Coyotes at Capitals
THE STORY: It has taken only 11 games for the Washington Capitals to go from dominant to dreadful. Returning home following a disastrous 0-3-0 road trip, the Capitals look for anything to go their way as they entertain the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday. Washington opened the season with seven straight victories but has gone 3-7-1 since. That cold streak was capped by the club's worst game of the season Saturday, a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of a Toronto team that had dropped its previous three games. The offense is struggling, the goaltending has been awful and team chemistry appears to be fading as the club looks to avoid a five-game losing skid. Phoenix enters having gone 3-1-0 on a five-game road swing that ends Monday. The Coyotes have yet to allow more than three goals in any game during the trip.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), CS Washington
ABOUT THE COYOTES (10-5-3): The Pacific Division looks to be one of the toughest in the NHL again this season - and that suits Phoenix just fine. The Coyotes have a solid 3-2-2 record against divisional foes, including an impressive 3-0 win over San Jose that kicked off the road trip. Phoenix has been even more impressive against the Eastern Conference, owning a 4-1-1 mark that ranks among the best of any Western Conference club this season.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (10-7-1): Washington coach Bruce Boudreau is trying to keep the players from getting too down on themselves. "It feels like the end of the world but it’s not the end of the world," he told reporters following Saturday's loss. Capitals general manager George McPhee declined to give Boudreau a vote of confidence after the game, but he has been one of the veteran coach's biggest supporters and likely isn't keen on replacing him yet.
OVERTIME:
1. Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin has been held without a point in four straight games, the first time that's happened since 2007.
2. Phoenix has won five of the last seven encounters between the teams, including a 3-2 triumph in their last meeting Feb. 14.