Ducks at Capitals
One night after beginning their five-game road trip with a victory in a battle of heavyweights, the league-leading Anaheim Ducks continue their trek against the Washington Capitals on Friday. Anaheim reclaimed first place in the race for the Presidents' Trophy with a convincing 5-2 win at Nashville on Thursday despite being without the services of injured captain Ryan Getzlaf. Jakob Silfverberg scored a pair of goals and Frederik Andersen made 44 saves as the Ducks moved two points ahead of both the Predators and St. Louis Blues with 74.
Washington matched Anaheim with its second straight victory Thursday, a 2-1 triumph at Ottawa that ended its five-game skid on the road. Rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov and captain Alex Ovechkin scored 49 seconds apart in the second period to erase a deficit and the Capitals held on to remain three points behind the first-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division. Washington also occupies the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as it enters Friday's matchup with points in four of its last five games (3-1-1).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), CSN-DC (Washington)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (34-12-6): Getzlaf was a late scratch against the Predators as he aggravated a lower-body injury during pregame warmups. The 29-year-old All-Star recorded a goal and an assist in Tuesday's overtime victory over Carolina after being kept off the scoresheet in each of his previous three games. Andersen posted his 29th victory of the season Thursday, tying him with Nashville's Pekka Rinne for the league lead.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (27-15-10): Ovechkin's goal versus the Senators was his 32nd this campaign, giving him a share of first place in the NHL with fellow All-Star Rick Nash of the New York Rangers. It also was the Russian superstar's seventh game-winner of 2014-15, which knotted him with Anaheim's Matt Beleskey, New Jersey's Mike Cammalleri and All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson of Arizona for tops in the league. Ovechkin's next tally will tie him with Theo Fleury (455) for 55th place on the all-time list.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim was outshot 24-2 in the third period Thursday but only outscored 2-1.
2. Washington G Braden Holtby allowed a regulation goal on Thursday for the first time in four games.
3. Andersen has won nine of his last 10 starts.