Capitals at Senators
Andrew Hammond is the hottest goaltender in the league but he'll be facing the NHL's most dangerous offensive force when the Ottawa Senators host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. The Senators have won 17 of their last 22 games (17-4-1) to surge up the standings but they remain three points behind Detroit and Boston for the final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference.
"You look at the scoreboard after the game and you see Boston is continuing to win, so you just have to keep stringing wins together," Ottawa rookie Mark Stone said. The Capitals kicked off a three-game road trip by beating Montreal 5-4 in a shootout to pull into a tie with the New York Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Winners of three straight and seven of nine overall, Washington can wrap up a playoff berth with a victory over the Senators. The Capitals have scored 13 times during their current winning streak.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, TVA, CSN Washington
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (43-25-10): Two nights after becoming the sixth player in history to reach the 50-goal plateau six times, Ovechkin continued his tear by scoring twice against Montreal to boost his league-high total to 52. Washington's superstar captain also eclipsed the franchise record held by Peter Bondra (472) with his 473rd and 474th career tallies, giving him five goals in his last three games and 30 in the past 34 contests. Ovechkin is also tied with John Tavares of the New York Islanders for second in the league's scoring chase, one point behind Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (39-26-12): After missing two games with a back injury - both losses - Hammond has been stellar in his return, allowing one goal in each of the past two starts - victories over Detroit (shootout) and Tampa Bay on defenseman Patrick Wiercioch's goal in the final seconds of overtime. The "Hamburglar," named the league's First Star in March, is 16-1-1 since he was promoted from the minors on an emergency basis. Stone, who scored his 20th goal Thursday, and center Kyle Turris have each amassed 11 points over the last nine games.
OVERTIME
1. Ovechkin has 20 goals and 37 points in 33 games versus Ottawa.
2. Turris has scored five times in 10 games against the Capitals.
3. Washington ended a four-game skid in the series with a 2-1 victory at Ottawa on Feb. 5.