Flyers at Capitals
The Washington Capitals can kill two birds with one stone with a victory Sunday afternoon over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. After all, the Capitals can improve their postseason position by recording a season-high fourth consecutive win while also dealing a blow to the flickering playoff aspirations of the Flyers. Philadelphia, which begins a four-game road trip in the nation's capital, suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday to finish a promising 4-0-1 homestand.
"It's a good opportunity for us to kind of bury them behind us," Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen told the team's website. "They're probably looking at that game Sunday as their last chance to get things going in the right direction if they're going to come back, because we are one of the teams that they've got to catch." Jason Chimera collected a goal and an assist in the Capitals' 3-2 win over Anaheim on Friday and netted the lone tally in a 1-0 home victory over the Flyers on Jan. 14.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, NHLN, CSN Philadelphia, CSN-DC (Washington)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (22-22-8): Captain Claude Giroux and fellow All-Star Jakub Voracek have provided a consistent offensive presence this season but have been held off the scoresheet in two consecutive contests. "They're fighting it a little too much," coach Craig Berube told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "... They need to slow it down a little bit. I think they are pressing too much." Voracek scored 1:28 into overtime to lift the Flyers to a 3-2 home triumph over Washington on Jan. 8.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (28-15-10): Braden Holtby received a rare night off on Friday but will face the Flyers for the first time since stopping all 21 shots he faced on Jan. 14. Captain Alex Ovechkin scored in the first meeting with Philadelphia and has 28 goals and 17 assists in 35 games against the Flyers. Nicklas Backstrom hasn't been too shabby in his own right versus Philadelphia, netting 12 tallies and setting up 29 others in 28 career meetings.
OVERTIME
1. Washington has failed on five separate occasions in its bid to extend a three-game winning streak this season.
2. Philadelphia has won just seven of its 26 games on the road this season (7-15-4), with Buffalo, Edmonton and Los Angeles being the only teams with fewer victories away from home.
3. The Capitals are just 2-for-13 on the power play over their last five games while the Flyers have thwarted 14 of their last 15 short-handed situations.