Brian McNally

Updated: Mon, Apr 8, 2013

The critics have had to back off on Alex Ovechkin in recent weeks. The Capitals' star winger has shaken off a rough start to the 2013 season and is producing goals at a rapid clip again. His team has parlayed that into a 10-3-1 stretch that -- combined with an awful Southeast Division -- has it...

Brian McNally

Updated: Sun, Apr 7, 2013

Star scores twice more in victory over Lightning Capitals star winger Alex Ovechkin made no mistake this time. With an empty net yawning ahead of him and the game essentially over, he skated the puck all the way to the goal and slipped it home. For Ovechkin and his team, which hadn't scored...

Brian McNally

Updated: Thu, Apr 4, 2013

Washington in Southeast Division lead after poor start For so much of this lockout-shortened season, it looked as if the Capitals would miss out on the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in six years. There were injuries and inconsistency and all around frustrating play. But just in...

Brian McNally

Updated: Thu, Apr 4, 2013

Fans love prospects. They're young and full of promise, and you don't watch them play every day, so the flaws are masked. Their ceiling is unlimited, they always will be ready to contribute "soon" and they're cheap, so your favorite team can employ its money elsewhere. The Capitals decided...

Brian McNally

Updated: Wed, Apr 3, 2013

The Capitals acquired forward Martin Erat and a prospect from the Nashville Predators at the NHL trade deadline on Wednesday in exchange for top prospect Filip Forsberg. Erat, 31, is a right wing who has scored four goals and 17 assists this season for Nashville. He is also a left-handed shot...

associated press

Updated: Tue, Apr 2, 2013

Stars propel comeback with two goals each RALEIGH, N.C. -- Alex Ovechkin had two goals and an assist, and Washington beat Carolina 5-3 on Tuesday night despite allowing three goals to Jiri Tlusty. Mike Green scored two goals, Joel Ward added a goal, Nicklas Backstrom matched a career high...

Published: Tue, Apr 2, 2013

In the more than two years since earmarks were banned to make congressional spending more transparent, lawmakers have fallen back on an age-old practice of writing letters to request money from agencies for projects back home. And that, critics charge, has made the process less transparent —...

associated press

Updated: Sun, Mar 31, 2013

Washington allows tying goal in final 10 seconds of regulation PHILADELPHIA -- Jakub Voracek stuck up for his captain, putting the Philadelphia Flyers in a hole. His teammates bailed him out in a big way. Ruslan Fedotenko scored 1:34 into overtime after Kimmo Timonen got the tying goal with...

Brian McNally

Updated: Thu, Mar 28, 2013

So you want to be an NHL general manager? The problem Capitals GM George McPhee faces this week with veteran center Mike Ribeiro will make you rethink that one. Let's break down the issues as Washington decides whether to sign Ribeiro now, trade him before the April 3 deadline, allow him to...

Brian McNally

Updated: Thu, Mar 28, 2013

Unclear whether team will be buyers or sellers Anxiety will fill the air in NHL locker rooms across North America over the next week. In part that's because almost every game is packed with meaning as teams scratch and claw their way into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it's also because the...