Capitals at Maple Leafs
Time is running out for the Washington Capitals to put together a big run as they prepare to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday before embarking on a rough West Coast trip. The Capitals have played more games than most of the teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference playoff race and will face Los Angeles (twice), Anaheim, San Jose and Boston in the five after Sunday. Toronto has won four of its last five – two in overtime - to climb into second place in the Atlantic Division.
Washington squandered a 3-1 lead in the third period against Vancouver Friday before defenseman Mike Green’s goal rescued its second victory in seven games (2-4-1). Captain Alex Ovechkin snapped a four-game goal-scoring drought Friday to give him a league-leading 45 – including two against Toronto in a pair of games (1-0-1). James Reimer replaced injured Jonathan Bernier in goal and stopped all 31 shots he faced in the 3-2 win at Los Angeles on Thursday.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, SNET-Ontario (Toronto), CSN Washington
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (36-24-8): Toronto has played more games than many below it and seven of the next eight games are against teams it is currently battling for playoff spots. Bernier (lower-body injury) will reportedly have an MRI while Drew MacIntyre was recalled and is expected to back up Reimer against the Capitals. Phil Kessel has been kept off the scoresheet in four of the last six games, but leads the Maple Leafs with 73 points and James van Riemsdyk has a career-best 55.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (31-27-10): Ovechkin has 19 of his goals on the power play and second-leading scorer Nicklas Backstrom has 36 of his 65 points when the Capitals have the man advantage – most in the league. Washington has been outscored 130-117 when it has played 5-on-5 and others must step up like Green, who did not have a point in four games before his goal Friday. Jaroslav Halak started the last four games after being acquired at the trade deadline, going 2-2-0 while allowing 10 goals on 128 shots.
OVERTIME
1. Washington is second in the league on the power play at 23.3 percent and Toronto is one spot behind at 21, but is 2-of-25 the last 11 games.
2. Reimer made 49 saves to beat the Capitals 2-1 in a shootout on Nov. 23.
3. Washington’s rookie F Evgeny Kuznetsov earned his first career points with three assists in his third game Friday.