Welcome to Washington, Scott Walker



(John McDonnell/The Washington Post)



Newly acquired winger Scott Walker, above, scored twice in a three-minute span in the third period to propel the Caps to a win over Tampa Bay:

Soon after the Washington Capitals traded for Scott Walker at Wednesday's deadline, Coach Bruce Boudreau noted how the gritty winger had a knack for scoring important goals.

Well, it took Walker exactly one game to prove Boudreau's point.

The 36-year-old scored twice in the third period, including the winner just 41 seconds after the Tampa Bay Lightning had tied the score, as the Capitals escaped with 5-4 victory at Verizon Center.

"His history," Coach Bruce Boudreau said, "has been that he's in the right place at the right time." | Full story »

*Postgame notes, and a video of Boudreau talking about Walker's big night.

*Mike Wise is glad the Caps are back where they belong:

This is the building where they have remarkably not lost a hockey game this calendar year and hope to play into the summer. It is the building where everything seems good and right about Washington sports -- as long as the ice is left in place. | Full column »

Some morning links:

*Postgame video:

*Walker on his two-goal night:

"I was nervous, probably didn't get a good pregame nap, and I was just trying to play and fit in. They're playing so good, you just don't want to disrupt them." (NHL.com)

*"Old man night" at Verizon Center. (Ed Frankovic)

*Bolts gave the Caps some trouble. (Caps)

*Still no Knuble hat trick. (RMNB)

*Some shots from warmups. (Caps in Pictures)

*More closeups of the Caps' camo warmup jerseys. (CapsBlog)

*An ugly third. (Japers' Rink)

*Outdoor practice fun in Hershey. (On Frozen Blog)

*Inside a crazy day for the Caps' game ops crew. (Bog)

*The D.C. Council makes a play for the Winter Classic. (Bog)

*If someone scored, just how likely was it Ovechkin? (Pro Sports Blogging)

*George McPhee: "soft spoken, logical, like an NHL version of Dr. Spock..." (Loose Pucks)

*Hockey madlibs. (Rock the Red)

*Ovechkin is a gold-coin keepsake? (Alex Ovetjkin)

*A fan's guide to attending a Caps game. (Capitals Outsider)