Just days after his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs, veteran winger Brooks Laich is on his way back to DC. To say it will be weird and emotional seeing him another jersey is an understatement; Brooks Laich was the pulse of this team for a long time.

His locker room presence was something to be admired, and his class on the ice was matched only by his reputation off the ice as a fan favorite in the Washington area. Whether he was changing tires for stranded fans or posing for photos in his car at stoplights, Laich's intimate relationship with Caps fans was a special reminder of just how important sports are to this area, and that the interaction with players and fans can be like it was eons ago when guys like me were looking up to guys like Mike Gartner and Rod Langway.

Laich tweeted a thank you to Caps following his trade on Monday:

"I want to express my extreme gratitude and my sincerest thank you to everyone in the DMV area for all you have given me in the last 12 years! I appreciate you letting me share the wonderful game of hockey with you, and I hold the people and the city in the highest regard! I am incredibly humbled by the support I have received in the past two days, and want to thank each and every one of you for the impact you have had on my life and my career!"

Brooks' return tonight will no doubt be emotional and the Caps will probably have a video tribute to the former #21. What made Laich so well liked here in DC is exactly what the Toronto locker room needs right now and I hope the team, and the fans, will be able to appreciate what he brings to the table on and off the ice.

As for the Caps, they will look to continue their new winning streak, however their play has been brutal as of late.

They made a nice comeback last night in their 3-2 victory over the Pens, but the game was all Pittsburgh up until the end of the second. The third has been Washington's strongest period this season, and they have been battling back from 1-2 goal deficits most of the year.

Holtby has been left to fend for himself, and while he is still playing very solid hockey, the goals he has let in just should not have happened. Luckily, the Caps don't have to worry too much about other teams catching up in the East as they still have a 16 point lead over the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers.

Still, Washington needs to figure out what is going wrong and get back to playing basic hockey heading into the Spring.

The puck drops at 7pm.

More to come...

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