TGIF Morning Thoughts

• Hopefully everyone took advantage of the week off and got away from the game a little bit and recharged their batteries so that when the Caps hit the ice tonight, they will resemble the hard working team we have come to know and love.

• It's funny how over the course of the past week defenseman Brian Pothier's status changed from being out with the flu, to being out with an upper body injury. But seriously, did anybody really buy that report from the beginning? We all saw Pothier hobble off the ice in Carolina last week doubled over. Sure didn't seem like a case of the flu just hit him all at once. Why the Capitals feel like they need to disguise injuries so much is beyond me. If this was the NFL they would be regularly fined by the league.
  

• Rookie Jeff Schultz was recalled from Hershey and will be in the lineup for tonight's game. Schultz had an impressive couple games last week, and providing that he continues to display that same level of play, I believe he should remain in the lineup for good.

• I was a bit shocked when Jakub Klepis was recalled to the team earlier in the week. Let's face it, he has done nothing to distinguish himself this year at the NHL level. Klepis should stay in Hershey where he could play twenty minutes a night and get his game back in shape. If I were the GM, Eric Fehr would have been my call up. If you've had a chance to see a Hershey game as of late, he looks like a man playing among boys. He is playing with a lot of confidence right now and deserves a shot to earn a regular spot in the Capitals lineup.

• Keith Seabrook, Washington's second round pick in the 2006 entry draft, was named WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) rookie of the week. Seabrook, a freshman for the Universith of Denver, had 3 points, 7 hits, and 3 blocked shots in back-to-back games against #1 Minnesota last weekend. It looks as though another Capitals' prospect is developing quite nicely.

Down on the Farm:

The South Carolina Stingrays defeated the Texas Wildcatters 6-2 last night. Davis Parley returned to the team, following a one game stint with the Hershey Bears, and stopped 47 of 49 shots to record his league leading 20th win of the season. From Stingrayshockey.com:

“Parley was tremendous,” South Carolina coach Jason Fitzsimmons said. “Davis is a true professional. Goaltending was the difference and he has been a pleasure to watch. We spread around the scoring and it was a great way to begin a six-game road trip.”

Capitals' prospect and local boy Stephen Werner had a goal and an assist to improve the Stingrays record to 22-15-3, 47 points putting them only five points behind the division leading Gwinnett Gladiators. He currently has 5 goals and 3 assists in 8 games this season in South Carolina. After battling injuries earlier this season, look for Werner to return to Hershey once he gets a little more seasoning in him.

For those of you on the Capitals message boards who continue to post about Matt Yeats and want to know where he is now, look no further than the ECHL's Texas Wildcatters. He has played in 29 games so far this year, posting a 15-10-2-1 record.

The team will be in Texas again tonight for a rematch at 8:35 pm. You can catch all the action live via b2networks by visiting Stingrayshockey.com.

The Hershey Bears return to action tonight with a key game against the East Division leading Norfolk Admirals. It will be the first of a home-and-home series between the two teams that will go a long way in deciding who will take control of the division. The Bears are currently only one point behind the Admirals, who received a boost on their roster with the reassignment of Rene Bourque, the 2004-05 AHL rookie of the year, from the Chicago Blackhawks. In 24 games with the Blackhawks, the talented left-winger recorded 4 goals and 4 assists.

As announced by coach Bruce Boudreau, Daren Machesney will get the start in goal tonight. You can catch all the live action via b2networks by visiting the Hershey Bears official homepage. The game time tonight is 7:00 pm.