Capitals at Blue Jackets
It appears the schedule maker is the only one who can slow down the Washington Capitals, who visit the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Washington, which leads the Metropolitan Division by 11 points over the New York Rangers, had its nine-game winning streak snapped with a 4-2 loss at Carolina on Thursday in their second contest of back-to-back games and third in four nights, and tries to avoid its first losing streak of the season.
"We had a couple of passengers (Thursday), which is rare," Capitals coach Barry Trotz told reporters after Washington suffered only its second loss in regulation since Nov. 19. The Capitals' Alex Ovechkin scored four goals in the last three games to increase his team-best total to 21 and is four shy of becoming the 43rd player in NHL history to record 500. Columbus snapped a three-game slide Tuesday with a 6-3 victory over Dallas - the NHL's top team with 59 points, one more than Washington - and trails Washington by 27 points. “I was proud of everyone’s answer and effort (Tuesday),” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno told reporters. “We have to continue to do that, it can’t be one and done, and we have to string a lot together. It was nice to see everyone smiling.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN DC (Washington), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (28-7-2): Centers Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov each have 11 goals and share the team lead with 22 assists while second on the club in points behind Ovechkin (34). Washington center Jay Beagle suffered an upper-body injury in Wednesday's 5-2 victory over Buffalo and will be out for "an extended period of time," according to Trotz, while defenseman John Carlson (lower body) could return after missing the last three contests. Braden Holtby (24-4-1, 1.86 goals-against average, .934 save percentage), who leads the NHL in wins and is second in goals-against average, is expected to start.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (14-22-3): After coach John Tortorella called out his veteran players prior to Sunday's 3-2 loss in Florida, Columbus responded with its second-highest goal total of the season. Foligno had three assists Tuesday, giving him 301 career points, after missing the previous three games because of an undisclosed injury while Brandon Dubinsky - like Foligno - matched his career high with three helpers. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (11-12-1, 2.52, .916) could start after missing the previous 10 games with a groin injury - a stretch in which the Blue Jackets went 3-6-1.
OVERTIME
1. The Capitals have not allowed a power-play goal in five games (15 chances) while Columbus is 2-for-18 with the extra man during that span.
2. Columbus C Ryan Johansen (team-high 19 assists) hasn't scored in 13 games and is stuck on six goals after recording 26 and 33 in the last two seasons.
3. Washington has won two straight meetings, including 2-1 on Oct. 30 in the first encounter of the season.