Odds and Ends from a Couple of Days Off

With the Olympic break this February, the Capitals get a rare four-day break this week, as the team its longest time away from game action until the league shuts down for a couple of weeks during the Vancouver games.

Washington has a couple of three-day breaks in the next few months, one in November and one in December, but thanks to the compressed schedule, days off will be at a premium with the league fitting in an 82-game schedule with the time off in February factored in.

That doesn't mean the Capitals have been taking it easy, however, as per Capitals Insider's Twitter feed, Bruce Boudreau skated the Capitals very hard in the last two practices at Kettler.

Per Tarik El-Bashir, the players indicated it's for conditioning purposes, which does make sense since it's difficult to simulate game conditions with an extended break, and the Capitals get some busy travel in the next two weeks, heading to Atlanta for their first divisional game of the year against the Thrashers Thursday, then up to Uniondale for a game with the Islanders Saturday, returning home for a home game with Philadelphia and then back to Philips Arena next Thursday before a pair of home games against the Isles and Blue Jackets Friday and Sunday following their second trip to Georgia.

That's six games in 10 days for the Caps following the break, with some points on the table with two against the currently-winless Islanders and also a pair against the surprising Thrashers. Philadelphia and Columbus are no treat either, with the Flyers offering a physically tough challenge while Washington still looks for its first-ever goal against the Blue Jackets' Steve Mason.

One player who could be back to help out by that point is Tomas Fleischmann, as per Caps Insider said he felt good after skating in practice for the first time this season. While Fleischmann is at least a week away to ensure he's healthy and ramp up his conditioning, he certainly will help make an already potent Capitals team even more dangerous to opposing goaltenders.

With Branden Holtby back in South Carolina and Keith Aucoin back in Hershey, the Capitals will also see if Jose Theodore is healthy enough to at least take the backup role in Atlanta before making a decision on if they need to recall a goaltender, but likely Semyon Varlamov will get the start against the Thrashers even if Theodore's healthy with the Islanders looming on Saturday night.

Washington will skate tomorrow morning at Kettler before jetting south to Georgia, and after a much-needed couple of days away from game action will be tossed back into another very busy stretch.