Zednik, Caps Light Up Flames

Zednik, Caps Light Up Flames

10/31/2006 08:24 am
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By Tarik El-Bashir

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 31, 2006; E04







CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 30 -- Relief was written all over Richard Zednik's face after he scored his first goal of the season Monday.



Little did the veteran right wing know his night was about to get even better. He tallied again, and assisted on a goal, to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome.



"I felt great tonight," Zednik said. "It's a [relief] to get the first one. After the first goal, I got another one and almost got a third one."



Dainius Zubrus also scored twice, Alex Ovechkin set up a pair and Olie Kolzig made 37 saves for the Capitals. Calgary got goals from Kristian Huselius and Jarome Iginla and 27 stops from Miikka Kiprusoff.



The victory concluded a four-game road trip against the Northwest Division that began with a bang and ended the same way for the Capitals, who went 2-1-1, earning five of a possible eight standings points. Monday's performance contrasted with their weak effort two days ago in Edmonton, where they were shut out, 4-0.



"It was a great trip," said Ovechkin, who had a game-high nine shots. "We lost in Edmonton because we play in Vancouver and don't have time to take day off. We play hard against Calgary. We check, we shoot the puck, we control the puck. It was our game."



The loss to the Oilers resulted in several lineup changes. Coach Glen Hanlon scratched struggling defenseman Steve Eminger and put Zednik on a line with grinder Boyd Gordon and enforcer Donald Brashear.



"Sometimes you make changes and they work, and other times they don't," Hanlon said. "Tonight was one of those nights when it worked. . . .



"Sometimes when you go into the game on a line when you are not expected to score, maybe you relax a little bit," he added, referring to Zednik. "And that's what happened."



The changes, and perhaps a day off between games, made a big difference for the Capitals, who got off to the trip's best start. Although the first period was scoreless, with the Flames holding a 9-8 edge in shots, the Capitals had the home team on its heels.



Calgary struck first, in the second period, taking a 1-0 lead on the goal by Huselius, who beat a screened Kolzig with a long wrist shot at 6:50.



Zubrus brought the Capitals right back. After Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr whiffed on a clearing attempt in front, Ovechkin tapped the puck back to Zubrus, who faked Kiprusoff then beat the goalie with a high backhander.



They weren't done. Zednik's first goal came at 15:54 of the second on a wrap-around. His first attempt was stopped by Kiprusoff, but he jammed the rebound in to give the Capitals the lead for good at 2-1.



Zednik's second score came at 10:27 of the third period and put the Capitals ahead, 3-1. Ovechkin sprung Zednik on a breakaway and he beat Kiprusoff between the pads.



A miscue helped the Flames get back into it. A poor pass by defenseman Shaone Morrisonn was picked off by Flames center Jamie Lundmark, who tapped a pass ahead to Iginla. The Calgary captain finished the play by firing the puck between Kolzig's pads, cutting his team's deficit to 3-2 with 7:50 left to play.



"What really impressed me was the way we played after Iginla got the second goal and made it 3-2," Kolzig said. "They had one more shot, and it was from well outside. That showed me that we still had confidence and that we weren't panicking."



Kolzig, and an empty-net goal by Zubrus in the closing seconds, made sure the Capitals stayed ahead.



The victory was special for Capitals rookie defenseman Mike Green, a Calgary native who was skating in his home town for the first time as an NHL player. He had about 60 friends and family members in attendance.



"Wish granted," Green said with a big smile. "We knew this would be a tough swing. To get five points, I think we reached our goal."



Capitals Notes: Eminger was joined in the press box by forwards Rico Fata and Jakub Klepis, who also were healthy scratches.

Zed's first two goals as a Cap

Zed's first two goals as a Cap

10/31/2006 08:40 am
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Richard Zednik netted his first two goals of the season, ending a 12-game skid that dated back to Apr. 13, 2006, when he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens. It was his first goal in a Capitals’ uniform since Mar. 7, 2001 at Pittsburgh.

After the Caps were shutout 4-0 in Edmonton on Saturday, Zednik was shifted to a line with Donald Brashear and Boyd Gordon. Those two players collected assists on Zednik’s goal. For Gordon, it was his first point of the season and his first point since Jan. 31, 2006.



The trio had a strong shift in the Calgary end, cycling down low and winning battles along the wall and in the corners. The shift culminated in Zednik’s first goal. Even when Zednik was struggling to find the net in the season’s first 10 games, he was still an asset on the ice in the eyes of the coaching staff.



“And with Zed, we’re so happy [with him],” said Caps bench boss Glen Hanlon after the team’s Monday morning skate at the Pengrowth Saddledome, and hours before the winger’s two-goal performance against the Flames. “When goal scorers don’t score, the first thing they do is start to cheat on their defensive habits. Zed has been a very conscientious guy. He has killed penalties, he has stayed in the zone, he has blocked shots. That’s the reason why we’re still happy with his play.



“It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t scored; we want that. But he’ll play in enough offensive [situations] tonight to score and his minutes likely won’t be cut back. We’re just hoping to create some offense from [Matt] Pettinger now in that spot. That was my [thought] process.”



Hanlon did not cut Zednik’s minutes back. He went into the game averaging 17:31 a night; he played 17:06 against the Flames.



Shoane Morrisonn also picked up his first points of the season. He matched a single-game career high with two assists on Monday in Calgary.

My Best Halloween Costume Was...

My Best Halloween Costume Was...

10/31/2006 05:28 pm
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when Dan and I dressed up as pirates for a halloween party - we went all out.



Other costumes that I remember - senior year - my mom made me a cat outfit. When I was like 3, I had a cat outfit too, and I remember it just itching like crazy - it had like fiberglass fibers in it - a bright orange color.



One of Dan's best costumes was as a rocker - he looked just like he was from a hairband.