Capitals at Ducks
Alex Ovechkin reached one milestone in his last game and aims to net another on Tuesday as the Washington Capitals open a three-game road trip against the Anaheim Ducks. Ovechkin scored to become the sixth player in NHL history with nine or more 40-goal seasons in Saturday's 5-2 win over Toronto at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Ovechkin recorded his 19th point (10 goals, nine assists) in 15 games with a first-period goal on Saturday, moving within two tallies of 600 for his decorated career. The three-time Hart Trophy recipient also set up Nicklas Backstrom's third-period goal and scored 1:58 into overtime as Washington rallied from a two-goal deficit to post a 3-2 win over Anaheim on Dec. 16. While the Capitals are clinging to first place in the congested Metropolitan Division, the Ducks have benefited from a 6-1-1 overall run and 6-0-2 stretch at Honda Center to creep within one point of second-place San Jose in the Pacific. "Guys are starting to find their role and play within it," said former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry, who has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his last 14 games. "... Guys are having fun, and when you're winning, it's fun."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (37-21-7): Evgeny Kuznetsov is enjoying a late-season surge with 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in his last 17 games, including scoring four times in the last four games to reach the 20-goal mark for the second time in his career. The 25-year-old Russian joined Backstrom with a goal and two assists versus the Maple Leafs, and both forwards also tallied in the first meeting with Anaheim. Braden Holtby, who snapped a six-game winless skid with a 27-save performance versus Toronto, improved to 3-1-0 in his career against the Ducks after turning aside 28 shots in the December tilt.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (33-21-12): Jakob Silfverberg, who scored in the first encounter with Washington, matched his point total for February with a pair of goals in Sunday's 6-3 victory over Chicago. "We've had a few guys, me included, that haven't been able to find the back of the net consistently," the 27-year-old Swede said. "Hopefully, this gets me going. We need everyone, especially at this time of the year." Fellow forward Rickard Rakell hasn't had that problem as he scored in three straight games for the third time this season, with five goals highlighting his six points on his current run to raise his team-high totals in both categories (27 goals, 54 points).
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf (club-best 36 assists) set up three goals in his second straight game and has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in his last five.
2. Washington's fifth-ranked power play has scored six times in the last six contests.
3. The Ducks have thwarted 22 consecutive short-handed opportunities and 31 of 32 overall since Feb. 9.