washington capitalsstruggling a little bit here. you can really see when a team sets a tone with the game on the line the way that the maple leafs did, the capitals didn't have that pushback that they usually do >> alan: they didn't. i think it has a lot to do with the continuityity of the lines. missing players like knuble, their size, their strength, moins of morrissonn out of the line-up. last-place teams are always giants killers and the giant were the giant they killed -- the capital were the giant they killed tonight >> al: let's accepted it back to toronto. as we talk about this performance, we can talk about the injuries and pack-to-back games. there does not seem to be a spark this weekend for this team. how are you guys looking at it? >> alan: i think you are right on. i think it's been lethargic to

watch them in the last 24 to 48 hours, not put their best foot forward. they do not want to use injuries as an excuse, locker. i will, because it's not their full-fledged team. toronto deserves credit for the victory. washington battled them. i didn't like the caps' chances in this one >> craig: no, i know you told me that. it's a combination of all the factors that you guys talked about. i don't think they won any loose puck. they looked it lethargic as you mentioned. against a team that is coming, coming, coming, two games in two nights, that's not an excuse because these guys are world class athletes. this game should not even have went to a shootout. bruce boudreau was counseling everybody in the locker room that the caps can't take anyone lightly. i don't think that the caps took them lightly. they played a better game. not for varlamov, this would have been a more lopsided

score. >> what was your take on all the young line-up, the hershey connection? what was your take on the line- up and minutes they provided >> craig: they played hard. that's what you're going to get from hershey. are you going to get an nhl caliber, alex semin, mike knuble. i don't think so but, again, perreault set up the caps very well, beagle always a horse and a bull in a china shop and i think gordon fared well in his second nhl game. this is a who is still place for a young player to play. the onus is on the veterans' shoulders when you are banged up to get the two point >> joe: and alex ovechkin returned this week after a 15- day absence and he came back with all that energy in new york. last couple of games, from him have not been his all world self. we saw flashes of it tonight. locker and, guys, please do

chime in. when you have been in the line- up for that long, does it take you long to get the stride? >> craig: i think it's timing. it's timing to release the shot, timing when you get the puck. do you see it that way, alan? >> alan: most definitely. what makes it harder for is not having the other weapons, semin and nun. it's easier to key on one guy. one goal scorer. and fleischer went more into a passer mode. he was looking to move the puck too much and was not settled in that big line. while the other players out of the line-up, he has to concentrates on shooting the puck and getting to the net >> craig: i mean when you are on the roll and you have a shooting percentage, like 37%, you have to think shot. that's why joe made the point right off the top. so did you, alan, injuries, working the line-up. it's where you're going to be comfortable. you are not going to see fleischmann on that top line

because of that fact. when he gets, there that's when he is looking pass rather than shoot >> joe: thomas has had a great start to the season. with sell equip and knuble out, this is thomas' time to shine. he has to get back to that producing gaming where he is creating opportunities and where he is setting up his mates as well >> al: guy, we know it's been a long day for you as well >> joe: no. we are just getting started >> al: good. >> craig: i can't wait to get butter tart and drinking coffee >> al: and you have youth. you have that ahead of you >> joe: let's play 2 >> al: we thank you for joining us here on capitals post game live. we are just getting started. we want to remind you that we have got much more to come here on capitals post game live. we'll get you back to air canada center and hear what caps coach bruce boudreau had to say and the great night that

varlamov put in good all for naught.

>> al: be sure to check out joe beninati's blog after the game. we want to know your thought. check it out now at csnwashington.com and enter the key word blogs. get you the highlights of this one. caps fans like to see ovie and they like to see varly in goal. they didn't see either last night. leafs on the power play, kaberle with the drive, phil kessel somehow misses the stuff- in. caps dodge the bullet. brooks laich gets the loose puck ahead, quick pass to mike

green, the open ovechkin, didn't think he would be held pointless again? nicholas backstrom, robbed by vesa toskala. he gives up off 4 goals a game but he comes up big here. jason, reviewed, upheld and we are tied at 1. seconds remaining. varlamov with the save on the shot by kaberle. no scoring in o t so to the shootout we would end up going. caps down 1-0. ovechkin, only he goes wide. that means if hagman can beat varlamov, the leafs win it and that's what happened on the back hand. varlamov was great in net but hagman got him twice. and it's the first win of the year for toskala as the capitals will fall tonight by that score of 2-1. washington 0-

for-4 on the power play. a real factor in this one. as they didn't take many penalties but they didn't cash in when they had the opportunity. alan, let's go pack to simeon varlamov because you can't tell the story in this game. it goes down in the books as a loss for the washington capitals but last year in game 3 in the pittsburgh playoff series where he was nothing short of spectacular while the team in front of him wasstumbling and tumbling. they lost in overtime to pittsburgh. he had the opportunity to steal the game that night and he had the opportunity to steal a game >> alan: he was the one capital that was not tired because he didn't play last night. he was tight in his movement, he was controlled. he gave them the opportunity all game long. he did a good job to stay outside the crease. that long shot, the bouncer, a

couple of weeks ago, that might have went in. here on the door stems, he gets a couple of great ones. keeping the body square, the shoulder squares, the pads flat to the ground, he never took his eyes off the puck. that's one thing he is doing more and more as the season goes on here. i think kulemin had seven shots all game, cues me, grabovski had seven shots all game and they are all great shots. john mitchell had some great shots. here is a great chance by hagman. he stays tall. i thought he did great job of keeping kessel at bay all game long and not getting back inside his crease or under the cross. he stones kaberle right there. at the end of the game, the caps don't get a point. kaberle scores on that he certainly did his part tonight >> al: all you needd to see as we were doing those highlight, you see the score, the time, you know that all the saves

were big ones. the caps are either protecting a 1-0 lead, trying to get back into a 1-1 game, trying to hold on to get the game into overtime. all the big saves were saved by simeon varm and one of the things that i saw tonight, alan, in this game that i think was going to set him apart, we know about the athleticism but i think the strength that you saw, the power of his game, you saw kessel getting an interference call. you saw how many maple leafs were driving the net. you can't get this kid to mu, to budge and that strength down low is an amazing thing to see. >> alan: it's more evident every single game. when he went side to side, down on his knees, it is an appropriate analogy by you. he does such a great job of pushing side to side andkeeping his body erect at the same time even though he is down on his knees. he is showing more maturity every single week as we go on here. he is continually improved and et cetera such a bright spot

for the caps and their future in net >> al: let's get you back to toronto. bruce boudreau is meeting with the media, all packaged for you by the ups store [question inaudible]. >> we gutted it out a little bit. we will looked pretty tired. some of the guys were dragging. i mean, sometimes, there is a bad one point and sometimes there is a good one point. i thought tonight was, you know, we were lucky to come away with one point t was a good point for us. he was great. i mean, they would have got nothing by him if that one goal didn't go off hagman. he was superb. he has played like that for a while now. [question inaudible]. >> i think we are tired and then the guys that we are bringing in, we are taking them

off a bus trip and they are flying all day like andrew gordon did. he looked like he didn't have much legs even though they are gungho to get here. but you know what, those are excuses. the leafs played well tonight. give them credit. they had a lot more territorial position than we did and they made our guys tired. [question inaudible]. >> no. they had always play tough against us. whether it's this year or last year. i mean, i have no idea why they are in the position they are in but i know they are a dangerous club and they can throw guys over the board that can play the game. you know, we played them twice. i think we got them one more time here in december. they're going to turn it around very shortly, whether there is enough -- whether they are too far or not, i don't know. they are going to be a hard

team to play against in the not too distant future. >> that's it? [question inaudible]. >> it's possible. i mean, i don't know -- it's definitely hotter than a lot of buildings that we play in. i don't know if that's normal or not. those are the guys doing the work. he usually just get worked up -- i usually just get worked up. >> were you happy with the way his line played tonight? >> i think there were a lot of guys that weren't moving their legs. we had opportunities, brooks laich had an open net and he fanned on the shot. nick had a two on one and he missed t when you start missing those things that our power play is 0 for the last seven, when you start missing those chance, you know you are not going on all cylinders. we just -- i mean, we have to

be better. >> do you think varlamov will be getting the starts here? >> i mean, everything is cyclical. is that the right word? he will probably play a little more than he did when he was going through a rough time at the beginning of the year, but, you know, i mean once theo turns it around, then theo will play a little bit. and varly might be sitting. so it goes in cycles. >> is it a tougher job this year, because you have the lead in the division. >> i don't think we need to care. our division is good. atlanta has won a lot of games. tampa is 4-0-4 in the last 8. florida is winning in detroit, they are starting to win now. you know, karen line ya is a lot -- carolina is a lot like the leafs. they are going to be a tough team to play against. unfortunately, we have not played them. that's the way things work.

>> in addition to saying that the line didn't play very well, alex was hard on himself. he said even though he scored a goal, he says he should have been a lot better. what are you seeing coming from the injury. >> i thought he played better tonight, better than last night. it's coming. i mean, when he first came back, he wasn't 100%. you know, we would assume that a fire like alex just wants to play and, so, you know, he played and it will be better again against ottawa and it will take -- that was an injury that -- a lot of guys would have been out another week or two and alex came back. i'm not worried about him. is that it? thank you. >> bruce, that's t the thoughts of bruce boudreau back at air canada center. alan, he talks about alex ovechkin being better tonight.

we all agreed with that and we'll have more about his night. the one thing that he said that intrigued me, he was trying to paint the positive picture, tired team, good to get a point on the road. we were probably harder on his team that we were. his first statement confused me a little bit. he said we were lucky come out with one point which suggested the way we are looking at it that they didn't deserve to get a point. and then he says it was a good one point which backs his theory, there is no bad thing as a point. he has a public side? where do you think he is going to address his players? >> alan: if he is honest with him, he is very lucky to get a point being lucky, you have to be lucky to be good. that's the same thing. if pittsburgh wins and new jersey is down with 10 minutes to go and dallas, this keeps them atop the eastern conference and division. most important thing is they got a patriotism i just think that he understands how

fatigued, how tired these guys are. it's so much easier to focus on ovechkin with all the different injuries, having all these young kids up from the minors. none of these guys pure goal scorers that were brought up. gordon is having a good season in hershey but he is not somebody that the washington capitals are looking to score 30, 40, 50 goals in the future. and jay beagle has two goals down in hershey. they want him to play good mature minute, develop their game, not make mistake, not create a loss for them and just to continue to gain their confidence and grow as players so, on that side -- and then they know mike green gets 30 minutes of ice time. ate he tough for them -- they could not go to the well. he only played carlson 13 minute. he good 13 minute on 13 shift. he got got caught out there too many times. i mean, they are lucky. it was a lucky point and a a very good point if you ask me.

>> the he talked about the power play and he says we have not been very good on the power play. they were 0-for-4, now 0-for-7 for the last two games. but it i tryinged us that he took brendon morrison off the point in the power play until late in the game and that's when i thought the power play looked their best and had a chance to get what could have been the eventual game-winning goal. i was intrigued by his movement on the power play. do you think there could have been a per power play? i, i like what he adds to the team. i would like to see him start the game there i do not like seeing ovechkin standing in front of the net because you take away his lethal shot. i like knuble there. it's important to from morrison moving the buck from the top. he has good posh our, sets you up well. he will not hesitate to get puck to the net and he knows when and how to get the puck to

the net. he is much better on the point into sinai thought he moved the puck not only very well but very quickly. we're going to it aside. we mentioned a good night, we thought-- and so did his coach for alex ovechkin. number 8 was not pleased with it. we thought he have back to being the old alex ovechkin. a close look at him and much, much more on capitals post game live.

>> al: don't miss my life 365 with ron thompson, the show that takes you inside the lives of some of the area's most interesting sport figures. this week, get an inside look at redskins hall of famer art

monk. watch tomorrow night at 10:30 right here. alan may and al koken back with you on capitals post game live. last night after the cap as it' lost to the montreal canadiens. bruce boudreau bemoaned the fact that they could not get their legs going. and it was not until the third period that they got it going. i thrut it was the same tonight >> alan: they didn't they were fatigued tonight. whereas last night they were not. right from the start of the game, you know, they just weren't ready to compete. they are not skating the puck in the zone enough. ovechkin makes a pass when he should have taken the puck to the net. i thought, you know, bad decisions at the blue line, offsides continuously and a dump by mike green. it was way too easy for the

toronto maple leafs to get the puck out of the zone at the start of the game. all of a sudden, they start to figure out when they realized they would get the puck. great pass and great goal by ovechkin off the green pass. and, you know, once they started to do that, they came out are the start of the second period and started to get odd man rushes. backstrom gets the shot, goes wide with t ovechkin, same shift, gets it up to backstrom. backstrom spips and shoots off the net. this happens notice first few minutes. tomas fleischmann, backstrom to brooks laich who fans on t once he got a piece of that, they are up 2-30. they started moving their leg, started getting their shots. j b with the big move to the net. forces a. they did a big job. it was too a little too late as far as i was concerned. they were just way too tired.

this is where you start to see the absence of semin, guys like knuble because you saw that first line starting to get together and they needed some come patriot compatriots >> al: we talked about alex ovechkin. the question was for ta.riq from the washington post. ovechkin complained about not playing well. we disagreed. >> alan: i thought he did his job tonight. right from the get go, i thought he was ready all game long. he was a physical presence p presence out there, and at the start of the game, you know, this pass from brooks laich, he snaps at the net. doesn't even look at the puck. good wood on it. and here, driving the net with backstrom and just continuously working hard offensively and i

thought he was good defensively tonight. great power move. trying to go 5 hole. he provided good offense all game. he had six shots. another great shot right there but he gets six shots, four were blocked. he put 12 puck to the net all game. you can't complain about that. i know that he said he didn't play that well. he let his team down but he is the ultimate team player. he is great leader on this team and he is not going to try to stay, i played great and they didn't. he is just too much of a quality individual to do that to any of his teamates >> al: good sign that alex okachobee skin teams to be rounding back to -- alex ovechkin seems to be rounding back. we'll step out and then we'll be back to wrap this up.

welcome home, man.

a lack at the updated eastern conference standing. you see the capitals still holding on to that top spot. a buffalo sabres team, the cap looking pretty good. >> there were some really good teams. they are not surprising to me but they seem to be surprising everyone in the league. they are one of those great teams, that season after season, they develop their players and continue to climb up and just surprise team every single game that they play. >> and ryan miller in net has been the key right there for the buffalo sabres >> all right, folks, we thank you for being with us. that's going to do it for capitals post-game live brought to you by mercedes center. see you. all: hi, emily. announcer: kids who drink before age 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems

when they're adults. fore they sg when they're adults.

and the best honor of all is to be able to embrace the other. i believe in the power of the

word. i believe that you have to take this honor as a challenge. as fiction writers and people who believe in the word that we have to enter the anonymous corners of human experience. and to make that little corner right. there is so much i want to say. there are so many people i need to thank. everybody from random house. you did an amazing job. thank you very, very much. [applauding] the expansive and empathetic nature of american fiction is sort of, for me, on display here tonight. to be an immigrant is an old-fashioned word.

i feel truly impressed by this. at hill embraced by the city and what has been given to me and my family. i want to say one little word about the very special fan who i've lost this year. i would like to dedicate this award to frank mccourt. [applauding] >> i think he is dancing upstairs. as he said to me one time, he is going to be dancing upstairs. in the morning all will be forgiven. it is an extraordinary thing. they keep to the fellow andretti

sewer year. and i'm sort of speechless. have a good night. [applauding] >> let's hear it for all the nominees and the winners. come on. [applauding] >> ladies and gentlemen, that is going to just about do it. three quick things. after this the party continues. we are having an after party. liquor, lots of good stuff. second, please be sure to join us next year at the national book awards where the early favorite in the fiction category

is "going rogue" by sarah palin. and finally just on a personal note this is the first time i have ever hosted the national book awards. it was quite an honor. thank you very much. thank you. [applauding] >> t.j. stiles recounts the life of cornelius vanderbilt who built an american empire on a pro roads and steam ships making him one of the biggest man in the world. wednesday mr. stiles won the national book award for non-fiction. about an hour and 15 minutes. >> thanks for coming, everyone. it is a pleasure to be here at the library at the coleman center. "the first tycoon" takes its place this year as the biography

of record of one of the greatest figures. cornelius vanderbilt's career spanned an incredible epic in this nation. as t.j. stiles writes few 19th century businessman equal vanderbilt. of those who did arguably none proved to be so influential and so fundamental over the time so formative for so long. born in 1794 the commodore lived to be 82 and played a significant role in so many of the leading events in this tumultuous life from the very beginnings of steamboat travel to the seminal supreme court case establishing the federal government's right to regulate

interstate commerce to trans-atlantic travel, the start of travel across central america, and the planting of the sea that was to become the panama canal. the crushing of the notorious american filibuster, william walker. the destruction of the confederate ironclad merrimack and the safeguarding of the union's gold shipments both of which played a seminal role in winning the civil war and the birth of the modern corporation. the consolidation of the great new york rail lines, the growth of new york city into the first city of america and the major world hub of finance and trade complete with its first grand central station. vendor build played a major part jor part in all of these events and more his life left its mark.

he started in business at the very epitome of a jacksonian ideal. the working man does wearing only a level playing field. he ended it as a symbol of inequality of monopoly in the gilded age, when he made americans question the dangers of gigantism in business. he was instrumental in acquainting americans with the very idea of the modern corporation. when the cornelius vanderbilt was a young man americans worked almost exclusively as farmers and small businessmen. what money they saw was mostly solid calling. corporations or a rarity. entities or a limited duration. by the time vanderbilt americans were introduced to paper money in stocks and bonds and even more abstract representations of

wealth. his own life served as an epic within the epic. he started out as a teenage farm boy with a few years of g rade-school education. by the time of his death he was estimated to be the second-richest man in america with a fortune of nearly $100 million. to give you an idea of what that meant stiles writes a vanderbilt had somehow been able to liquidate his entire estate he would have received one of every $9 in circulation. if bill gates had been able to liquidate his estate at his prime he would have been entitled to one of every $138 circulation. he did not come by this money easily. he was a tough, capable, and stunningly intelligent man. his life was one of almost constant competition.

he fought in almost every irina been available from the fist fights ghts to racing is steambs up the hudson, defending himself, battling the business that ran from connecticut to california and watching endless cruise on the wall street to whipping his prized trotters against other sportsmen. a contest that on at least two occasions left him pitch down head first on the road in what looked to be fatal accidents. he was a hard man who was hard on those around him including a wife he seems to have driven to a sanitarium, son-in-laws who served as his personal minions. daughters who snubbed his second live and bitterly contested his will, a son who suffered a

nervous breakdown, and two more sons who lived tragic lives and never did in his approval. he was also a man capable of love. great works of charity and sentiment as witnessed by his repeated attempts to contact old friends and loved ones through seances. it is both a great personal and public story. t.j. stiles has done a magnificent job of guiding us through a less crowded with the bands and with a wonderfully colorful supporting cast full of such names as james baker, henry clues, a georgia law, aw, fernaz wood, frank work, salmon chase, big jim fisk, victoria woodhull, erastus corning, a.