Filed under: Capitals
ARLINGTON, Va. --- It took all of eight games before John Carlson and Karl Alzner -- the Washington Capitals rookie defensemen who had shared the same blue line with the club's AHL franchise -- to be reunited this season."Since we put them together, we have lost (once) in regulation," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said from the team's practice facility on Thursday. "That's pretty self-evident, I think. They are playing well. The more they play and the more situations they play in, the more they'll be relied on by veteran players. It doesn't happen overnight."
Alzner, 22, and Carlson, 20, had combined for 70 NHL games before the start of this season, but neither had been up with the big club at the same time -- not that that they weren't familiar with each other. The duo comprised the top defensive line and blue line combo for the Hershey (Pa.) Bears, winners of the last two Calder Cups.
"We know what to expect out of each other," said Carlson, who has nine points and is a plus-9. "It feels good that in every practice and every game, you're playing with the same person. You know where he's going to be and what he's going to do."
Boudreau put Carlson and Alzner together consistently when the Caps faced the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 27. Washington is 9-1-1 since and hasn't lost in regulation over the last eight games entering Friday's contest in Atlanta.
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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/19/john-carlson-karl-alzner-making-strides-in-washington/
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