ek, has expanded to 1.1 points after the Buckeye

If there is a mantra being whispered around the Washington Capitals camp?this fall it is this: If not now, when? And the answer is, If not now, then look out.The Caps are coming off a dominating regular season during which they won the Presidents Trophy by an 11-point margin over the Western Conference leader?Dallas Stars.? Washington finished 16 points ahead of the second-place?Pittsburgh Penguins?in the Metropolitan Division. Unfortunately for the Capitals, a familiar playoff scenario played out when they were knocked off by the Pens, the eventual Stanley Cup champions, in six games in the second round.You can make an argument we were right there with them the whole way, general manager Brian MacLellan said in a recent interview. Anything can happen in the playoffs. Thats life. But, as MacLellan acknowledged, for a Capitals team that has never won a Stanley Cup and hasnt been to the conference finals since 1998 (which is also the only time theyve reached a Cup finals), its a painfully familiar storyline.Its a never-ending narrative with us. But I like where were at, he said.Best new facesMacLellan looked at his lineup, which includes the defending Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby and perennial goal-scoring champ Alex Ovechkin, and decided there wasnt much he lacked. And hes right.The big addition was third-line center Lars Eller, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of draft picks. MacLellan thinks Eller has better offensive tools than he has shown thus far. He skates well, has good vision and is big and strong. Hes got a lot of great attributes, MacLellan says of the 27-year-old Dane.If he works out, the Caps will be as good as theyve ever been down the middle, where Eller will fall in behind Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, with Jay Beagle handling fourth-line pivot duties. The departure of Jason Chimera, a solid third-liner, will open up more opportunities for someone like Andre Burakovsky, who now has a chance to prove hes got a significant top end offensively.Biggest unknownsWhen youre as good as the Capitals were for so much of last season -- they were second in goals allowed and goals scored per game, fifth on the power play and second on the penalty kill -- how do you get jazzed for another 82-game grind?We see this all the time with Cup winners or teams that fall just short. They need to find motivation to stick to the game plan and play correctly in October while looking ahead to April. Of course, one assumes that getting bounced early in the playoffs will be its own motivation, but its a valid concern with a team that was as dominant as the Caps were last regular season. The biggest thing we have to guard against is [thinking, Lets just get to the playoffs right now and see what weve got, MacLellan said.Other issues: Can Ovechkin stay as durable as he has been, given his rough-and-tumble style of play? And will Kuznetsov continue his arc toward stardom after a disappointing postseason and an up-and-down World Cup of Hockey?Sure thingsWell, there are sure things, like Ovechkin challenging to win a goal-scoring title, Holtby being in the mix for a second consecutive Vezina Trophy and the Caps being very hard to play against under head coach Barry Trotz.And, yes, Washington will still light it up offensively. But the other certainty is that if there isnt success this season, next summer will be a time of great change. Wings?T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams are entering contract years, as is homegrown blueliner?Karl Alzner. MacLellan had a two-year plan for this team when he brought in Oshie and Williams last offseason to get them over the hump. One down, one to go.PredictionNobody will be sleeping on Trotzs watch, and the rest of the coaching staff, several members of which were courted by other teams looking for head coaches during the offseason, is top-notch. So dont expect much of a regular-season drop-off for a Capitals team that will once again be among the leagues finest. First in the Metropolitan Division. Real Jordan Shoes Cheap . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Air Jordan Nz Online . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. http://www.airjordannz.com/ . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Cheap Air Jordan Nz . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. Air Jordan Nz . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Welcome to the CFB Vegas rankings, an attempt to rank the top teams in college football from a Vegas perspective. They are the composite power ratings of Bruce Marshalls The Gold Sheet, Phil Steele and ESPNs Football Power Index (FPI).Alabama has been No. 1 every week thus far, and that has not changed. The Crimson Tides lead over Ohio State, which was down to 0.2 points last week, has expanded to 1.1 points after the Buckeyes failed to cover against Indiana. There is at least a three-point gap between the top six teams and every other team in FBS.Notte: All futures odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.dddddddddddd1. Alabama Crimson Tide?(Rating: 61.6; Last week: No. 1)Alabamas rating is unchanged after last weeks road win against Arkansas. This week, the Tide will be double-digit road favorites again, this time against Tennessee. They have been No. 1 in these ratings all season, and their 5-2 odds to win the College Football Playoff are tied for the best. ' ' '