Karl Alzner

The Washington Capitals have garnered plenty of attention this offseason for the addition of five veteran free-agents to the dressing room, but on Friday the team ensured that one of its young home-grown defensemen will remain in the fold for two more years. Washington signed Karl Alzner to a two-year contract worth $2.57 million, which is widely considered a bargain price for the 22-year-old who established himself as half of the Capitals' shut-down pairing in his first full NHL season.

After watching the Washington Capitals lose their seven-game playoff series to the New York Rangers, I've been thinking a lot about luck in sports. Most games and sports are some combination of skill and luck. Board games for little kids, such as Candyland and Chutes and Ladders, are almost all luck. You roll the dice or flip a card, and you move your piece. It doesn't take much skill. Some sports involve hardly any luck at all. In swimming, for example, the best and fastest swimmer wins.

NEW YORK — The all-too familiar refrain played on repeat in the visitors' dressing room at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night: The Washington Capitals can't afford to continue to take penalties, particularly those of the undisciplined and retaliatory variety, if they hope to advance past this first-round series against the New York Rangers . Washington took five minor penalties before the final horn in Game 6 of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal,...

ARLINGTON, Va. — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin knows full well that his playoff failures are adding up. The two-time NHL MVP also knows what that means for the way people think about his career. "Nobody remember losers," the Russian wing said Tuesday. "Everybody remember only winners. " During a 15-minute session with reporters a day after Washington's 5-0 home loss to the New York Rangers in Game 7 ended their first-round Eastern Conference series,...

There was a moment Monday, one that will be lost in yet another restless offseason, in which it seemed it could be Alex Ovechkin's night. In one first-period shift, the Washington Capitals right winger crushed helpless New York Rangers defenseman John Moore in the open ice. He then tracked down Steve Eminger and delivered another blow. And before he returned to the bench, he lined up Ryan McDonagh , jarring him. The boards rattled. Verizon Center roared. But as the clock wound down, and...

Time Opponent TV Today 7 p.m. at Columbus CSN+ Tuesday 7 p.m. vs. Florida None Thursday 7 p.m. vs. N.Y. Islanders CSN ALL GAMES ON WFED (820 AM, 1500 AM) Eight players who appeared on the opening night roster were sidelined last night because of injury. Is the situation expected to improve before tonight's game in Columbus? Find out on the Capitals Insider at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider . After donning jersey No. 47...

Very little can replicate the tension and tumultuousness of the third period or overtime of an NHL playoff game, when each player skates with the knowledge that one fumbled puck can change the series and the season. Make a play, be a hero. Botch a play, live in infamy. The line is thin, the stakes are high and it's all repeated, night after night. "You think about it," Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said Saturday. "You don't want to be that guy. " Given the way the Capitals and New York...

After watching the Washington Capitals lose their seven-game playoff series to the New York Rangers, I've been thinking a lot about luck in sports. Most games and sports are some combination of skill and luck. Board games for little kids, such as Candyland and Chutes and Ladders, are almost all luck. You roll the dice or flip a card, and you move your piece. It doesn't take much skill. Some sports involve hardly any luck at all. In swimming, for example, the best and fastest swimmer wins.

The Washington Capitals have assigned center Michael Nylander to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins on a standard loan, the Capitals announced Sunday night. Under the arrangement, Nylander, who has not suited up for the Capitals since last season's playoffs, will come off Washington's 23-man roster and his $4.875 million cap hit no longer will count against the club's salary cap figure. Even with Nylander off the roster, the team still would be responsible for paying his $5.5 million annual salary...

Washington Capitals captain Chris Clark will have surgery on his wrist and will miss the remainder of the season, team officials said yesterday. Clark, who was hurt in the preseason and has attempted to play through the injury, is scheduled to have the procedure to repair a torn tendon sheath in his right wrist on Thursday. There is no timetable for his return, but it's believed the 32-year-old will miss at least the remainder of the regular season. It's possible he could return for the playoffs, though the Capitals would need...

There was a moment Monday, one that will be lost in yet another restless offseason, in which it seemed it could be Alex Ovechkin's night. In one first-period shift, the Washington Capitals right winger crushed helpless New York Rangers defenseman John Moore in the open ice. He then tracked down Steve Eminger and delivered another blow. And before he returned to the bench, he lined up Ryan McDonagh , jarring him. The boards rattled. Verizon Center roared. But as the clock wound down, and...

NEW YORK — The all-too familiar refrain played on repeat in the visitors' dressing room at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night: The Washington Capitals can't afford to continue to take penalties, particularly those of the undisciplined and retaliatory variety, if they hope to advance past this first-round series against the New York Rangers . Washington took five minor penalties before the final horn in Game 6 of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal,...

Very little can replicate the tension and tumultuousness of the third period or overtime of an NHL playoff game, when each player skates with the knowledge that one fumbled puck can change the series and the season. Make a play, be a hero. Botch a play, live in infamy. The line is thin, the stakes are high and it's all repeated, night after night. "You think about it," Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said Saturday. "You don't want to be that guy. " Given the way the Capitals...

Patience. It's been the simple motto of the Washington Capitals throughout this first-round series. No matter how many improbable saves Henrik Lundqvist made or how many times they thought they had the Vezina Trophy finalist beat, they fought through the frustration. Patience, Coach Adam Oates preached since the opening contest of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal. Generate the chances and the goals will come. On Friday night in Game 5 at Verizon Center, after firing 35 shots on Lundqvist...

WASHINGTON — Not a single member of the current Washington Capitals roster is from Washington. In fact, Jeff Halpern remains the only player born-and-bred in the area to make the local NHL team, and he's come and gone twice in his 13 seasons in the league. So perhaps Jason Chimera, a native of Edmonton who has been with the Capitals only since 2009, could be forgiven for his response when asked Thursday about the collective public angst over the team's latest blown lead in...

NEW YORK — The play that led to the eventual game-winner for the New York Rangers here Wednesday night encapsulated much of what went wrong for the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series . Trapped in their own zone, the Capitals iced the puck. But even after winning the ensuing faceoff, they couldn't break out. A clearing attempt by Jack Hillen was unsuccessful, and all five players on the ice in visiting white jerseys were caught...

BOSTON — After totaling a pair of goals in the series' first two games, the Boston Bruins are frustrated. But it isn't with Braden Holtby , the Washington Capitals ' rookie goalie, they said. The source of their frustration wears black and gold. "At this stage of the year, you would like to see more net front traffic and you would like to see that puck going to net a little bit more, with guys heading in that direction," Boston Coach Claude Julien said after the Capitals' 2-1 double...

OTTAWA — The Washington Capitals arrived here the hottest team in the NHL, unbeaten since the calendar turned to April. They were overflowing with confidence, displaying both defensive acumen and offensive prowess. Thursday night, for the first time in several weeks, the Capitals played without the precision that helped them race up the Eastern Conference standings. From the start against the Ottawa Senators , Washington struggled to complete simple plays and appeared a step —...

RALEIGH, N.C. — The NHL's trade deadline — 3 p.m. Wednesday — is quickly approaching, but it's quite possible that this year will feature little fanfare and few blockbuster moves. The shortened regular season and exclusive intra-conference play have made for tight standings in both the Eastern and Western conferences. And with several teams still on the bubble and hoping to make a late push for the postseason, only a handful of general managers are prepared to sell off assets.