Konowalchuk

LANDOVER -- It could have been a Stanley Cup game, given the intensity, the emotion and the battles fought for every inch of ice. And if the Washington Capitals make it into the playoffs, it may well be because of the two points they earned last night in one of the hardest-fought games of the season.The game featured fine goaltending at both ends of the ice, with rookie Jim Carey (27 saves) playing veteran Glenn Healy (29 saves) to a virtual standoff for the first 52:59. It also featured some of the hardest checking, and that resulted in some of the worst fighting.

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals had put together a great plan for this season. A run at the Stanley Cup was in their view finder. And Washington may still make the run. But if the Caps do, they will do it in quite a different way from what they had first imagined. Saturday, the team learned it will be without defenseman Calle Johansson, its longtime defensive anchor. The 14-year Caps' veteran is having surgery today to repair a severely torn right rotator cuff and will be out for up to eight months.

The Skipjacks' Steve Konowalchuk is itchy. Life as one of the Washington Capitals' brightest prospects is not always as glorious as it may seem.Konowalchuk is itchy because the Skipjacks' game against the Hershey Bears tonight at the Baltimore Arena will be only his second in 12 days. And that is due in part to the fact he is held in such high esteem by the organization.If that seems contradictory, consider Konowalchuk's recent odyssey.Since the Skipjacks' game against the St. John's Maple Leafs on Jan. 17, he has played only once -- seven days ago against the Binghamton Rangers.

LANDOVER -- The Washington Capitals played a physical and passionate game of hockey yesterday to overcome the bigger, more talented Philadelphia Flyers for the first time in two years.With a sellout crowd of 18,130 at USAir Arena, Washington dominated play. The Capitals made the big hits, cut off the Flyers' rushes, scored when they had to to stay in the game and were inspired by rookie defenseman Brendan Witt, who played much of the third period with a broken left hand.The game wasn't decided until 38.9 seconds remained in overtime.

LANDOVER -- The Washington Capitals made more beautiful passes, set up more wonderful scoring opportunities than their fans -- what there were of them last night -- had seen in a long time.But an elusive slap shot that went off the arm of New York Islanders goalie Tommy Soderstrom with 6:52 to go and slid ever so slowly through the crease and over the goal line kept the Capitals from defeat. That goal and sent the game to overtime, in which Steve Konowalchuk scored his second goal of the night with 2:44 left to lift the Caps to a 4-3 victory.

RICHFIELD, Ohio -- Washington Capitals rookie Pat Peake and second-year man Steve Konowalchuk are getting extended playing time in these early days under the leadership of coach Jim Schoenfeld.Last night, they paid him back in aces in the final period when it mattered most. It was Peake and Konowalchuk who broke a 2-2 tie by scoring back-to-back goals and led the way to a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers."I can't ever remember playing this much in an NHL game as I did tonight," said Konowalchuk.

LANDOVER -- Keith Jones, Stefan Ustorf and Steve Konowalchuk promised to drive the net, shoot the puck and score goals, and last night they were as good as their word."

LANDOVER -- The Washington Capitals played a physical and passionate game of hockey yesterday to overcome the bigger, more talented Philadelphia Flyers for the first time in two years.With a sellout crowd of 18,130 at USAir Arena, Washington dominated play. The Capitals made the big hits, cut off the Flyers' rushes, scored when they had to to stay in the game and were inspired by rookie defenseman Brendan Witt, who played much of the third period with a broken left hand.The game wasn't decided until 38.9 seconds remained in overtime.

HockeyWashington Capitals -- Called up C Steve Konowalchuk, RW Reggie Savage and D Jason Woolley from the Skipjacks.

PHILADELPHIA -- As if the Washington Capitals had not had enough trouble dealing with the present, last night they were haunted by their past.In a robust demonstration of confrontation -- and even a little bit of hockey -- the Caps were beaten, 5-3, by a Philadelphia Flyers team coached by Terry Murray.Murray coached the Caps from 1989-90 through the first 47 games of last season. Now he is guiding a struggling Philadelphia team that can claim at least one thing: It is not struggling as much as Washington.

LANDOVER -- The Washington Capitals produced a microcosm of their season in this one game with the New York Rangers last night. Misfortune, brilliance and disappointment all were on view before a sellout crowd at USAir Arena.A two-goal deficit became a two-goal lead and then a 4-4 tie, as the Capitals earned a point."When we got our fourth goal, we stopped playing as aggressively as we had before," said Washington defenseman Mark Tinordi. "It's a good lesson for us to learn. You've got to play aggressively all the time."

LANDOVER -- The Washington Capitals made more beautiful passes, set up more wonderful scoring opportunities than their fans -- what there were of them last night -- had seen in a long time.But an elusive slap shot that went off the arm of New York Islanders goalie Tommy Soderstrom with 6:52 to go and slid ever so slowly through the crease and over the goal line kept the Capitals from defeat. That goal and sent the game to overtime, in which Steve Konowalchuk scored his second goal of the night with 2:44 left to lift the Caps to a 4-3 victory.

LANDOVER -- Keith Jones, Stefan Ustorf and Steve Konowalchuk promised to drive the net, shoot the puck and score goals, and last night they were as good as their word."

LANDOVER -- It could have been a Stanley Cup game, given the intensity, the emotion and the battles fought for every inch of ice. And if the Washington Capitals make it into the playoffs, it may well be because of the two points they earned last night in one of the hardest-fought games of the season.The game featured fine goaltending at both ends of the ice, with rookie Jim Carey (27 saves) playing veteran Glenn Healy (29 saves) to a virtual standoff for the first 52:59. It also featured some of the hardest checking, and that resulted in some of the worst fighting.

PHILADELPHIA -- As if the Washington Capitals had not had enough trouble dealing with the present, last night they were haunted by their past.In a robust demonstration of confrontation -- and even a little bit of hockey -- the Caps were beaten, 5-3, by a Philadelphia Flyers team coached by Terry Murray.Murray coached the Caps from 1989-90 through the first 47 games of last season. Now he is guiding a struggling Philadelphia team that can claim at least one thing: It is not struggling as much as Washington.

RICHFIELD, Ohio -- Washington Capitals rookie Pat Peake and second-year man Steve Konowalchuk are getting extended playing time in these early days under the leadership of coach Jim Schoenfeld.Last night, they paid him back in aces in the final period when it mattered most. It was Peake and Konowalchuk who broke a 2-2 tie by scoring back-to-back goals and led the way to a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers."I can't ever remember playing this much in an NHL game as I did tonight," said Konowalchuk.

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals had put together a great plan for this season. A run at the Stanley Cup was in their view finder. And Washington may still make the run. But if the Caps do, they will do it in quite a different way from what they had first imagined. Saturday, the team learned it will be without defenseman Calle Johansson, its longtime defensive anchor. The 14-year Caps' veteran is having surgery today to repair a severely torn right rotator cuff and will be out for up to eight months.

The Washington Capitals had yesterday off, but general manager David Poile and coach Terry Murray were in their offices.Poile was doing "desk work," and Murray was looking at films of Saturday night's 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.The win was the Capitals' first in seven tries."The win is a huge relief for everyone," said Poile. "The trick is to pick up on the positive momentum. But we're 1-6, and we're absolutely not happy with where we are. How could anyone be? But we've got our first win, and that makes it a lot better."

QUEBEC -- The Washington Capitals can drive their fans nuts.One night, the team is losing -- and losing ugly. The next night, it could win an NHL beauty pageant.Last night, the Capitals rebounded from Friday night's 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils with a 4-0 shutout of the Quebec Nordiques.Goaltender Don Beaupre made 24 saves, some of them spectacular, and Steve Konowalchuk, playing his first game in more than a month, led the offensive attack with two goals.It was Beaupre's first shutout of the season and the Capitals' third.