Maple Leafs at Capitals
The Washington Capitals have yet to lose in April, posting seven straight victories as part of a nine-game point streak (8-0-1) dating to March 30. The Capitals try to extend that streak on Tuesday as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are looking for their first season series sweep of Washington in 10 years. Toronto, which is fifth in the Eastern Conference, defeated the Southeast Division-leading Capitals 3-2 at home on Jan. 31 and again in Washington on Feb. 5. The Maple Leafs have points in their last five games (4-0-1) and have not allowed a power-play goal in seven contests (25 opportunities).
With 12 wins in its last 15 games, Washington can largely attribute its resurgence to the dominant play of captain Alex Ovechkin, who has 17 goals and 24 points in that span. Toronto’s Phil Kessel was named last week’s Second Star by the NHL after posting five goals and seven points in three games. He followed that by scoring the winning goal in a 2-0 victory over New Jersey on Monday. James Reimer made 32 saves for his ninth career shutout on Monday and has started Toronto’s last eight games. Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby have split the last four starts for Washington, with Holtby allowing five goals on 40 shots in an overtime win over Tampa Bay on Saturday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN (Toronto), CSN (Washington)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (24-13-5): Reimer (17-5-5) is three wins away from his career high of 20 set in 2010-11. Backup Ben Scrivens, who has not played since making 40 saves in a 3-2 victory over Florida on March 26, might get the nod Tuesday with Toronto playing back-to-back contests. Joffrey Lupul missed his fifth straight game on Monday due to a concussion but has been cleared to resume contact. Lupul likely will miss Tuesday’s game, but it’s possible he will join the lineup on Thursday against Philadelphia. Kessel’s scoring surge of six tallies in four games matches his goal total for the entire month of March, which in turn was two more than he scored in all of January and February.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (23-17-2): Ovechkin leads the league with 27 goals and has scored nine of them this month. Nicklas Backstrom leads the team with 13 points in April - all assists. Defenseman Mike Green appears to have found his offensive game, with five goals in seven contests to raise his season total to 10. Martin Erat, acquired from Nashville at the trade deadline, returned to the lineup Saturday after missing three games with a leg injury but was minus-2. Joel Ward (knee) and Brooks Laich (groin) remain out indefinitely. Washington’s power play, ranked best in the league at 25.5% efficiency, is 3-for-9 in its last two games.
OVERTIME
1. An eight-game winning streak would be Washington’s longest since it won nine in a row from Feb. 26-March 15, 2011.
2. Kessel has three assists and Toronto LW James van Riemsdyk three goals in the two previous games against the Capitals.
3. Ovechkin has 44 points in 29 career meetings with the Maple Leafs.
PREDICTION: Capitals 3, Maple Leafs 2