Another quiet day on the D.C. hockey front, but there is a little tidbit from yesterday afternoon at K-Plex. Apparently sometime after practice, Evgeni Malkin's agent stormed into Caps offices in a drunken mid-day rage sporting a busted left eye and screaming, "Where's Ovechkin?!"

Alright, that didn't happen (or did it?). It's just that this four day layoff coupled with all the uncertainty and drama (real and otherwise) swirling around this team has got me a bit stir crazy, and not in the riotously funny Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor sense of the term. And as bad as this break in the action is (already their second four day stretch without a game of the season), the Caps have a longer break the first week in December, but will have five sets of three games in four nights before this month is out. It's certainly not an excuse, but it's gotta be tough to both find a rhythm and be well-rested with this early schedule.

Anyway, back at it Tuesday, and we'll see what - if any - news really comes out of K-Plex today.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Steve Eminger is officially done taking his benchings quietly. Can you blame him?... I gotta ask - has anyone ever seen Jiri Hudler and Jennifer Tilly in a room together?... The Japers' Rink Blogroll turned Sweet 16 yesterday. 1,600, that is.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Martin Erat (2G, including the game-winner, 2A, +4, 4 SOG)
  
• Ross: Martin Erat (4 points)
  
• Norris: Doug Murray (+4, 6 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Evgeni Nabokov (25-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Martin Erat, J.P. Dumont, Justin Williams, Cory Stillman, Scottie Upshall, Devin Setoguchi, Joe Thornton (2G each)
  
• Calder: Devin Setoguchi (2G, +2, 4 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Mikael Tellqvist (L, 5 goals allowed on 28 shots against)