Avalanche at Capitals
Two of the hottest teams in the NHL clash when Washington hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, but goaltender Braden Holtby puts the Capitals' success of late in perspective. “If we want to be an elite team, this shouldn’t be a hot streak,” Holtby told CSN Washington. “This should be a normal streak.” Washington extended its point streak to seven games (5-0-2) and is 12-1-4 in its last 17 contests following a 3-1 victory over Detroit on Saturday - its fifth consecutive win at home.
Colorado has won five of its last six contests after defeating Dallas 4-3 on Saturday and goaltender Semyon Varlamov has returned to the form that made him a Vezina Trophy finalist last season. The 26-year-old Russian, who was selected in the first round by Washington in the 2006 draft and played his first three NHL seasons with the Capitals, is 6-2-0 with two shutouts, a .940 save percentage and 1.97 goals-against average since returning from a groin injury. The Avalanche forwards are also starting to hit their best stride as Matt Duchene snapped a 12-game scoring drought with Saturday's winning goal.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), CSN Washington
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (18-16-8): While Varlamov has been the biggest reason for Colorado's resurgence, Erik Johnson and his career-high and league-leading 12 goals among defensemen is right behind. "Kind of just proves that if you believe in yourself - doesn't matter what anyone else says - you can accomplish anything," Johnson told the Denver Post on Saturday after learning he will appear in his first All-Star Game as Colorado's only representative. Calder Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon is starting to snap out his sophomore slump with three goals in his last eight games after scoring five in his previous 34 contests this season.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (22-11-8): Washington's lone representative in the All-Star Game will be captain Alex Ovechkin, who was selected for a club-record sixth time and will make his fifth appearance, but the Capitals are far more than a one-man team. "Everyone knows what (Ovechkin) can do for our power play, but we’re rolling four lines and they are four capable lines,” Holtby said after Saturday's victory improved Washington to 7-0-2 in the last nine games when Ovechkin does not score. Holtby - like Varlamov - is the Capitals' backbone, starting a career-high 18 consecutive games and appearing in 24 in a row, and is 20-8-2, .921, 2.27 this season.
OVERTIME
1. Washington is 19-1-2 when leading after two periods - tied for the most wins in such games with Tampa Bay.
2. The Capitals boast the league's fourth-best power play at 23.8 percent, with Ovechkin (nine) and Troy Brouwer (six) accounting for more than half of the 29 goals.
3. Washington defeated Colorado 3-2 on Nov. 20 in Denver on Ovechkin's goal with 5:56 left, and Holtby made 27 saves to help the Capitals snap a four-game losing streak to the Avalanche.