The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

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March 21, 2024

Capitals Start Season 2-1, Have High Hopes for 2009-10

*By Sam Oshinsky*

As D.C. sports fans cringe with embarrassment as the Nationals finish in last place and the Redskins lose to the Detroit Lions, good news could be coming with the start of the 2009 NHL season.  Last year, the Capitals went 50-24-8, and made it into the second round of playoffs before losing in game seven to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  To further improve the team, General Manager George McPhee signed free agents Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison during the offseason.  Knuble, a power forward, is supposed to eliminate the Caps’ problems with crashing the net on offense, while Morrison, a center, will be a good addition to the team’s strong core of offensive players.

The Capitals, who won 54 games last season, started this season off 2-1. (Photo courtesy of zimbio.com)
The Capitals, who won 54 games last season, started this season off 2-1. (Photo courtesy of zimbio.com)

The Caps have high hopes for the upcoming season, and have currently set their sights on the Stanley Cup. 

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“To date, this is our best team,” defenseman Brian Pothier said in an interview with the Washington Post.  “Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup.  If we don’t win the Stanley Cup, the season will be a disappointment.”

This year will be the best chance for the team to make a run for the Cup because after this season, Jose Theodore, Brian Pothier, Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina, David Steckel, Brendan Morrison, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin will all become free agents seeking multi-million dollar contracts.  With the current NHL salary cap at $56,800,000, it will be hard for the Caps to afford to keep all of these key players on the roster.  The Caps are currently using $52,625,000 out of $56,800,000, so next year they will have only $4,175,000 until they reach the salary cap.

“It’s possible we’re not going to have this team next year, or the year after. We’re good,” team captain Chris Clark said in an interview with the Washington Post.  “We’re good now. We need to perform that way,”

The Caps have started strong, beating the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first two regular season games, but losing to the Philadelphia Flyers.  Caps fans are also excited for this season, having filled up the 18,277 person stadium all dressed in red for both games.

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