Pre-Cap: Capitals vs. Devils

The Capitals continue "elite-goalie-palooza 2008" with a visit from Mr. Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. After shellacking Roberto Luongo and then sticking it to Marc-Andre Fluery, the Caps face their biggest challenge in Brodeur.

So grab some coffee or your favorite snack, because you've got nothing better to do until 7 p.m. It's time for your pre-Cap!

Washington Capitals (3-1-0, last win 4-3 over Pittsburgh)
vs.
New Jersey Devils (3-1-0, last win 1-0 over Atlanta)

The story so far...
The Capitals played 30 minutes (give or take) of excellent hockey against a tough Penguins team but the Devils are riding high on a Brodeur shutout and might try to lull the Verizon Center crowd to sleep with their defense-first play.

Key players
WSH: Alex Ovechkin, Chris Bourque, Tomas Fleischmann, Brent Johnson, Sergei Fedorov and Brooks Laich.
NJ: Martin Brodeur, Zach Parise, Brian Gionta and Dainus Zuburus.

Polar opposites
The Capitals are near the top of the NHL in goals scored with 17 goals in 4 games. The Devils on the other hand are the league's worst in goals scored with only 6 goals in 4 games. The Devils are second in goals against with only 6, while the Capitals are in the middle of the pack with 13 goals against.

Elite-goalie-palooza!
Tonight brings future Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur to the Verizon Center. Brodeur is currently chasing Patrick Roy's record of 551 career wins. Brodeur has 541. Not only is Brodeur one of the league's elite goaltenders, he also has an impressive record against the Caps: 32-12-4.

Stat of importance
Both Caps goalies have losing records against the Devils. Johnson is 1-3-0-1 and Theodore is 4-13-0-0.

Mirror mirror on the helmet
As if you haven't heard enough about Marty Brodeur, some might remember when Broduer whined objected to Ovechkin's mirrored visor on his helmet. This YouTube video was taken after the complaint and features Caps fans trying to strike fear into Marty's heart with mirrored sunglasses.



I want Bourque
As if Caps fans weren't excited enough about defeating the Penguins, GMGM made a few fan wishes come true when he brought Chris Bourque from Hershey to the big club. While the message boards went wild, some crazed Bourque fan out there decided to do a little tribute video. The song is from an ad played during Capitals radio broadcasts and the original line is "I want PORK."



A great history lesson and time waster
Ever wanted to know what it was like following the Capitals from the very first game to tonight's bout? Growing up with the Caps is a blog that details the changes the club has endured throughout the years and is a great place to spend a half hour or two. Check it out!

LETS GO CAPS!