Tonight: Caps v. Devils

Tonight at the V, the Caps take on the New Jersey Devils. Random note: Shouldn't the Devils be forced to wear their Christmas tree jerseys for the holidays?

The Caps are still pretty banged up (man, that welcome back Matt Bradley segment is looking more foolish by the day). Both teams enter the game playing better than .500 hockey in their last ten games, which should make for a good scrap tonight. With Erskine out and Big Daddy Donnie Brashear a game time decision, the Caps will have to depend on their offense to express their anger over last game, rather than pummeling the opposition physically.

On a related note, tonight should be a good opportunity for our brass to get a close look at free-agent-to-be Scott Gomez. The Devils won't have the cap space to re-sign him, and we all know the Caps have the room to make a legitimate offer. He makes a perfect fit for the Caps lineup, and would represent a huge upgrade at the pivot. Gomez' skill and willingness to play a physical game would match the team's style of play well. He is also a proven winner, with two Stanley Cup rings. That would give the Caps 3 quality centers (assuming Backstrom is even half as good as advertised), as opposed to the one we have now.

Okay, enough of touting one of the opposition's players.

My pick: Capitals 4, New Jersey Lesser Daemons 2.