nearly two weeks ago.

The Caps welcome Brendan Witt back to the lineup tonight after his excused absence to tend to family affairs in South Florida in the wake of Wilma. Witt missed the team's best game of the year against Buffalo on Wednesday and I'm sure it's just a coincidence. The WTimes covers the same ground, but adds that the Caps have mercifully demoted Nolan Yonkman to Hershey and that Bryan Muir missed practice with an undisclosed injury yesterday. Gee, do you think it might be the groin that's kept him out much of the year so far?

The DCist has an interview with Alex Ovechkin up that's worth a quick glance.

Gametime tonight is 7:30. And don't forget to check out Boltsmag.com for the other side's pre- and post-game analysis.

In other news around the League:

• It took facing a team's 6th string goalie and the help of 11 power plays, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are finally in the win column with a win over the Thrashers. Atlanta blew a 4-0 lead en route to its most embarassing loss of a season already chock-full of embarassing losses. It looks like this headline was a little off.
  
• Last night's Habs/Sens game featured two of the best plays of this young season and both happened in the last few minutes of the match. First, Jose Theodore's desperation stop on Chris Neil late in regulation and then Jason Spezza's overtime goal on as pretty a rush and deke as you'll ever see. Make sure you go here and watch the highlights.
• Congrats to Curtis Joseph on his 400th career win.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mario Lemieux (2G, 3A in leading Pitt to its first win of the season)
  
• Ross: Mario Lemieux (2G, 3A)
  
• Norris: Sergei Gonchar (2G, A)
  
• Vezina: Hannu Toivonen (W, 36 saves on 37 shots against)
  
• Richard: Simon Gagne, Mike Ribeiro, Mario Lemieux, John Leclair, Sergei Gonchar, Mathieu Schneider, Pierre Turgeon, Mike Comrie (2G each)
  
• Calder: Hannu Toivonen (W, 36 saves on 37 shots against)