Photo credit: Dave Sanford

Sunday night after the Capitals’ 3-0 win against the Wild, Coach Dale Hunter said that tonight’s matchup with the Buffalo Sabres was going to be “like the seventh game of the playoffs.”

Apparently, Mike Knuble didn’t read his talking points memo, because on DC101’s Elliot in the Morning this Monday he said the exact opposite. “There is a tomorrow after the game,” Knuble told Elliot. “It’s not like a game seven or anything, but you know, they’re obviously a team that’s right with us, right here. They talk about these four-point games, that can be two points we get, two points they won’t get.”

While Knuble wasn’t quite ready to call it playoffs in March, he did acknowledge that the game was important, the team was pumped–and he has a challenge for the fans attending the game tonight. “I hope everybody’s there early, I hope everyone’s in their seat early, I hope they’re ready to see a good game. I don’t want people filtering in there, getting there late, getting out of work late. Skip out of work early! Be there on time! Be there in the warmup!”

Audio of Knuble’s Interview