Monday Roundup/Gamenight: Habs @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview - Official Game Day Preview]

Both the Caps and Canadiens come into tonight's game at Verizon Center riding winless streaks, the Caps at five games (0-3-2) and the Habs at three (0-3-0) as the latter holds on for dear life to the last Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Today's WaPo has an article on Chris Clark, perhaps the greatest on-ice beneficiary of Alex Ovechkin's mind-boggling talent (though Olie Kolzig may argue that point) and the first Cap since November 18, 2000 (Konowalchuk) not named Bondra, Lang or Jagr to tally a hat trick, as he accomplished the feat Saturday night (holy run-on sentences, Batman!). Rounding out the local coverage, Dave Fay has a typically-negative article in today's WTimes.

Thread of the Day: Poll: How Much Longer Can You Take "Rebuilding"?

Elsewhere 'round the rinks:

• Happy 58th Birthday to Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr. What a stud. Among Orr's myriad of eye-popping statistics, my favorite is probably the plus-124 rating he posted in 1970-71.
  
• On this day in 1996 the Pens traded Markus Naslund to Vancouver for Alek Stojanov. Stojanov had two goals and four assists in 45 games over two seasons for the Pens, while Naslund has racked up 293 goals and 334 assists for Vancouver over the past decade. Oops. But how could Pitt have known? I mean, other than by looking at the stats - Naslund had 19 goals and 52 points in the 66 games in 1995-96 prior to the trade while Stojanov had 1 point in 58 games over that same stretch. Ironically, Stojanov scored his first NHL goal in his first game after the trade.
• The Calgary Sun ran a short article yesterday on how well Brendan Witt is fitting in in Music City. Witt hopes to bring with him to Nashville the "veteran experience that has been passed on to [him] playing with guys like Calle Johansson, Sylvain Cote and Mark Tinordi." Somewhere Joe Reekie feels slighted. Thanks to KB for the pointer.
  
• Rob Blake isn't winning today's Daily Norris, but he did something Sunday night that is deserving of recognition nonetheless - he had a plus-5 rating in a 6-5 loss. Very impressive.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (Goal and assist in the third period, +2 in 3-2 win)
  
• Ross: Ian Laperriere, Pavel Datsyuk (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Pavel Kubina (Goal, assist, +2, 7 shots on goal)
  
• Vezina: Ray Emery (22-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Patrick Marleau, Ian Laperriere, Jason Williams (2 goals each)
  
• Calder: Ray Emery (22-save shutout win)
• Aiken: Alex Auld (Loss, 7 goals against on 28 shots in 43:42 before being yanked)