quorum call:

he has obviously been an enormously strong supporter of immigration reform over the course of many years and i think has been a valuable spokesperson for reform efforts in ensuring that is done a way that is comprehensive and and i would go white house and maybe congress would want him to be involved in that yes. >> but we should expect specific santa monica speech on this? >> i don't want to get too far ahead of tonight's speech. >> since you don't want to get ahead of tonight's speech.

>> is only to say. >> let's talk about tonight's speech. >> since we are talking about don't ask don't tell will be part about the speech. >> if i stand here too much water we can cancel tomorrow's speech so let's wait, let's wait for tomorrow speech. i don't think anything the president includes tomorrow i would characterize in any way as a throwaway line. i think it's something it merits -- if something it merits the attention of the president's in front of an address to millions of americans, it is important to the president as it has been there in.

mr. burris: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois is recognized. mr. burris: mr. president, may i ask that the quorum call be be suspended? the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. burris: thank you. mr. president. may i speak as if in morning business? the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. burris: thank you, mr. president. a little over a year ago this country stood on the brink of economic disaster. banks and financial institutions wavered on the verge of

collapse. the foundation of our economy was shaken to its core. but that's when this congress took bold action. in the face of public discontent, many of my colleagues summoned the courage to cast a difficult vote, a vote that set aside hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up our failing financial institutions. a vote that was not popular with the american people, but i feel history will judge as the right thing to do. mr. president, these are the moments that define us as

individuals and as public servants, and as a nation. the american people called upon their representatives to take and make tough choices. to exercise their best judgment and rise to every occasion that may impact the quality of life of the people of this country. i applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who lived up to these expectations and made the decision to do what was right, not what was popular. as a result of their courage and their ability to reach for something larger than the small politics of the moment, our economic foundation has been stabilized. that vote brought us back from the brink of disaster and

restored confidence in the financial institutions that threatened to undermine our entire system. it did what was necessary to prevent a complete economic meltdown. but make no mistake, mr. president, this emergency legislation did not solve every problem. it was not a cure-all. and as many hard-working americans will tell you, we're not out of the woods yet. there's still miles to go. our country remains on the road to recovery. and if we want to continue down this road, this congress needs to take the next step. so at this point we must turn our attention to the ordinary americans who are still suffering. mr. president, it's time to help

main street. it's time to take bold action to create jobs, help small businesses, and stabilize community banks. it's time to shift our focus to the innovators, entrepreneurs and local institutions that drive our economy on a daily basis. in some places, things have already started to turn around, and we need to continue that progress. but especially among poor and minority communities, these groups have fallen further and further behind. as a former banker, i understand the vital roles these institutions play in local communities and our economy as a whole. and i understand the challenges they face in tough times like these. that's why, mr. president, we

need to embrace a new economic program which will encourage banks to start lending. make capital available for small businesses and mitigate the foreclosures. let stop shutting down people's homes and putting them out in the streets, mr. president. if we work together to tackle these priorities, we can help regular americans get back on their feet without spending another dime on wall street. mr. president, let us come together right now to send a strong message to main street: help is on the way. the cavalry is coming to help them. colleagues, we can do this right now. we can do it without passing a new round of emergency appropriations. we can do it without increasing the deficit or the national debt

and without writing another 100-page bill. when the original economic stimulus was passed more than a year ago, this chamber set aside roughly $700 billion to aid in the recovery effort. these efforts have been effective, and as we speak, there's still $320 billion that has not been spent. so rather than begin the process again, as some have suggested, let us simply change the focus of the existing program. let us draw from the money we've already set aside to help small businesses, local banks, and ordinary folks. at the moment, we don't have the resources or the time to start over with a new round of still us will legislation. -- stimulus legislation. so let us seize this opportunity to direct funds we have already designated for this purpose.

every member of this body has seen the devastating effect of the economic crisis in their home states. everyone in this chamber knows we need to act with urgency. we can't wait another moment, mr. president. thankfully, if we decide to embrace these priorities, there's no reason to wait. we can restore hope and optimism to main street, we can help the minority communities, small businesses, and local banks that are still in grave need of our assistance. we can do this, mr. president, and i believe we must do it. the resources, the funds, are there, the commitment should be there. let us use those resources now to put into main street and help

ordinary folk. the constituents come p to me all the time -- constituents come up to me all the time wondering where's my piece of the stimulus package? well, it can be on main street. it can be in our local banks. so let's do it. i call on my colleagues to use those dollars that are now in the stimulus package to start helping the local communities. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor, and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: obe comes to washin

before the lakers invade chinatown, the black mum but a offers his thoughts on the -- mumpresenteda offers his thoughts on the state of the union one-on-one. >> i never want to see a talent like that be in this type of situation. the caps head to long island riding a six-game winning streak. it's been more skill than luck that has them atop the eastern conference standings. >> that's the way you win games. dancing days are here again at maryland. account terps brave the hurricanes and continue their strong a.c.c. start? we're live in college park. >> live from the comcast

sportsnet studio, this is "geico sportsnite". terps-cavaliers looking down on the blue devils and tar heels. how about them apples? greetings, good evening. my name is russ thaler. this is "geico sportsnite". we'll get to the college stuff in a little bit. first, let's talk about the professionals because the champs are here. lakers-wizards tonight in chinatown. let's head out to the verizon center where chris miller and ron thompson join us live with everything you want to know. good evening, gentlemen. >> good evening, russ. the world champions as you said are in the building. there are a lot of lakers fans in this house. i guess that's what happens when the laker show is here. a day after javaris crittenton pleaded guilty to a mismeanor for bringing in a firearm, eric fisher was in attendance with the lakers. i had a chance to talk to him and asked him about the situation with gilbert and

javaris, and scd asks as gilbert's suspension indefinite, is that a concern leading up to gilbert's march 26th date? >> we expect that a decision will come much sooner than that, and the indefinite part will disappear and there will be more of an underring of exactly what the nab is thinking, what theed they'd like to do, and then from there our jobs will kind of start in terms of making sure that things are done in a fair and -- and in a way that not only i guess tries to bring some resolution to this situation, but also making sure that we understand going forward how we want to avoid this at all costs. i asked derek fisher if he had spoken to gilbert arenas. he said, no. he wants to wait for the legal process to play out. ron, on the basketball court, you had a fantastic ex clue i have one-on-one conversation with kobe bryant yesterday. i found it very amazing after

all these years, he still has that thirst and desire to play the game emade it crystal clear he has that desire. he made an adjustment of what he felt they had to do to prepare and his assessment of how he felt about all the issues and everything that they've been goog going through this year. >> what worries you all about the wizards? >> for us, it's always turnovers. they have some feeds over there and guys with quick hands and you have to watch the ball. you have to really plo tekt yourself and get rebounds and keep them off the offensive glass and try to keep as quiet as possible. he's an emotional spark plug. once he gets going, a lot of things can generate from that. we have our work cut out. >> you mentioned caron, you guys were close in l.a. he played when you guys were there. >> very close. >> he's been struggling. the team has been struggling the last few years. do you feel bad for him or you worry about that in the sum center. >> no, i feel bad for him. i mean, we're very, very close.

i was very upset when he was traded because i hadn't heard about the trade until after he was traded. i was very, very upset about that. i know what kind of talent he has. i know his work ethic because we used to be in the gym together. i would get there in the morning, he's there. we're work out, lifting weights, shooting together playing one-on-one games together. i never want to see a talent like that be in this type of situation. i like to see him flourish. >> what advice would you give someone like a gilbert arenas and a javaris crittenton who played in l.a. as well going through this tumultuous period with the guns and everything? >> well, it's always tough when you go through a storm. you just really have to put your head down and make decision on what's important to you and not even worry about basketball at this point. just focus on dealing with the task at hand and go from there.

>> all right. ron, let's talk a little about this game tonight. brendan haywood has invoked a wizards man law from this moment forward meaning the way the wizards are shooting the basketball in the first quarter and the -- of it, 20 jump shots in the first quarter against the clippers. they missed 15 of them. >> that's far too many. brendan hit nail on the head. anytime you're struggling for at the perimeter, you attack the basket, try to put your defense in a good situation where they're on their heels. you put yourself in a situation where you can try to get to the free-throw line. the wizards especially as of late have been struggling mightily to make shots. the counter to that is try to get to the basket and get lay- ups. >> you might notice flip saunders has been calling a lot of time-outs early in the game. according to ali us we didn't know he called a lot of these in the month of january. >> he's called 14 time-outs in the first 4:00 the gave -- of the game. nine have come in the month of

january. what's that saying is you're not listening to the game plan. they're take too many jump shots. he's trying to prevent the game from getting out of hand. >> break it down. keys to victory. account wizards get it done and now is. >> for it to happen, they'll have to get out to a good start because the lakers are too talented and too explosive. they have to find a way to contain kobe. you want to try to make him work as hard as you possibly can. lastly, stay out of foul trouble. the lakers are too deep. they have three giles. vernon gholston, rinehart and a guy like lamar odom capable of scoring 20 points. >> late word, antawn jamison and randy foye both gametime decisions suffering from injuries. we'll have to see if they'll be available tonight against the world champions. >> chris miller, ron thompson. see you on the post-game show coming up at the top of the hour. it's the lakers-wizards in hi- definition right here on comcast sportsnet. after the game, they'll break it all down on wizards post-

game live. and later on this very show, much more from ron thompson's exclusive conversation with kobe bryant. a side of kobe we rarely get to see. >> which riding kobe now? >> still enjoying it every day. >> is it still fun? >> i love it. >> we'll look back at some of kobe bryant's finest moments in the nba. a top five countdown you do not want to miss later on "geico sportsnite". hockey now. apparently, regulation just can't contain the capitals and islanders. last four times they've met on the island, they've gone to overtime. 7-9 last games they've played overall needed 60 plus. tonight, they're back at nawms look to go extend their wing streak to a -- to a season high 17. >> they work hard. they fore-check hard. they backcheck hard. when you're a team that maybe

everyone says isn't as talented as everybody else, you really have to be up and prepared to play the games. for whatever reason, they matchup well. i'm sure they get fired up for this game. they see us as a real good measuring stick to a team that's been on top of the standings last couple of years. they're excited to play these games. that's the feeling we have to have coming n there's a chance we play these guys and they're tough. they're hanging around there. you want to make a statement. >> capitals take on the islanders next on comcast sportsnet plus. if you're not sure where to find your comcast sportsnet plus channel in your area go to csnwashington.com. enter the key word "plus, and it will tell you. speaking of the caps, we'll head to the island. talk to joe b. and locker about the ridiculous run this team is on right now. plus, a live report is coming your way as the terps take the court at comcast. chick hernandez is there out of the line of the terps line coming on to the court. we'll hear from chick. if you've been missing jim zorn

lately, you might get to see him back in these parts sooner than you might have thought. that's next. this is "geico sportsnite". people aall me, the imt guhe i t it't shere it switd

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radio we will -- >> welcome back to "geico sportsnite". ravens quarterback hugh jackson is moving west to become the raiders offensive coordinator. jackson is expected to become the primary play caller. duties held by tom cable this past season. that means there's an opening on the ravens staff. according to the coach, jim zorn is interesting in -- is interested in becoming ravens quarterback coach. as of this evening, ravens have not called zorn.

he would have competitioned with another guy in burgundy and gold, al saunders, assistant head coach under joe gibbs. >> both sides presented by cross metcalf. maryland off to a blazing start with a win over miami. terps can take sole possession of first place in the a.c.c. while gary williams team wraps up a three-game home stand, hurricanes dropped three in a row enter plaifg play tonight. off to comcast, the balance they seem to have and the depth i wasn't expect that go. >> and it's fortunate you're not a head coach this basketball team. gary williams, i'm not sure he expected it either. he knows he needs that in the a.c.c. if you're going to get anywhere in league. lost to virginia, virginia tech and boston college.

terps come off a 24-point win over nc state. did you know the maryland terrapins are ninth in the country in scoring margins outscoring opponents by 16 1/2 points. of course, last time vazquez was their leader. didn't quite get it done. came back. here is the good news. he may not have lit it up, but his teammates came to the rescue. that's what you need in the a.c.c. cliff tucker came off the bench to score 11 points in 17 minutes is the maryland bench scored 22 and right now very good signs for the terps. >> one thing that opens things up for everybody is when you have other people that can score. burns doing a good job with that. cliff tucker and bouy coming off the bench doing a good job with that and hayes is a threat

they water about going into every game. if other people step up and score, can't shutdown. you may go back to playing. i think greg stepped up in the a.c.c. game. >> some numbers to chew on. terps, ninth in scoring margin. seventh in field goal defense in the country. teams are averaging just 37 3ers -- 37% from the floor. don't feel gad for vazquez by the way. he's 12 points away from become the sixth all-time leading scorer in maryland terrapin history. 10:00 tonight, you'll hear from gary williams. 11:00, a full locker room reaction. for now, i'm chick hernandez live from the comcast center. >> i'm going to give that 20 minutes before i jump in the pool. chick, we look for your report after the game "geico sp , cop shownterwi kobeyant n mpsoetskto

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just down road from queens and on comcast sportsnet plus tonight. washington won 9-10 last. joe beninati and craig laughlin here to tell us if they can keep it up. >> it's always fun when you

win, russ. right now, capitals are in a giddy mood. they're doing everything necessary to be a win ear yeah, they've won six straight and they're trying to get to that record that gabby had of seven straight wins. he's had the last couple of seasons. big wins over the flyers, kings and pitt. they've had a balance in their attack and both special teams separating at a super high level. >> assistant coach dean evason told us what's going right with this success. >> what we like as a staff is how businesslike we've been. we've been able to manage the game prot appropriately. if we've got a lead, we're not trying to do too much. we're getting pucks n we're getting pucks out. we're doing the right things at this time to win hockey games and obviously we're gearing up and trying to set ourselves up for the playoffs. >> craig, expand on the penalty killing y has it been so good lately? >> starts between the pipes, joe. they're getting great

goaltending. they're utilizing eight or nine turnovers. they've got to continue that tonight against the isles. >> the islanders have been a pain in the neck i sure this one one won't be easy either. >> kobe bryant has been so good for so long. it's easy to forget he began his nba career as a backup to eddie jones and nick van exel. he's won four nba titles, been mvp and olympic gold draped around his neck. yet, his passion for the game has yet to wane. our ron thompson sits down with the lakers lead her in a rare, exclusive interview to find out what it is that makes kobe kobe. >> mama, there goes that man. >> he becomes the youngest player to reach the

nd say wow or when you were approaching that goal, did you say i'm close? >> you know, i've never thought about milestones. never. still don't. i think when i retire years from now, i'll look back. i still won't think about it in that context. it's never been something that i've -- it's never been a goal of mine. the goal of mine has always been to win championships. that's at the construction of everything that i do. >> so, you've never tried twoib win mvp? >> the times i set out to win goals as an mvp, it becomes too much going on because i have to manage my teammates. i have to make sure they're accomplishing what they need to accomplish to help us be a better team. i'm trying to win mvp over here. trying to win championship over here. it's too much going on.

i think the year i won it, it was the year i said, you know what? i want to do one thing and one thing only and that's make every one of these guys try to reach their potential and just focus on that. >> you've been with the lakersforeverment four championships with the lakers. phil jackson has been there every step of the way. are you guys -- have you been there so long that before says something, you already know what he's -- >> all the time. >> really? >> all the time i'm sure it will happen in a game. eel there's times he'll say something to a player after i've already said it coming off the court or i'll call a sequence of options and he'll whistle and call the same sequence. my team will kind of look at me and shake their head. >> you guys have been there -- >> we've been there for so long, i've obviously grown up under the system and know certain things he wants to see throughout the course of the

game. >> does his message ever get old to you or are you still learning or is phil jackson still stimulating to you as a player? what's different about phil, other teams try to motivate or inspire. he does none of that his message is the same. he coaches bfnlt he won't be mad at you for acting inappropriately in the locker room or something like that or acting out on the court. that's something i'll handle. >> leaves that up to you guys? >> we police each other and our responsibility to one another. >> hand in the face. puts it in. >> titles, mvp of the league, yump youngest player

he passion to do t it's still there. i still feel like i'm a rookie. >> get out of here. >> yeah, i just love it. >> can you see your body still feel likes it's a rookie? >> no, but you know my heart does. the sense of enjoyment is still same. >> won't you know dave johnson breaks down the wizards the morning after every game. you can read it only on csnwashington.com. your key word "wizards. -- word "wizards." >> and kobe had plenty of moments that have brought fans to their feet n honor of 24's early appearance in the nation's capital, we'll countdowndown the very best coming back on giek joe

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here is a look at tonight's lineup presented by the ups storm. lakers and wizards are next followed by post-game live and "geico sportsnite" at 10:00 and on comcast plus, we have caps hockey followed by capitals post-game live and "geico sportsnite". since tonight is the only time we'll get to see kobe bryant play in the district this season, we're bracing ourselves for just about everything that may happen. michael jenkins documents our top choice tore kobe's top five moments. >> kobe, kobe, kobe bryant. >> over the past 14 seasons kobe bryant has thrilled nba

audiences with great performance. here is look at the top five moments from the black mumpresenteda. most of the players go an entire career without hitting a buzzer beater. in 2009, he went out with a bang. make that two. >> bryant, has to put it up at the. [buzzer] buzzer. >> banks it in! he banks in the three! >> two, score. bryant. >> unbelievable. >> it's over. >> it's unbelievable. >> it's amazing. >> we all know kobe is one of the most prolific scorers of all time. his championship legacy was born with a past heard round the world. >> the lakers have two briecht bryant! >> number three. >> in 2006, kobe was man on the

mission. in the first round of the western conference playoffs, helaunched his tag team on the -- target on the suns with two unbelievable players. >> from lamar odom off to kobe bryant! count it for two and a foul. >> final seconds. bryant for the win. save! >> number, two. >> dwight howard is a shot blocking machine and the reigning defensive player of the year. that didn't stop kobe bryant in 2006 from putting superman on a poster so much so it was a religious experience. >> i baptized him. i baptized him. >> they would meet again in the 2009 finals or again -- where again kobe would prove to be superman's kryptonite. >> number one. >> and the only thing that needs to be said about the top kobe bryant moment is 81 points.

>> and that's going to do it for us on "geico sportsnite". for the latest around our area and sports world, log on to csnwashington.com. now, it's gametime on comcast sportsnet plus, the capitals on the road to take on the islanders right here on comcast sportsnet the wizards playing host to the lakers. papa john's opening face-off and opening tip-off coming up next. caps in the house and kopp kobe in dc. he be joy the games, folks. we've got post-game shows coming at you on comcast sportsnet --.net comcast sportsnet for the basketball and comcast sportsnet plus for the hockey. it's going to be a great night. have fun with it all and we'll see you at 10:00.

this calms yul is a place where the islanders boys in blue who march proudly next. >> joe: alex surrounded himself with quiet time saturday day dreaming and hunting down the opposition. hard knocks a good sign for the caps as. mr. wrister helped drimp drifer victory to dc's icemen who at this moment look downright scary. tonight, these new yorkers have made the island a much more cheery place to play. so, you better be wide awake on comcast sportsnet. >> joe: look for two points on a tuesday night is comcast sportsnet presents the nhl. this evening, the capitals come

charging on to the island to tangle with an islander team that makes them work overtime. it's so night to see -- so nice to see you again. along with craig laughlin, i'm joe beninati. just about every way possible, this capitals team is add to go its win total at an accelerated rate. right now, it's six straight and counting. >> craig: yeah, real wins this past couple of week for this cams team. big wins over detroit, philadelphia and pittsburgh. they've outscored teams at over two goals a game on average in each game. so, they've been very solid offensively. ovie and the boys following through on all cylinders. 10 players with multi-point games. they've spread it out. the offense, they've got a lot of balance right now in their attack. the goalie is solid. nice save percentage of .927 who has ever been between the pipes and their power play and pk performing at a very high level and hence the six-game winning streak. >> joe: as we move deeper into the regular season and towards

the playoffs, special teams become more prominent to a team's success. if you add up washington's power play percentage and pk percentage, then they're more than ok. >> craig: when do you, that you get a special teams index. anything over 100 combined is considered very solid. the caps all-time high set in '83, '84. 106.9. this season, they're at 106.1. last season, just under 106. when they get a ppc and don't allow one, they usually win. >> joe: he gives us details on why they're going so well. >> the power play obviously we've talked about before tremendously skilled hockey players f they play within our structure, we're a better hockey team. we're a better power play unit. on the pent kill, we really try to get the guys to buy in, to take ownership of our penalty kill unit. we've talked a lot about where

we are in the league, where our numbers are. we're at 80.1% now. 20th in the league. we want to continue rising and hopefully the guys therein to take ownership of that department. >> joe: the capitals have a bunch of players who are headline grabbers with big star capabilities. they also have a good number of complimentary men. >> craig: let's start with the 18th overall pick in 2003. eric fehr. always highly cowt touted as a goal scorer. this season in tight, he's no -- he knows what to do with the bell. he's off to a great season. tomas fleischmann, he's moved to ?erp and flourished. his ability to use his speed and get open ice has really helped his offense. then, of course, matt bradley, joe. he's sticking up for his teammates every single game that. one for ovechkin. he's also sticking some rubber into the net. matt bradley and these three have really been unsung heroes

for this capitals club. >> joe: these three forwards are having career best campaigns or at least they're on the religion is of them. >> craig: for eric fehr, 14 goals, 26 points. he only had 15 the previous 100 plus games. for tomas fleischmann, 17 goals and 34 points, two goals and three points off his career highs set last year. he'll surpass them. matt bradley, eight goals and 17 points, joe b., career high percentage rookie year with the san jose sharks. >> joe: overall, caps have had a great deal of success under bruce boudreau. there are several squads over which he has a commanding record. >> craig: yeah t-starts with this highland islander team. -- with this islander team. rangers, senators and pens, gabby put up points in 22-25 games. >> joe: the islanders have three good goalies. these two get jerseys tonight with roloson the starter. >> craig: for rick dipietro,

nine games played the last two seasons. he returned january 8 and played two games so far. dwayne roloson gets the nod. this 40-year-old having a career year, joe. impressive .912 looking for his 40th win tonight -- win tonight. >> joe: you can count on overtime just about every time these teams meet. slapped them down in the nation's capital. caps-isles, one more time on geo hingat? ow t som een g toyou.

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>> joe: comcast sportsnet coverage of capitals hockey being brought to you by geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. call 1-8 hundred-947-ought yoa. by jaguar of bethose can a did a. for the best in all things jaguar, visit bethesdaauto.com. and by papa john's. order your pizza on-line at papa johns.com. eight games going on this tuesday night around the nhl. this one matters the most to us. from inside nawms nawms, it's the washington capitals--- washington capitals-new york islanders. this one go upping for number eight on the campaign. backed up by jose theodore. as they meet the islanders in blue, this face-off presented by papa john's. the on-ice officials once get rolling, the officials and the

linesmen coming east along with brian mock as we are under way. karl alzner teamed one shaone morrisonn and back on bruce boudreau's blue line. he gives brooks laich the start with tomas fleischmann and alexander semin. semin fresh from a four-point fehr for mance in that win over phoenix on the weekend. >> craig: the key for these two teams is who is going to set the team. the islanders like to play an up beat game. they did not in their last game which is a loss to the devils. >> joe: a post up, fires. theodore with a smart-looking stop 35 seconds into the contest. >> craig: he's one of their big gunners. he's a gunner who will really rip it. turn aover by the caps in their own zone. okposo he can just fly. he's op a great run. in the month of january, only anderson has a better win percentage there. you see why. solid positionally for theodore in the caps goaltending.

>> joe: deflection from moulson and theodore makes that stop with a goalie stick. islanders have the two best chances in the game's first minutes. andy sutton back in business for head coach scott gordon after a two-game nhl levy suspension. ovechkin from his knees! fires. [ whistle ] >> joe: and roloson will squeeze! no score in this one. we detail the starting goalies presented by manhattan jaguar bethesda. >> craig: the caps theo gets the nod looking for his 16th win. his goals against under three. his save percentage about .90. dwayne roloson gets the nod for the islanders looking for his 20th win. impressive numbers for this 40- year-old netminder. >> joe: and dwayne roloson came springt out of the tunt tunnel for -- sprinting out of the tunnel for this one tonight very much looking forward to the challenge of facing the nhl's highest scoring, high

octane team. shaone morrisonn wins the drawback for erskine a former lirpd. he dekes back. fly, deflection, score! shaone morrisonn camped out in front! >> craig: this all starts from the nice win of a draw and erskine looking like mike green on the blue line. what a great fake to step out to the outside and just blast it for a deflection in front. well executed by this caps team early on. here it is. morrisonn wins the draw clean. watch this fake. that's beauty. it also looks like okposo steps and stepped wrongly as the puck gets deflected nicely by morrisonn who start this had whole play. he looked like he toe picked on the way to the point. it was a fake by erskine that made that play develop. >> joe: sigh of relief in shaone morrisonn. first goal in the nont of -- in the month of january for him 16789. 067895 into the contest. dc grans the lead.

jon sim putting pressure on erskine. strolls in two-on-one. eric fehr, glove save roloson as he snapped that catching glove there. >> craig: they need that had save right there from rolly answered delivered. excellent catching dplo. he's always had a strong glove. that was a real nice stop. >> joe: erskine finds chimera below the goal line. bruno gervais put pressure on him. did not clear for new york. roloson says i've seen enough. he'll squeeze for a defensive zone draw. >> craig: three scoring chance early on in the first minute for the islanders, but now the caps have sort of taken over territorially. you if you look at shaone morrisonn in a bit of a drought. see what happens when you drive the net. the islander coach got gordon looking on here. his team has been humming along, joe. they've won 6-7 last here atnassau veterans memorial coliseum. >> joe: coaches talking about executing better and the need to be more efficient as the

wrister spoiled off the rink. this new york team winning 6-7 last at home. shaone brendan morrison well positioned for this. >> craig: there's ovechkin on the bench. he's excited when his teammates score and he scores. great sign of a great leader to come. brendan morrison pick up nieivetion nice numbers. >> joe: bruce boudreau was telling everybody earlier in the day and the islanders win this draw, that ovechkin doesn't need to be recognized to be this team's leader. he's been that since about day one by example. this ricochettes off bergenheim into the corner. tied up with boyd gordon and now david steckel trying to jam testimony loose soccer style>> craig: it's been a thorn in the side of the capitals in the last couple of games. he's had four points in the last two meetings between these two clubs.

>> joe: streit zigzags off the corner boards. lost possession. bradley in a foot race down the wing jumps to the inside and andrew macdonald takes care of him. streit on through for doug weight. marked well by shaone morrisonn. 1-0 for washington in the nhl on comcast sportsnet. brendan morrison early 65 seconds in from john erskine. ovechkin, quick relay board to board for knuble who overskates and streit, the icetime leader for the islanders will play clear. john taveras in a foot race there. shaone morrisonn beat him to the bikt. >> craig: taveras has a nice rookie season. he has 17 goals already. he's really playing well. not getting an overload of icetime. when he's been on the ice for about 15 minutes per game, he's really delivered offensively for gordon's club. >> joe: a little cold at the moment in his first month of

2010. still pacing all nhl freshmen when it comes to goals. just one in january. ovechkin cross for backstrom. he fans on it. that was setup splendidly. >> craig: there you see the team passes side to suicide. so important. the caps offensive structure and game plan. >> joe: erskine, blocked. blocked by bailey who was a gametime decision. >> craig: did not take practice this morning. >> joe: he was tied up by hillen and taveras will skate it fear. pass the 4:00 mark. both teams changing up on the go. schultz straight ahead to a hard-charging fleischmann. tomas fleischmann goes board to board. that's for schultz. gervais peeks at him. laich quick delivery fleischmann inside for alexander semin. behind the back for laich. he backhands it wide. trent hunter the other way for new york and a hustling alexander semin wins it for washington. zooming through center, it's

fleischmann. no farther than hunter. moulson jams it ahead. green will reload. shots on goal unofficially early gg going three apiece as we near the 5:00 mark. brendan morrison is take washington to the lead. alexander semin off the curl and drag. fires and scores! 2-0, dc. >> craig: i was just going to say the caps are outskating this islander team early on. they're watching the caps rather than responding. alexander semin, what a goal once again. when he gets hot, there's not many better scorers in the national hockey league. he registers number 22 on the season it starts with a strip. starts with the attack. then, there's high heat. roloson's glove doesn't get there in time. that's just a scorching shot to the top shelf and just like that, semin and his boys have a 2-0 lead. >> joe: two markers, 3:44

apart. alexander semin a all smiles at the bench. washington starting swiftly on the long island getting set to play the anaheim ducks tomorrow night -- tomorrow night in dc. there's a great penalty call going to be whistled. call here is a hook as we detail our ford keys to the game. >> craig: for alex, drives are going to be important. they have to push back on defense. for the islander, they have to have a hit parade going up. they've had 25 plus. they need to be agress saifnd physical. for gordon's team, they have to be super special. their power play and pk in the lower echelon of the nhl and they've got to be better and trite to set the pace. that hasn't happened here in the first period t happened for the first minute. since then, it's been all caps. they've just outskated and outpassed this islander team. >> joe: locker, it's brendan morrison who gets the gate for hook. the five-on-four-man advantage. doug weight dark down the

wings. tom poti takes care of him. taveras met by morrison. okposo tries to jam it loose. one hand to the front. swatted awhich by theodore. streit to the point position let's it go to the chest of theodore. big rebound and the caps play clear. david steckel does the work. >> craig: he does the work with two islanders on him. that just shows you the strength and reach of number 39 for the caps. that was just outmuscling two islanders to kill off some important seconds. >> joe: you just witnessed the special teams numbers as hunter fizzles one off the glass. weight keeps it alive in the offensive zone. another minute worth of power play time for new york. schremp closing, fires and scores. a dart for rob schremp! [buzzer] >> craig: well, schremp had all of a three-inch, by two-inch opening to put that puck. we were watching him fly around

this morning. there's no one on the islanders even close when it comes to him. in football, he would be a hands guy. he's just incredible. that's an incredible short- sighted shot. they needed a goal. they got it from schremp a- snapper over the catching glove under the bar. he got his team to within one of this caps club. >> joe: schremp has his sixth on the season. four of those, locker, are on the power play as he snatchs that one at 6:03. to buckle up, it will be high- scoring tonight apparently on comcast sportsnet. >> craig: just the 14th power play goal this islanders team has scored here on home ice. [ whistle ] >> craig: they've struggled. they're 29th in the nhl. they paid dirt there, joe. what a shot that was from that guy. >> joe: offside, washington. back to nassau veterans memorial coliseum in a nt memorial coliseum in a nt askin w2ule -a ?

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f maksens eviohhelgros inc f hhh babahat e go rs of experience clicl, ome ock: get it right. erty joy josh smith we start this one tonight at a break neck pace. the washington capitals out in front of the new york islanders 2-1. toyota ones to watch are these. >> craig: for the caps tricky nicklas backstrom who has been rolling scoring goals. 13 goals his last 19 games. nothing better than an ice cold moulson. he hasn't scored in the last three. he does lead this team in 19 -- with 19 goals. matt moulson a-real, nice find for this islanders team this season. >> joe: if you want to start a debate, just open it up with a beer topic. there you go right away.

mike green dark to it beat trent hunter and scoops it to ?erp. washington tallies -- to center. washington tals tallies coming before it's 5:00 old -- tallies coming before it's 5:00 old. schremp answered. in hot pursuit up in arms with green. mike green to mike knuble picking it off for alex ovechkin. he'll wind his way through center. on a lead on target there for backstrom. it dribbles right to the doorstep and roloson clamps down. >> craig: nice job by roloson. he knew he had pressure against ovechkin and nicklas backstrom. as ovie ever been flying since he came back from a couple of games suspension racking the the points moving in closer to the league leaders a couple points behind, marleau and six behind sedin. doing a great job out wft vancouver canucks. ovie looking to win another scoring title.

he would win both the way he's playing. >> joe: every time you look around vancouver, they're linked the sedin twins night after night. this one booted back to center. jose theodore playing it for john erskine teaming up again with tom poti this evening. alexander semin, his tally unassisted. schremp from weight and hunter on the power play. roloson spins this one into the corner. bailey on the reverse. fleischmann anticipated that. back to point position, it will squirt to center. almost 8:00 gone by opening period. nhl on comcast sportsnet. busy week for us and for the guys in the white sweaters. tomorrow, they tangle with anaheim in dc. fleischmann with a wristerjabbed away by roloson. tomas fleischmann with streit bearing down on him. brooks laich shortness up on the hockey stick lost the handle. taveras countering with streit. taveras not going far.

double-teamed by shaone morrisonn and karl alzner. even at full strength. five-on-five, new york leading in shots 7-5. the pass back for gervais that handcuffed him. it will force the aisles in their -- isles into their own end. >> craig: not sure if streit is playing forward or defense. he's been all over the place against the caps in the first 20. >> joe: looks a little like neil hartman who we'll see tomorrow. >> craig: yeah, jusskating. that's the big thing about guys like streit, neil hartman. they can attack and get back in the same type of speed and same type of shift similar to mike green of this caps team. >> joe: so fluid as gervais works through the back pedal. help comes from freddy meyer. down the dasher board. comes the length of the ice. [ whistle ] >> joe: there's whiffle for icing. the islanders fan disagree with the calls of the linesmen. we have this washington capitals fact for you complements of the american

service center. >> craig: talk about tight games between the caps- islanders, 7-9 last meetings between these clubs have gone to overtime including the last four here on the road. >> joe: boys are in discussions along the bench. capitals make their way to uniondale new york for this one. fourth and final meeting between these two and all three previous encounters have gone to overtime or beyond. nicklas backstrom protect the puckett -- the puck so well. mike green's wrister intentionally wide looking for that carom. it skipped all the way to gervais. he plays it off the glass. backstrom from glove to stick. ovechkin fires! that's blocked. meyer was in the shooting channel. knuble around a pick from backstrom. schultz. long blast. no worries for roloson. ovechkin earns the rebound. knuble bracing himself for a

hit from gervais. mike knuble among the caps goal- scoring leaders this month. schultz offers for ovechkin. right to the midsection of roloson. knuble on top for ovechkin with room on a backdoor feed for green who went soaring through the crease. [ whistle ] >> joe: mike green down in a heap after he collides with roloson. >> craig: he may be hit for a minor penalty here. we'll see what the referees call. he's called either an islander or mike green for goalie interference. we'll see how this shakes out, joe. here is the play. knuble to the point. left side of the screen, look at ovie. timing play. looking for mike green driving to the net. he knocks ink it's going to the puck and he ran over the goaltender. nice try by alex find that go play on a timing play just missing mike green. >> joe: islanders are already 1- 1 with a man advantage. green will have a seat. boxed into the 9:40 mark of period one.

these power play stats packaged by the u. p. s. store. a power play goal for new york came at 6:03. taveras lost hand. streit and macdonald back at the blue line. hunter to the front! taveras there look for the tip. streit again. forced away by boyd gordon. okposo chasing it. so too tom poti and the former islander defender wins the battle and david steckel will clear. bruce boudreau said they want to make four changes during most penalty kill situations. >> craig: that keeps everybody fresh. he likes to utilize eight or nine different forwards. the only guy he hasn't been using lately, knuble and ovechkin in the penalty killing role. >> joe: streit slings it for weight. mark streit at the top of the umbrella. set it. taveras wrister wide of the goal. streit again. wide to the cage. tomas fleischmann gets there

first. with help from brendan morrison, caps clear. washington with tallies and islanders with an answer from schremp and it's 2-1. doug weight to the zone. to the front. wrong siding nielsen there. second wave on the power play for scott gordon. schremp kicks it loose. moulson delivers for streit. delivers. punched down by theodore. >> craig: he had second thoughts. he was thinking shoot but also thinking pass to doug weight who was open and then he got caught inbetween. >> joe: schremp staving off semin. alexander semin goes down and penalty call coming again against washington from referee. weight pulls the trigger. now dc will be two men down for 20 seconds. >> craig: never want to see a

penalty. van massen hoffen, gives them the call. it's a hoalgd call. five-on-three for the islanders on our you make it the call tonight here on csn. here is the play down low brought to you as always by s that stick. once you get the armin side the belly, -- arm inside the belly, you're heading off. >> joe: verizon wireless you make the call. the referees doing an the honors there. mike green is about to bolt from that penalty box. hillen slams on him from center. mike green able to play clear. roloson waits for 24-year-old minnesota native jack hillen to return. he turnt turned 24 this past sunday. on the long stretch play to trent hunter. canceled out by shaone morrisonnment again, the islander will have to retrait their -- retrace their steps.

for macdonald. it was cleaned out. loose in front. he grabbed him for a moment. he did not get a handle on that backhand. >> craig: and bradley started the whole scimp skirmish in front of the net by charging hard. one thing you see with the four changes that you mention, joe, is they're fresh. you go hard tore 25 seconds max and you're able to utilize your skating and energy against the power play. >> joe: nifty flofs kyle okposo. steps up shot on the half wall. bombs it wide and the rebound will chase the islanders on to their half. >> craig: the parting of the seas for okposo who can really bring it. should have taken a couple steps in farther and unload it had. he was going blocker side high. >> joe: okposo, four games against the caps three goals. deals back for blea. bailey flushed throughout by chimera and brendan morrison still with it. schultz long reach serves him well. late on the power play, their third in the period.

late. streit one-timer! jose theodore. rebound tore bailey. he fanned on it most part. weight, offers. strike one time -- streit one time wide of the cage and he has missed a slap shot. streit leads off of weight. back come of the caps. ovechkin nearly behind the defense. streit pin wheels it for andy sutton. they get their signals crossed for a moment. washington back to even strength. deflection tie backstrom stopped by roloson. islanders up to 10 shots. capitals at seven for the most. -- for the moment. just over 6:00 to go in this opening period separating us from the net star 1 intermission live. nicklas backstrom gliding in. backstrom's wrister blocked by sutton into that safety netting. [ whistle ] >> joe: 5:58 to go ening pe one better than home

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>> joe: flent plerchty of goals in the first -- plenty of goals in the first 14 minutes. >> craig: there's a deflection by morrison who started to play off the face-off. semin on his own. he centered himself top shelf and islanders have struck. rob schremp, top shelf. short side with the extra man. that's where we stand here on

csn. 2-1, caps. >> joe: mike asking richard clark to leave the face-off dart. draws against backstrom. this one goes towards the front as it's kept alive in the offensive zone. these two teams are going along pretty well last 10 outings. >> craig: 16-4 combined. that is really well. >> joe: backstrom and the caps, the hottest team on the circuit right now. ovechkin steps free from below the goal line. point position for alzner and he'll have to backtrack. 5:30 to go in the opening frame. dwayne roloson for hillen. using the boards by bergenheim who was blasted by collin white recently hand has stitches to prove it as you can see. >> craig: he can join the long list of guys hammered by colin white. this isth last week, his islanders team won one and lost one in new jersey. they've been in every game. they're in the playoff hunt leading the season here. they want to get to the postseason for the first time

in a while. bergenheim and guys like that are going to have to play really hard down this stretch run. >> joe: they haven't given the capitals anything for free. they've had the lead in all three previous encounters this season. at some point in the game, washington has come away with a couple of victories in extra time or shootouts. poti for erskine. they'll send it hard around. brooks laich dodging andrew macdonald. nice pass for semin! he whistles one wide of the goald goal. vicious slap shot from semin. now he has one on the backhand he fumbled and it's played away by streit. >> craig: that east-west passing plays the caps have utilized here in this first period have been a real problem defensively for the islander. they've got to continue with that type of puck movement. it really throws you off kilter defensively because you have to shift from one side to the other and that's why the caps are finding players like semin

wide open when they make those passes. >> joe: coach for the islander, scott gordon talking about washington fire power very matter of factually in the morning as taveras works along with bailey. taveras steps to the front. fires off the outside of the people. he -- off the outside of the post. he beats him cleanly. give and go. bailey from his knees denied by theodore! capitals netminder making good stops and getting help from the pipes on csn and schools destroyed; families searching for loved ones; parents trying to feed their children. but we can all do something. we can help the american red cross as it delivers the food, water, and medicine that can save lives. donate $10 by texting "haiti" to 9-0-9-9-9. visit redcross.org or call 1-800-red-cross.

thanks for your help.

: he.t. is awindow of opportunity. >> craig: one ahead of douche looking for number 18. too much time for this sharp- shooting young forward for the islanders. >> joe: the washington capitals have won six straight games. most recent victory back at home over the phoenix coyotes as they repair the glass here at nassau veterans memorial coliseum. they scored four times on ilya bryzgalov or at least in the empty net for one. he factored into all four markers. >> craig: end his a-game going against the yoits yoits phoenix coyotes. he was all over the place. a lost ice time. a lost puck control getting good shots. great setup to brooks laich on the doorstep throwing it down low to fehr who gets two whacks at that time to put it in. short side, vicious wrist shot to beat ilya bryzgalov and then

made alex ovechkin the victory. he's got a gel here tonight for the caps. one of four guys now who have hit the 50-point plateau and four-plus point games the last four seasons. ovie at the top of the list. >> joe: didn't take ovechkin to get into double figures in that category on an all-time washington list. ovechkin work against the new york islanders this evening. we mentioned the glass problem. we think we've isolated the incidech create it ad. >> craig: hei alexander semin. there's the shot nto that pane of glass. you shoot the puck at over 100 miles per hour, that's going to probably happen. glass just not strong enough for those type of shots. looks like they finally repaired it and all setu for the islanders-caps to resume. >> joe: islander

he cannot a calf injury. radek martinek was lost to the season to a knee. the now the medical staff attends to jack hillen struck sot alex ovechkin. >> craig: here is comes into the high there and there it is right off the left side of his face. man, he went down and the referee immediately blows the whistle. the stretcher out to he. he's not going on the stretcher. he's going off for repairs into the locker room, left side of his face. he gets a big standing ovation

here at the nassau veterans memorial coliseum. >> joe: had himself a power play goal and n a loss to the devils over the weekend. alex ovechkin breathing easier. players always hate when that happens. >> craig: one more look. the rolling puck and ck might have even ramped up on the defenseman's stick. that was dead on. that's going to be a jaw and possibly some teeth. hillen going off for repairs. there's ovie showing great sportsmanship which all guys do. hockey is a class sport

reverses his steal. matt moulson let it come on through. bradley regriewpg grouping gave it to moulson. moulson winds and fires. it's blocked. follow chance blistered wide. frans nielsen cruising down the slot. hunter, feed. long range. deflected down wide of the goal. macdonald sent it on the way. streit scoops it beyond the goal line. erskine still bothered by the

stinging flap shot a few moments ago. dribbles one to center. the washington capitals a mere plus 26 when it comes to goals in the first period. doing it again to another opponent tonight in the first stanza. taveras put a bump into shaone morrisonn's relays for karl alzner. 37 seconds with which to work in the first. freddy meyer kept it in for a moment. brooks laich sends it out. on the delay for alzner. joining the rush. gervais keeps it to the outside. karl alzner plays a pass to himself along the boards and starts the cycle for laich. alzner chips it away from taveras. meyer clamps ton with a dozen seconds to go in the opening period. semin with a final thrust. alexander semin right on in tries to make a backdoor pass then he scores! semin on the backhanded scores one. >> craig: again t-starts in the

back check. talk about back pressure. alexander semin has been terrific on both sides of the puck and that is just a great two way goal. here comes semin. the rewind. look at the looked like brooksy coming into play ricochettes off the d. comes right back to him answered puts in a backhand on an extremely sharp angle. it's just been the way it's been going for semin of late. second goal of the night, 23rd on the season for number 28. >> joe: at 19:56, capping off a four-goal first period explosion for the capitals. mike knuble from backstrom and fleischmann on the power play at 18:13 preceded by semin and brendan morrison to bring washington's count to four. rob schremp, the lone marker for the islanders here at home. net star 1 intermission live. we are busy on comcast

sportsnet. a look back to the weekend's casino night for the caps, heights and stats coming your way as well. craig laughlin and will, i see, have telestraition. well, well, well. you're going to humor us with that. i like that. >> craig: yes, i enjoy that part of the intermission. >> joe: capitals by three. ith onst ooooooooooooooooo hingat? ow t som een g toyou. you lo--utte

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4-1 after 0 minutes. net star 1 continues. when the caps look like, this they attack in waves, don't they? >> craig: yeah, it was a great first period, joe. they were moving their feet. they are exchanging lanes. they were moving the puck. i mean, this is the way the caps team has to play if they're going to be successful. you can't stop them when they're skating and moving the puck like they did. >> joe: geico highlight time. for washington capitals fans, this will be fun as the caps don't wait long to get on the board. >> craig: it starts right off the face-off. morrison twins a juke at the post though and a slap shot nice and low for the deflection to movie in front. >> joe: it came at 1. 067895. >> craig: then, it seems like everything semin has done in the first period is by himself. look at him grab the puck on the backcheck. weave through the neutral zone, weave through the attack zone and then roof it under the bar against roloson. >> joe: that's his 2 #nd of the year and that one una-- 22nd of the year and that one unassisted. >> craig: 29th overall on home ice.

they didn't look like that on this shot. schremp short side, top shelf. >> joe: big time at 6:0 3. >> craig: then, mike knuble a drive to the net. fleischmann actually looking for nick here, but it goes right under the stick of mike knuble who he's got his center drive going and he whacks it home. >> joe: he is some kind of hot in january. the caps weren't durg done yet>> craig: here comes alexander semin again. look at the strip of the puck on backside pressure. that's two islanders. no one gets a piece of him. the way things are going, the puck bounces off the defenseman back to him short side backhand. >> joe: that one was just six seconds left in the period. these game stats presented by your washington area chevy dealers. >> craig: lots more scoring chance. notice the low hits count because the caps are skating like to see more contact against their d. face-offs favor the caps. power plays a factor in the first period. >> joe: >> joe: a very efficient power for mance in alexander semin in just over 5:00 of work already with two