Pre-Caps! Capitals vs. Thrashers

It's finally here, the game 1 of the 2008-2009 season!

The Washington Capitals take on the Atlanta Thrashers in a Southeast Division showdown.

Capitals (0-0-0) vs. Thrashers (0-0-0)

Key Players: Alex Ovechkin, Jose Theodore, Mike Green (WSH) Ilya Kovalchuk, Tobias Enstrom, Kari Lehtonen

Remember kids, winning comes in CANS

The Atlanta Thrashers' preseason slogan was pretty laughable this season. While the Capitals opted for the powerful yet corny "good isn't good enough," the Thrashers took a page out of a bad motivational speakers notebook.

"Winning comes in cans, not in cant's"

Season opening road warriors?

The Capitals have a record of 5 - 10 - 2 when opening the season on the road. Last season the Capitals opened on the road in Atlanta, winning 3 - 1.

Swedish BFF's

The opening meeting of the Capitals and Thrashers reunites party boys Nicklas Backstrom and Thrashers Defenseman Tobias Enstrom. Backstrom and Enstrom famously missed All-Star practice last season because they were too busy partying the night before.

Ultimate Hockey Fighting Championship

The Thrashers and Capitals have had a history of dropping the gloves...en masse. Here's an old clip from the Hanlon era of a good ole' Thrashers brawl.

Tonight's possible fight opponents are Capitals enforcer Donald Brashear vs. Thrashers enforcer Eric Boulton.

Boulton and Brashear have met before, when Brash was a Flyer and Boulton was a Sabre.

Mutiny in Atlanta

Thrashers goalie prospect, Ondrej Pavalec was supposed to go to the Thrashers minor league affilliate, the Chicago Wolves, to start the season. Pavalec decided he'd rather use exercise his "options," instead. Can somebody say drama?

Today's trivial pursuit fact....

Atlanta is the only U.S. city destroyed by fire as an act of war...

LETS GO CAPS