Sharks at Capitals
The San Jose Sharks look every bit the Stanley Cup contenders they plan to be through the first week of the season, though it’s only a two-game sample. The Sharks will attempt to keep their positive momentum going when they cross the country to visit the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. San Jose has yet to allow a goal and is being led offensively by alternate captain Patrick Marleau, who has two goals and two assists.
The Capitals have yet to suffer a regulation loss as well through two games and put up a dominating 4-0 win at Boston on Saturday behind a pair of goals from captain Alex Ovechkin. Washington is learning a new system under coach Barry Trotz and Ovechkin is being counted on to assume more of a role on defense in addition to his scoring prowess. “We just need balance,” Trotz told the Washington Post. “…If we can be really good in our own end and be really good through the neutral zone and detailed and be hard to play against, then I think our depth and our personnel will shine and we won’t have those peaks and valleys that probably we've been known for.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN California (San Jose), CSNDC (Washington)
ABOUT THE SHARKS (2-0-0): San Jose is beginning a stretch with 15 of the next 19 games on the road and is hoping to find out something about the team in the process, especially where the leadership is coming from after the captaincy was removed from Joe Thornton. "Playing well on the road, playing well at home, you're doing the same thing - you're doing something well consistently," coach Todd McLellan told the San Jose Mercury News. "All four lines, all six defensemen and goaltending, you're playing to your identity and playing it well." So far, all of those things are clicking for McLellan thanks to the play of Marleau and goaltender Antti Niemi.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (1-0-1): Washington is not that far behind the Sharks in the goals-against category, with Trotz’s new defense surrendering one regulation tally in the first two contests. “It’s a good start,” Trotz told the Post. “It’s a start of a foundation but we've got a lot of work to do yet.” Ovechkin is getting some help on the other end of the ice from rookie left wing Andre Burakovsky, who scored the Capitals’ lone goal in the 2-1 shootout loss to Montreal in the opener and chipped in a pair of assists in Saturday’s win.
OVERTIME
1. Both meetings last season went to a shootout, with the road team grabbing the win in each.
2. San Jose RW Mike Brown (hand) is questionable after leaving Saturday’s game.
3. Washington G Braden Holtby posted his 12th career shutout on Saturday.