It's tough when you have to say goodbye to one of the really good guys that don the pads and mask, but that seems to be where we are right now with Capitals veteran Craig Billington. Billington cleared waivers earlier this week and it appears the Caps will buy out the remaining part of his contract.

	Craig Billington Goaltender Washington Capitals Profile
	CAREER STATISTICS GM W L T SV% GAA 332 110 149 31 .877 3.63

Goaltenders don't like the "backup" moniker and for good reason. Billington is a student of the game, he is very serious about the makeup of a team, the character that a player may have or doesn't have. I can picture him joining a team in the front office at some point, maybe sooner than even he thinks.

"This is always difficult to do," GM George McPhee told the Washington Post. "Billington has created a really important role within the team in addition to stopping pucks. But this is honestly the nature of the sport when someone else comes along who is younger and cheaper and can do the job."

Sebastien Charpentier really deserved the job as a result of his work in the preseason, but out of respect to Billington's relationship with the players and Olaf Kolzig, they gave him every chance to get his game back to where it needed to be at this level. You have to respect that. As far as Kolzig goes, he will surely miss his long time partner and good friend.

"Biller has been my favorite goaltending partner," he told the paper. "He keeps everything loose with some of his antics. This is a guy you want on your team."

Good luck, my friend, you have enjoyed a wonderful career.

In the meantime, Ollie was sensational Monday night in his return to the lineup after missing five games with a strained thigh. He made 35 saves in the 2-2 tie at Colorado, where he was named the first star.

Brent Johnson has made a strong return to the lineup for the Blues, tying Nashville in his first game back, then making 32 saves in a shutout of Atlanta. Fred Brathwaite performed well prior to Johnson's return, especially in the 3-1 win at Philadelphia where he was the first star.

Let's take a look at this week's rankings before we snuggle up and get all cozy with a little eggnog beside in front of the TV.

The top five rankings:

Theodore Hackett	5. Jose Theodore, Montreal Canadiens 2 GP, 2-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .932 save percentage and Jeff Hackett, Montreal Canadiens 3 GP, 2-1-0, 2.33 GAA, .929 save percentage The only loss in their last five games was a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay, during which Hackett made 31 saves. In the other four wins, both goalies were either first or third stars. Theodore has been sharp in his last two starts, making a combined 55 saves in a 4-2 win vs. Boston and a 3-2 victory in Ottawa (30 saves, first star). Hackett has bailed this team out every time they've needed him. He won 4-2 at Phoenix and 4-2 at Boston, making 60 saves in the two wins and earning the first star in both.
Thibault	4. Jocelyn Thibault, Chicago Blackhawks 5 GP, 3-1-1, 2.36 GAA, .923 save percentage He has been a rock for the Hawks. The entire team lacked passion in the 5-0 loss to the Stars on ESPN2 Sunday night. Prior to that, Thibault has been the difference. After winning 3-1 vs. Tampa Bay, he played all three games during a tough New York state road swing. He won 3-2 at Long Island, then put on a terrific show against the Rangers, making 42 saves in a 4-3 win. He finished up with a 1-1 tie at Buffalo, with the Sabres scoring late to salvage the point. Last year at this time, the Hawks had the NHL's best month (Dec.15 to Jan.15), which helped them secure a playoff position. Could this be the start of the same?
Roloson	3. Dwayne Roloson, Minnesota Wild 5 GP, 3-0-2, 1.55 GAA, .947 save percentage He only played in three games during what is generally a five-game ranking segment (his last five games are listed above), but his recent play merits this position. Rolie won all three starts, beginning with a 4-2 win at Vancouver in which he made 32 fabulous saves and was named the second star. He then skated into Joe Louis Arena and won 3-2 with 36 saves and first-star honors. In his last start, he beat the 'Canes 2-1, making 33 saves in the process, and extended his unbeaten streak to eight games.
Belfour	2. Ed Belfour , Toronto Maple Leafs 5 GP, 3-2-0, 1.21 GAA, .958 save percentage They haven't scored many goals for the Eagle, but he's making the key saves to give the Leafs a chance in every game. He's won three of his last five games. He gave up just three goals in the losses, while the Leafs scored just once -- a 2-1 defeat in Philadelphia where Belfour made 29 saves in a strong performance and was named third star. Prior to that, he made 38 saves in a 1-0 win vs. New Jersey and 35 saves in a 4-1 win over the Rangers (second star).
Giguere	1. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim Mighty Ducks 5 GP, 4-1-0, 1.00 GAA, .955 save percentage The NHL's Player of the Week gets the nod at No. 1. Giguere posted three straight shutouts, extending his franchise-best shutout streak to 200:15. The Ducks continue their fine all-around play in front of him, beating Nashville, Washington and Pittsburgh by a combined score of 11-0. In the last 10 periods, he has stopped 74 consecutive shots, dating back to Alexei Zhamnov's second-period goal on Dec. 6.

Darren Pang, a former goaltender with the Chicago Blackhawks, is a hockey analyst for ESPN. His goalie rankings appear every other week in Net Effect.