Hurricanes at Capitals
The surging Washington Capitals have already wrapped up a playoff berth and are closing in on their third consecutive Metropolitan Division title. The two-time reigning Presidents' Trophy winners look to extend their winning streak to a season-high six games when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Washington leads the division by five points and is peaking at the right time, completing a home-and-home sweep of the New York Rangers on Wednesday night to improve to 9-1-0 over its last 10 games and secure its fourth straight postseason berth. "It's the first step on the way," forward Lars Eller said after scoring the tying goal with under two minutes left in regulation in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime win over New York. "We want to win our division and go into the playoffs on a high note." The Capitals have won five of the past six meetings against the Hurricanes, although Carolina skated to a 3-1 victory in its last visit to Washington on Jan. 11. The Hurricanes' playoff hopes unraveled after they lost 11 of 14 starting in mid-February and, even if they win their final five, they will be mathematically eliminated from contention if New Jersey earns one point over its last five games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Carolina, NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (34-32-11): After managing one goal and one assist in an 18-game span, forward Phillip Di Giuseppe has come alive by netting three goals and setting up three others in the past four contests. "I like to think I've been doing the same things," Di Giuseppe said. "I've been trying to move my feet more and just shoot it and not overthink it." Rookie Warren Foegele scored in each of his first two NHL games, but he was sent back to Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Thursday.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (46-24-7): With Philipp Grubauer ailing, Washington needed Braden Holtby to come up with a solid effort and he delivered with 35 saves against New York. It marked only the second time in 11 starts that Holtby yielded fewer than three goals. "I felt comfortable," Holtby said. "It's something I'm not used to -- not playing much. The stamina and such was a little different than I was used to, but it felt good to go out there and just get to work and play in a high-intensity game."
OVERTIME
1. Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom has eight assists during a three-game point streak and is four shy of reaching 50 for the fifth straight season.
2. The Hurricanes are 1-for-15 on the power play over the past seven games.
3. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has three goals and five points in three meetings versus Carolina this season.