Finally, what promises to be the longest 82-game NHL regular season in a long time is about to begin. This year's Washington Capitals will only properly be judged by what they do after the regular-season has ended. It's all about what happens in the playoffs, which in some ways makes the regular season a bore.
That said, it's still the return of hockey, and it's still a big deal. Tonight, the Capitals begin their season in Atlanta against the Thrashers, hoping to take one step to redeem themselves after another playoff flameout. The game starts at 7:30 and can be seen on Comcast SportsNet following their new pre-game show at 7. We'll also have live updates in this StoryStream.
It appears that the Capitals will scratch D.J. King, Tyler Sloan and Boyd Gordon. Interestingly, according to Katie Carrera of the Washington Post, the famed Carlzner defensive pairing may not occur tonight. Bruce Boudreau said he plans on pairing John Carlson with Tom Poti and Karl Alzner with John Erskine.