Caps vs. Canadiens 12-20-2007 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Montreal Gazette: How Montreal Got Their Grove Back, A.O. to Montreal.

Final Thoughts:

And as if last night's game wasn't enough to make you pull your hair out, reading about A.O. going to Montreal certainly will. But get used to it folks, until George McPhee and A.O. can get the contract worked out, you're going to be reading these kinds of things all over the place. There's nothing that can be done about it until the contract is signed and there's no point having some kind of meltdown about it either. The one problem with that pipe dream is that Montreal would have to include Carey Price in a multi-player trade to get A.O. out of Washington and another is that there is plenty of cap space available for the Caps to keep A.O., Alexander Semin, and Olie Kolzig so the Caps will have no trouble matching an offer sheet. However it is not the intention of Ted Leonsis to let A.O. go for any reason so please just look at these kinds of articles and just laugh at them. And once a deal gets worked out, you'll still see the shots being taken at D.C. and how A.O. doesn't belong here/D.C. does not deserve him. Yes it is a borderline crime that a talent such a A.O. plays home games in front of thousands of empty seats, is almost an afterthought in the local media, and gets mistaken for a tour guide on the streets of D.C.; but considering the way the NHL is run, it is only sweet justice.

35 down, 47 to go.