Semin, Aucoin Claim Top October Honors

Per the team:

ARLINGTON, Va., – Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Semin, who led the NHL with 16 points in October, has been named the league’s First Star of the Month, the NHL announced today.

In addition, Washington prospect Keith Aucoin of the Hershey Bears was named the American Hockey League’s Player of the Month for October, giving the Capitals organization a sweep of those awards for North America’s top two professional hockey leagues.

Semin’s 16 points in nine games included eight goals and a +7 rating as he recorded points in eight of nine games and goals in six of nine. He matched Dale Hunter (one goal, 15 assists in 1991-92) for the most points by a Capital in the first nine games of a season.

Semin becomes the sixth Capital to be named the NHL’s Player of the Month or First Star of the Month since the awards were first presented in 1980-81. Alex Ovechkin has won the awards three times (Jan. 2006, Jan. 2008 and March 2008).

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Nashville defenseman Shea Weber were the NHL’s second and third stars for the month of October, respectively.

Wednesday Roundup

A quick link dump this morning:

You can now follow The Rink on Twitter, if you're the Twitterin' type.... GMGM was on The Fan 590 yesterday.... The Caps start the season at #5 on The Hockey News' Power Rankings.... I linked to it in the sidebar the other day, but in case you missed it, TuvanHillbilly has the Alex Ovechkin prison-themed music video cameo posted.... Ted Leonsis is one of SBJ's 20 Most Influential In Digital Sports. I am not.... Keith Aucoin is the AHL's Player of the Week, and things are going great in Hershey (plenty of good nuggets here and a look at their new third jersey here), which makes Quintin Laing happy and Mathieu Perreault productive.... This is a pretty cool promotion from down in Miami.... Speaking of Florida, Jamie Heward's digging Tampa (beats Russia, eh comrade?).

Monday Roundup/Gamenight: Canucks @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Rumor has it that Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis will be in town tonight to take in the Caps game (jp5). In all likelihood, this is because Gillis - Michael Nylander's former agent - is trying to acquire the Swedish pivot from Washington via trade. Or it's because the Canucks are playing the Caps. One or the other.

Tonight - the first meeting between the teams since Alex Ovechkin nearly van Goghed Chris Clark last season - should be Matt Pettinger's triumphant return to D.C., but he's busy (finally) reporting to the AHL after clearing waivers last week (I bet a million bucks goes a long way in Manitoba). The Canucks will also be without rugged blueliner Kevin Bieksa, who's back in Western Canada getting an MRI on his knee (but hey, they've still got Willie Mitchell, who you'd hope would be better prepared for Donald Brashear's left than he was for Jarome Iginla's, should the two tussle).

The Caps are 0-4-1 against the 'Nucks since Valentine's Day, 2001, and Roberto Luongo has a career record of 15-9-3 with a 2.14 GAA and .933 save percentage against the Caps, so, um, the hometown boys are due. One person who shouldn't be intimidated by Bobby Lou, however, is one of the two guys who doesn't have to worry about scoring on him, namely tonight's backup goaltender, Jose Theodore, who has a career 17-7-1-2 record in head-to-head matchups against his fellow Quebecer, including three shutouts.

As we noted yesterday, 1-1 is a hell of a lot better than 0-2 with Luongo ahead. By the same measure, 2-1 is a hell of a lot better than 1-2 with a trip to Pittsburgh and a visit from Martin Brodeur later in the week. Two big points are out there - go get 'em.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Craig Custance takes a look at how AO will try to top his MVP season.... James Duthie weighs in on Ovi the rock star (who, incidentally, doesn't want to be a movie star).... Some SED love at NHL.com.... The Hockey News predicts another Calder Cup for Hershey (thanks to MVP-to-be Keith Aucoin)... In case you're wondering which of the Caps' AHL goalies will be loaned out, it looks like it'll be Michal Neuvirth (and a couple more Bears will be heading to South Carolina).... Finally, FYI, Braden Holtby is 5-3-0/2.39/.916 for Saskatoon of the WHL.

Bears Hang Another Eight On Pens

Remember earlier in the week when we noted John Carlson's proclamation that his London Knights were "going to score as much as [they] want" and thought it might be a theme for many a Caps prospect and throughout the organization?

Well, Opening Night for the Hershey Bears tonight saw them rough up Wilkes-Barre Scranton for eight goals (thanks to a 5-for-7 night on the power play), including three tallies and two assists from Graham Mink, a goal and two helpers each for Chris Bourque and Alexandre Giroux, and a goal and four from Keith Aucoin.

This season has all the makings of something very special on many levels.

Update: For more on the game, check in with Vogs, Peerless and John Walton (also note that official scoring changed a bit over night, so I edited a couple of the stats above).

Jeff Friesen Redux?

As you already know, the Caps signed free agent forward Keith Aucoin to a two-year deal today (details here). Whether the move is simply a depth move or a harbinger of things to come remains to be seen, but in Aucoin the Caps get "a hard-skating, hustler who always gives 100%" and who "has proven he can rack up impressive point totals at lower levels" (he was second in the AHL in scoring in 2006-07) but "[n]eeds to work on his defensive-zone coverage."

All that aside, my main question is whether or not Aucoin, if he ever plays for the Caps, will ask for, receive and wear the number he's worn in his previous NHL stints. If so, it might look a little strange (though not unprecedented)...