Capitals Release Schedule

The NHL unveiled its slate for 2009-10 on Wednesday, and the Capitals will open their 35th anniversary season on October 1st at Boston, where the top two regular-season teams from last year will clash to open their campaigns. Washington and Boston will also match up to close the regular season, as the Caps host the B's on April 11th before what the team hopes is another extended playoff run.

The Caps then open at home two nights later, hosting the Maple Leafs to kick off the 41-game home schedule.

There certainly are some quirks to this year's schedule, as with the Vancouver Olympics causing a break between February 13th and March 3rd, the season starts a bit earlier than usual.

Fans also will be able to see the top three teams from last year's Western Conference visit Chinatown as well, as the Sharks, Red Wings and Flames will pay a visit to Verizon Center.

The Caps also will have to wait a while to exact some revenge on the Penguins following last year's playoff loss, not facing the Penguins until January 21st at Mellon Arena, and then the Pens pay a visit to Washington on Super Bowl Sunday.

One quirk with the schedule is that not only did the Capitals get passed over for the Winter Classic, they won't even be in the same time zone on New Year's, playing in San Jose and Los Angeles over the holiday break and idle on January 1st.

October

Thurs., Oct. 1 at Boston 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 3 Toronto 7 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 6 at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 8 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 10 at Detroit 7 p.m.
Mon., Oct. 12 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 15 San Jose 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 17 Nashville 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 22 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 24 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 27 Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 29 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 30 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.

November
Sun., Nov. 1 Columbus 5 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 4 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 6 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 7 Florida 7 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 11 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 13 Minnesota 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 14 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 17 at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 20 Montreal 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 21 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 23 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 25 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 28 at Montreal 7 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 30 at Carolina 7 p.m.

December
Thurs., Dec. 3 Florida 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 5 at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 7 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 9 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 11 Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 12 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 15 at Colorado 9:30 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 18 at Vancouver 10 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 19 at Edmonton 10 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 23 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 26 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 28 Carolina 7 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 30 at San Jose 10:30 p.m.

January
Sat., Jan. 2 at Los Angeles 4 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 5 Montreal 7 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 7 Ottawa 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 9 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 13 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 15 Toronto 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 17 Philadelphia 3 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 19 Detroit 7 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 21 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 23 Phoenix 7 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 26 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 27 Anaheim 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 29 Florida 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 31 Tampa Bay 3 p.m.

February
Tues., Feb. 2 at Boston 7 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 4 at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 5 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 7 Pittsburgh 12:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 10 at Montreal 7:30 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 11 at Ottawa 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 13 at St. Louis 8 p.m.

March
Wed., March 3 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Thurs., March 4 Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Sat., March 6 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Mon., March 8 Dallas c 7 p.m.
Wed., March 10 Carolina 7 p.m.
Fri., March 12 Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Sun., March 14 at Chicago 7 p.m.
Tues., March 16 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Thurs., March 18 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat., March 20 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Wed., March 24 Pittsburgh 7 p.m.
Thurs., March 25 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Sun., March 28 Calgary 3 p.m.
Tues., March 30 Ottawa 7 p.m.

April
Thurs., April 1 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sat., April 3 at Columbus 7 p.m
Mon., April 5 Boston 7 p.m.
Tues., April 6 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Fri., April 9 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sun., April 11 Boston 3 p.m.