The Breakaway: Capital ideas

* Thursday’s shootout between the Oilers and Capitals sure was entertaining. Matt Bradley made the only successful penalty shot in 24 attempts, recalling that epic 30-shot shootout contested by the Rangers and Caps in 2005.

* Amazingly, the Capitals have been involved in four of the seven shootouts that have gone past 20 shots in NHL history

* Speaking of good shows by Washington, how about the one-on-one duel Alexander Ovechkin had with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin in Monday night’s nationally televised game? The two players, selected with the first two picks of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, showed all that is good about our game in one night’s performance.

* Finally, to say Washington rookie center Nicklas Backstrom is a little hot is like saying that Britney Spears is a little overexposed in the tabloids.

* Another jolly good show this week was Rick Nash’s highlight-reel goal against the Coyotes. If you missed it, make sure you check out NHL.com’s video highlights.

* How good was Nash’s goal? It was a thing of beauty that even Coyote coach Wayne Gretzky, the greatest goal-score the game has ever known, had to appreciate on some level.

* Whomever plays on Ottawa’s top line these days should get combat pay. In the last few weeks, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley have all suffered injuries in recent weeks.

* This might be a little stretch, but Bill Clinton’s behavior in the primary race reminds CTN of Claude Lemieux at the peak of his game. Clinton is driving his team’s opponents to distraction with his hit-and-run style and then leaving Hilary’s campaign to clean up the fallout. It worked for Lemieux, one of the best pot-stirrers the game has ever seen. Will it work for the Clintons? Here’s hoping not.

* If Tom Brady is a girlie man, as the New York Post suggested on Tuesday’s front page, CTN wants to know where to sign up for girlie-man classes. That dude could play on CTN’s hockey team anytime. He is one tough hombre.

* CTN is two-third’s of the way through “King of Russia,” a great book detailing coach Dave King’s one year spent coaching Metallurg Magnitorsk. It is a great hockey read and even better if you are at all interested in the Russian hockey culture.

* Foppa update. In an effort to keep CTN readers abreast of the Peter Forsberg soap opera, CTN continues to update his comeback attempt. This week, he practiced with his former club team, Modo.

* Congrats to Michael Ryder on his return to Montreal’s top line. It was certainly a long and painful climb back to the top for the goal-scoring sensation from Newfoundland. Here’s hoping Ryder has recaptured his scoring touch.

* Speaking of top lines, it sure looks like Phil Kessel has found a home on Boston’s top line. He looked dangerous every time he touched the puck this weekend in a home-and-home series against the Rangers.

* There are strong whispers coming out of Tampa Bay that puck-moving defenseman Dan Boyle could be back in the Lightning lineup before the All-Star Break. Could that be just the latest piece of good news for a team that is playing far better hockey lately?

* The current Scott Hartnell is the one that the Predators envisioned when they drafted the power forward in the first round back in 2000. Hartnell is just running over defenders and is scoring almost at will right now. He had 14 points in a seven-game points streak that ended Tuesday night.

Sergei Samsonov

* While it has panned by some sight unseen, CTN is looking forward to the Breakaway Challenge during the Skills Competition portion of All-Star Weekend. As a regular at morning skates, CTN regularly sees the puck skills NHL players possess in a casual setting. Now, the whole hockey world will get a chance to see just how gifted these players are.

* Nelson DeMille’s recent book, Wild Fire is a sobering look at the post-9/11 world. Still, despite its grim subject matter, the book – like most of DeMille’s offerings –is an entertaining read.

* CTN is so glad to see that Dr. Phil has taken his own “inventory” in the wake of the Britney Spears fiasco that has so tarnished his reputation. It makes CTN feel so much better.

* Biohazard’s original lineup will play together for the first time in more than decade this summer when the reunited band hits the road on a limited tour. CTN already knows what he is doing with his Stanley Cup comp time.

* Ascension of the Watchers, the side project of Fear Factory front man Burton C. Bell, is on tour. It is a musical departure from Fear Factory’s bludgeoning, pedal-to-the-medal style, but Bell remains one of the most gifted vocalists around in CTN’s opinion.

Opening Faceoff  |  The Penalty Box