Wilson Gets Wish, Feels Vindicated

Ron Wilson, former Duck coach now with Washington, said he dreamed last spring that the Capitals would open the season against the Ducks and there would be a pregame ceremony to raise a Stanley Cup banner in the MCI Center.

“I got the schedule and I couldn’t believe it, because we’re actually opening against Anaheim,” Wilson told the Sporting News. “Except the banner we’re raising is the Eastern Conference banner, not the Stanley Cup banner.”

Wilson and the Capitals host the Ducks on Saturday in their regular-season opener. It proves either that Wilson is a great prognosticator or the NHL schedule-makers have a sense of humor.

“There’s some sense of vindication [because the Ducks missed the playoffs last season],” said Wilson, fired after leading the Ducks to the second round of the 1997 playoffs. “People were led to believe the team succeeded when I was there because the Ducks had a couple of great players, not because of the coaching.”

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Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg continues defending his defensemen.

“Part of the problem is people keep telling them they are a bad defense,” Hartsburg said. “You hear that often enough and you start believing it. We keep telling them they can be a good defense. We don’t want to start the season with negative thoughts, saying, ‘You can’t do this and you can’t do that.’ They’ve got to believe in themselves.”

For the record, the Ducks were 2-7 and were outscored, 40-25, in the exhibition season. No other team gave up more goals.

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The Ducks reached the NHL’s 24-man roster limit Thursday by sending goaltender Jamie Ram to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.