"Thirty games remain for the Washington Capitals. The trade deadline is three weeks away. Tick. Tock.

Actually, there might be more of a ringing in their ears after the Boston Bruins beat them 4-1 on Super Sunday at Verizon Center. In addition to the defeat, the Capitals may have lost yet another key performer: multitasker Brooks Laich, who limped off midway through the game after being checked into the boards. Throw in Nick Backstrom's lingering concussion issues, Mike Green's abdominal surgery and the continuing funks of Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, and the prospect of a late-season run like last year's seems unlikely.

Dale Hunter wasn't overreacting to Laich's left knee injury, not that Dale is the overreacting type. "We're gonna see tomorrow," he said. "Day to day now." Laich, meanwhile, was hoping a little ice — and his own magical healing powers — would do the trick."