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Not long after assisting on the go-ahead goal with 122 seconds remaining in a victory over his former team, Washington Capitals forward Justin Williams stood in a hallway not far from the visitor's locker room and caught up with a couple of members of the Los Angeles Kings. The reason the Capitals signed Williams as a free agent last offseason was to provide a late-game push in the sort of playoff-type atmosphere felt by both sides in NHL-leading Washington's 3-1 comeback victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night. ''If you listen to Justin on the bench ... he finds a way to pull people into the fight. Continue to Article

February 16, 2016 11:10:pm EST

by Neil Parker It is a quieter Tuesday in the National Hockey League with just eight games.  Anaheim and Dallas are the lone teams playing consecutive road games in back-to-back nights, but both clubs are cruising and neither spot should be downgraded significantly because of their schedule spot. Additionally, there is a potential Stanley Cup preview in Washington hosting the Kings, and the San Jose-Tampa Bay bout not only carries coast-to-coast intrigue, but showcases two teams peaking down the stretch. [ Continue to Article

February 16, 2016 3:32:pm EST

The Chicago Blackhawks placed veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi on waivers Tuesday, giving themselves further salary cap relief as the team nears the Feb. 29 trade deadline. Chicago acquired the 37-year-old Scuderi from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a December trade for Trevor Daley. The Penguins paid one-third of Scuderi’s $3.375 million salary cap hit, which meant the Blackhawks were on the hook for $2.25 million towards their cap. Scuderi has one year remaining on his deal. The move could have an impact for the Blackhawks’ salary cap around the trade deadline. According to General Fanager , if Scuderi is claimed, the team will have roughly $5.6 million in salary cap space at that time. If Scuderi clears waivers and is sent to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, the team will have $3.9 million of salary cap space. Per General Fanager, the Blackhawks currently have $1.99 million of salary cap space and are projected to have roughly $2.64 million of space on trade deadline day. If Scuderi clears waivers, the team will have a span of 30 days or 10 regular season games to send him to the AHL. This won’t be the first time the team has buried a veteran contract in the minors this season. The Hawks sent struggling forward Bryan Bickell – who makes $4 million at the NHL level – to the AHL. Bickell has played a total of 22 games with Rockford this year. In the AHL, his salary cap hit is worth $3.05 million. Scuderi was an important part of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup team and the Los Angeles Kings 2012 Cup squad as a shutdown defender. With the Hawks, he didn’t have much of a role, averaging 11:06 of ice-time per-game in 17 contests. Scuderi was even asked to play right wing at one point. Said Scuderi to the Chicago Tribune, "Sometimes stuff happens on the team and you have to do what you have to do." Between Chicago and Pittsburgh, he has four points in 42 games played on the year. MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY   - - - - - - - Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper   Continue to Article

February 16, 2016 12:44:pm EST

Not only will Mike Richards face his old Los Angeles Kings teammates for the first time Tuesday night at Verizon Center, but the Washington Capitals will get an added boost to their blue line.  After not having played since Nov. 10, Brooks Orpik will be back in the Capitals’ lineup on the third pairing with Dmitry Orlov. Orpik has missed the last 40 games with a lower-body injury. Taylor Chorney, who’s done yeoman's work in his absence, will get a press box seat.  It’s been two weeks since Orpik, who’s averaged 19:15 of ice time this season, began practicing again with his teammates. While he’s been out, the Capitals have pulled away with the Eastern Conference lead, which made watching from the press box or his television a little easier. It also gave him time to watch the game from a different angle and potentially aid him going forward. “I think no matter what age you are you try to learn things from the game and kind of pick things up that maybe other guys are doing well or things that you can kind of implement to your game that can make you a better player,” Orpik said via Monumental Sports .  According to General Fanager , the move also leaves Capitals GM Brian McLellan the ability to add about $1.15 million in salary cap space should he need to make a move before the Feb. 29 trade deadline. The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan  had great rundown of McLellan's potential options for deadline day. - - - - - - - Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY : Continue to Article

February 16, 2016 12:02:pm EST