Randy Burridge

The Washington Capitals acquired defenseman Shawn Chambers and left wing Randy Burridge in separate deals yesterday.The Capitals got Chambers, 25, from the Minnesota North Stars for left wing Steve Maltais, 22, and center Trent Klatt, 20.Chambers, 6 feet 2, 200 pounds, played in only 29 games last season because of a cracked kneecap. He had four points in the regular season and seven in the playoffs. His best offensive season was 1988-89, when he had five goals and 19 assists.Maltais led the AHL Baltimore Skipjacks with 36 goals and had 43 assists.

Jim Schoenfeld is looking at the Washington Capitals' roster. Training camp begins tomorrow. And the names, most of them, are the same as last season.Dimitri Khristich, Dale Hunter, Peter Bondra, Joe Juneau . . .So familiar.But as Schoenfeld talks about this team, it is as if he is talking about a different team. One that wasn't 39-35-10 last season -- thanks to a year-end run of 19-12-6."These are not the same guys," Schoenfeld said recently. "It's a totally different team, a totally different situation.

MIAMI -- Don Beaupre stopped 21 shots and Michal Pivonka and Randy Burridge scored goals last night as the Washington Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers, 2-1, in an Atlantic Division game.The Capitals continued their inspired play under coach Jim Schoenfeld. Washington is 9-3-2 under Schoenfeld, who was hired Jan. 27.The victory put the Capitals (29-26-6) in sole possession of third place with 64 points. Florida (26-24-10) is in fourth with 62 points.Washington survived a late rally by the Panthers, who trailed 2-0 after Pivonka's third-period goal, his 10th of the season.

LANDOVER -- The Washington Capitals were up, 2-zip, early in the third period last night, and the game looked to be over. In 28 NHL games in which the team was leading after two periods this season, not once had it lost, going 24-0-4.Later, their lead sliced to a goal at 3-2, the situation still appeared rosy for the Caps as there was less than a minute remaining.So, what did you expect? It's April, isn't it? And the opposition was the New York Islanders, and they got this guy named Ray Ferraro, see.Anyway, the Caps ended up losing in overtime, 4-3, the reversal being of sufficient magnitude to cause coach Jim Schoenfeld to crawl into a shell with tape firmly affixed over his mouth afterward.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Washington Capitals finally heard from rookie Brendan Witt's agent, Mark Hall, but not until an hour after the deadline had passed for signing the 18-year-old defenseman."

BaseballCommissioner's Office -- Suspended Atlanta Braves OF Otis Nixon for 60 days for violating the terms of his drug-abuse after-care program.NL -- Suspended Cincinnati Reds P Norm Charlton for 7 days and fined him for throwing at Los Angeles Dodgers C Mike Scioscia in a Sept. 9 game.BasketballLos Angeles Clippers -- Signed F Ed Horton. forward.CollegesNorthern Kentucky -- Named Steve Blake (executive director of the Tiger Club at Towson State; Cumberland native) executive director of the Gold Club, the university's athletic fund-raising organization.

MONTREAL -- The Washington Capitals played the Montreal Canadiens to a 1-1 tie last night before 16,309 at the Forum, one of the NHL's toughest arenas in which to earn a point. The tie came one day after the Caps beat the Nordiques, 6-4, in Quebec City.John LeClair scored for the Canadiens in the first period, and Todd Krygier replied for the Caps in the second."I'm very pleased with the way the team has played the past two days," said Caps coach Terry Murray. "It's a big three points for us. It's a big two days."

BaseballBoston Red Sox -- Extended the working agreement with the city of Winter Haven as their spring training site through 1992.Chicago White Sox -- Recalled P Wayne Edwards from Class AAA Vancouver. Optioned OF Warren Newson to Vancouver.Cincinnati Reds -- Placed P Jose Rijo (chipped bone in right ankle) on the 15-day DL. Recalled P Tim Layana (3-1, 2.59 ERA at Class AAA Nashville).Seattle Mariners -- Signed P Sean Rees and assigned him to Class A San Bernardino.Texas Rangers -- Signed OF Billy Moore and assigned him to Class AAA Oklahoma City.

MIAMI -- After not facing a shot in the second period of lastnight's game with the Florida Panthers, it would have been easy for Washington Capitals goalie Don Beaupre to fall asleep in the third period."

LANDOVER -- Washington Capitals left wing Randy Burridge was reading The Hockey News at Piney Orchard yesterday morning, and dropping hints all over the place about the state of his game."

MIAMI -- After not facing a shot in the second period of lastnight's game with the Florida Panthers, it would have been easy for Washington Capitals goalie Don Beaupre to fall asleep in the third period."

MIAMI -- Don Beaupre stopped 21 shots and Michal Pivonka and Randy Burridge scored goals last night as the Washington Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers, 2-1, in an Atlantic Division game.The Capitals continued their inspired play under coach Jim Schoenfeld. Washington is 9-3-2 under Schoenfeld, who was hired Jan. 27.The victory put the Capitals (29-26-6) in sole possession of third place with 64 points. Florida (26-24-10) is in fourth with 62 points.Washington survived a late rally by the Panthers, who trailed 2-0 after Pivonka's third-period goal, his 10th of the season.

MIAMI -- A rivalry? Can there be a rivalry between two teams that have never met?If fourth place in the Atlantic Division is on the line, if one is a respectable expansion team and the other a struggling veteran team, why not a rivalry?Last night, in the Miami Arena before 13,441 loud warm-weather hockey fans, the veteran Washington Capitals and the expansion Florida Panthers looked the part of old rivals.When it was over, and the 3-3 third-period tie was broken, it was Florida with the 4-3 victory.

LANDOVER -- Washington Capitals left wing Randy Burridge was reading The Hockey News at Piney Orchard yesterday morning, and dropping hints all over the place about the state of his game."

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Washington Capitals finally heard from rookie Brendan Witt's agent, Mark Hall, but not until an hour after the deadline had passed for signing the 18-year-old defenseman."

CORNWALL, Ontario -- It was billed the return of John Slaney and Marc Crawford, but it was John Byce and Byron Dafoe who took Cornwall, Ontario by storm last night.Byce scored twice and Dafoe stopped 31 of 34 shots to lead the Skipjacks as they downed the St. John's Maple Leafs, 4-3.The win improves the Skipjacks' record to 27-36-12 and puts the team five points ahead of the Hershey Bears in the fight for the final playoff spot in the American Hockey League's Southern Division. Both Hershey and the Skipjacks have five games remaining.

CORNWALL, Ontario -- It was billed the return of John Slaney and Marc Crawford, but it was John Byce and Byron Dafoe who took Cornwall, Ontario by storm last night.Byce scored twice and Dafoe stopped 31 of 34 shots to lead the Skipjacks as they downed the St. John's Maple Leafs, 4-3.The win improves the Skipjacks' record to 27-36-12 and puts the team five points ahead of the Hershey Bears in the fight for the final playoff spot in the American Hockey League's Southern Division. Both Hershey and the Skipjacks have five games remaining.

Defenseman Al Iafrate sat in front of his locker Saturday, pondering the Washington Capitals' second loss in two days to a Patrick Division rival.The season is three games old, but with a 1-2 record, it's not too soon to be irritated by a two-game losing streak on home ice."Losing streaks, whether they're 10 games or two, aren't good," Iafrate said. "And you should never lose two in a row, especially not at home."These are the games we've got to win," he continued. "It's no joke that we came in second in the league last year, but we've got a lot to prove.

Washington Capitals coach Terry Murray is a little more relaxed now. The corners of his mouth aren't so tightly drawn, xTC and the smile, hidden much of the early part of the season, has returned. The reason? At the halfway point of the 84-game NHL season, the Capitals are in second place in the Patrick Division and playing the way everyone expected them to.For Murray and the Capitals, the fear is gone.If anyone had told Murray before the season that his No. 1 goalie, Don Beaupre, would be under .500 at this point and that the Caps would play without three of their leading scorers -- Michal Pivonka, Dimitri Khristich and Randy Burridge -- for almost a quarter of the season, Murray would not have believed his team could be 21-16-4 going into tonight's game in Philadelphia.

MONTREAL -- The Washington Capitals played the Montreal Canadiens to a 1-1 tie last night before 16,309 at the Forum, one of the NHL's toughest arenas in which to earn a point. The tie came one day after the Caps beat the Nordiques, 6-4, in Quebec City.John LeClair scored for the Canadiens in the first period, and Todd Krygier replied for the Caps in the second."I'm very pleased with the way the team has played the past two days," said Caps coach Terry Murray. "It's a big three points for us. It's a big two days."