Olie Kolzig

Opponent: Florida PanthersSite: Miami ArenaTime: 7:30TV/Radio: Ch. 50/WWLG (1360 AM), WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: The Capitals (29-25-7) should be inspired from Tuesday's 5-3 comeback win over the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers. The Panthers lost back-to-back games last weekend, 4-0 to the Rangers and 6-1 at Buffalo. Either Olie Kolzig (4-7-1, 2.95 gaa) or Jim Carey (25-18-6, 2.55 GAA) will be in goal tonight. Washington D Brendan Witt (broken wrist), D Mark Tinordi (concussion) and C Stefan Ustorf (shoulder)

WASHINGTON - Peter Bondra had worked hard all night, taking chances, playing defense, helping to negate a major penalty by drawing the opposition into a slashing penalty on a breakaway. So maybe it was just that as the final minute was being played Bondra found himself at the far post and in the perfect position to knock in the Washington Capitals' game-winning goal against the Montreal Canadiens. "Sometimes it takes being in the right spot at the right time," Bondra, the Caps' all-time leader in points, and power-play, short-handed and game-winning goals, said after his goal with 53.8 seconds left gave the Caps the 3-2 win. "Goal scorers - not that I'm calling myself a goal scorer, but if you work hard, the puck will find you, sooner or later for the good of the team."

The Washington Capitals' goaltending situation seems to have settled into what they had planned on in training camp, with Don Beaupre and Rick Tabaracci sharing the load.But appearances can be deceiving. After rookie goalie Olie Kolzig skated for the first time yesterday since injuring his kneecap Oct. 13 in Toronto, Capitals coach Terry Murray said a future assignment in Portland is not automatic."I haven't talked to David [general manager David Poile] about that yet, but if he comes around fast, maybe I'll get him into a game here right away," Murray said.

WASHINGTON - Usually, the Washington Capitals can embarrass the New York Islanders at will on home ice. But now, with the Capitals trying to turn their season around, the Islanders have turned the tables - for one night at least. New York came back from a two-goal, second-period deficit at MCI Center last night to beat the Capitals, 5-4. It was the Islanders' first win on the Capitals' home ice since March 2, 1997, in Landover - 15 home games ago. The result was evidently too much for the Capitals to deal with immediately after, as all of the team's major players were nowhere to be found in the locker room after the game for the first time this season.

Washington coach Ron Wilson claims he dreamed last spring that the Capitals would open this season against Anaheim -- the team that fired him after an impressive playoff run in 1997 -- and that before the game, the Capitals would hoist the Stanley Cup banner to the rafters of Washington's MCI Center."

PITTSBURGH -- The Washington Capitals did the near-impossible last night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup's Eastern Conference quarterfinals.Without eight key players because of injuries, Washington fell behind the high-scoring Pittsburgh Penguins by three goals and saw its starting goaltender, Jim Carey, chased from his net with 8: 51 to go in the second period.Washington's response to all this adversity was to put Olie Kolzig in goal and rally for a 6-4 victory, scoring five unanswered goals over the final 24 minutes.

LANDOVER -- Let's see. Jim Carey? Olie Kolzig? Olie Kolzig? Jim Carey? Who to start in goal for the Washington Capitals tonight in Game 4? It's called keep 'em guessing, and it's a game that Capitals coach Jim Schoenfeld delights in.He knows, but isn't telling.Why?Now, there's a question. For days -- actually, for years -- Schoenfeld has said he doesn't want to give the opposing team an edge. Instead, he'd rather just give it one more thing to wonder about.And yesterday, while saying Pittsburgh doesn't care who the Capitals have in goal, the Penguins were wondering.

IceRebelTD was five rows up from the Washington Capitals' entrance to the USAir Arena ice at a recent game but was afraid to go up to the rail to get a good look at her favorite player, backup goalie Olie Kolzig."

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals didn't wait long to get things started last night -- and then they simply kept piling on. Believing it was important to get back to their winning style of play and show some urgency heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, the Caps struck early in each of the first two periods, forechecked on defense, and recorded a 7-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. "This was as good a game as we've played all year," said Caps goalie Olie Kolzig, who made 18 saves for his 20th career shutout and fourth of the season.

Dale Hunter is a stoic player who keeps his feelings under wraps in good times and bad.But yesterday, after emerging from a team meeting in which Washington Capitals general manager David Poile announced the center had been named to the NHL All-Star team as a special selection by commissioner Gary Bettman, Hunter was anything but stoic."

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals are still looking for their offensive stars, but for one night, anyway, they played the thoughtful, controlled defensive game they have to play to win, and held on to a 2-1 victory over the Southeast Division co-leading Atlanta Thrashers. The win ended the Caps' eight-game winless streak and six-game losing streak and provided their first winning celebration since opening night at MCI Center. Washington is 2-7-1, heading into tonight's game at Minnesota.

WASHINGTON - First goal wins. Through three games, that had been the story of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series between the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning. It put a premium on the first goal in Game 4 last night. And once Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis scored it 11:55 into the second period, the Lightning was on its way to a 3-1 victory that evened the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. "It seems to be the secret to success," said Washington coach Bruce Cassidy.

WASHINGTON - Some Washington Capitals have been saying for a while now that sooner or later pride has to kick in. The question most of the season has been, when? The Capitals were embarrassed Friday in a two-goal loss to the injured and struggling Los Angeles Kings, and Washington was a team in need of redemption. Last night, with a sellout crowd of 18,277 looking on at MCI Center, the Caps atoned with a vigorous 2-1 victory. Washington scored two first-period goals and made them stand.

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals sat hunched forward on the bench, leaning on the boards as the minutes slipped away in the final period of last night's 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. A study in perfect harmony, their blue gloves gripped the red railing, perfectly spaced, their eyes a single focus on their teammates on the ice. They sat watching with such intense stillness they could have been a photograph. "There's such anticipation," said Caps coach Bruce Cassidy. "They could see the tide was turning.

WASHINGTON - Here were the Washington Capitals on one of the hottest streaks in team history, and here were the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing without their starting goalie, Ed Belfour, and their leading goal scorer, Alexander Mogilny, and what happens? The Caps make goalie Trevor Kidd (24 saves) and center Darcy Tucker (two goals) look like All-Stars. The result was that the Maple Leafs handed Washington its first loss in regulation in 15 games, 4-1, last night. It was the Caps' first regulation loss since Dec. 16 and first at home since Nov. 29. The Maple Leafs also shut out high-flying Jaromir Jagr, who had 12 points in his previous three games, and left goalie Olie Kolzig (19 saves)

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals turned into philosophers last night after letting a point escape in a game in which they outplayed the Phoenix Coyotes from start to finish - or almost to the finish. The Caps took a second-period lead on a 5-on-3 power-play goal by Sergei Gonchar and held it until about seven minutes into the third period, before Ladislav Nagy tied the game and Tony Amonte, who was playing in his 900th career game, won it 1:20 into overtime, beating Caps goalie Olie Kolzig (12 saves)

WASHINGTON - The Minnesota Wild doesn't have any big-name stars, but it got the job done last night against the Washington Capitals, who are struggling to break out of a goal-scoring drought that has haunted them throughout the early part of this season. Riding goals by Antti Laaksonen, Stephane Veilleux, Andrew Brunette and Pascal Dupuis, the Wild held off Washington, 4-3, before 12,848 at MCI Center. It was the Wild's 12th victory and continued its fine start, in which it has built a 12-5-4 record, one of the best in the Western Conference.

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals had won only once in their previous seven games, and general manager George McPhee was willing to try anything. Riding up toward the press box on the elevator before the game, McPhee asked the elevator operator to let him off on the third floor, a few floors early. "I've got a special box there," he said. "Whenever I sit in it, we win." Last night, with McPhee in his lucky seat, and the Capitals playing without three top forwards - Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra and Dainius Zubrus - Washington surprised even its coach by beating the Calgary Flames, 4-2. To do it, the Caps used an offensive outburst by defenseman Sergei Gonchar (two goals)

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals had been outscored by 14 goals in the first period going into last night's game, but against the Northeast Division-leading Boston Bruins, the Caps scored twice in the opening period and went on to an encouraging 5-3 victory. Peter Bondra led the offensive charge with two eye-popping goals. The first came with 7:10 gone in the first period when he scored short-handed. The second, with 4:42 left in the second, when he skipped out of the penalty box just in time to set off on a breakaway.

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals had won only once in their previous seven games, and general manager George McPhee was willing to try anything. Riding up toward the press box on the elevator before the game, McPhee asked the elevator operator to let him off on the third floor, a few floors early. "I've got a special box there," he said. "Whenever I sit in it, we win." Last night, with McPhee in his lucky seat, and the Capitals playing without three top forwards - Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra and Dainius Zubrus - Washington surprised even its coach by beating the Calgary Flames, 4-2. To do it, the Caps used an offensive outburst by defenseman Sergei Gonchar (two goals)