Canucks at Capitals
Captain Alex Ovechkin and red-hot Washington Capitals look to continue their respective torrid streaks on Thursday when the Vancouver Canucks begin their six-game road trip with a visit to the Verizon Center. The three-time Hart Trophy winner joined the 500-goal club in spectacular fashion on Sunday, netting a pair of tallies as Washington breezed to its fourth straight victory and 13th in 15 outings with a 7-1 rout of Ottawa.
Ovechkin, who has five goals in his last three contests, netted the game-winning tally late in regulation in the Capitals' 3-2 triumph versus Vancouver on Oct. 22. While the 30-year-old Russian once again etched his name in the record book, Washington will try to prevent Daniel Sedin from doing the same as the veteran moved within one of fellow Swede Markus Naslund (346) for the most goals in franchise history. "(Naslund) was an idol growing up," Sedin told NHL.com. "He meant so much to (me and twin brother Henrik) coming into this league. He's a better goal-scorer than me, no question about that." Daniel Sedin, who scored twice as Vancouver ended Florida's 12-game winning streak on Monday, is riding a six-game point streak (five goals, six assists) in the series with the Capitals.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RSN (Vancouver), CSMA (Washington)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (17-16-10): Veteran Ryan Miller is expected to return to the crease for the first time since suffering a groin injury on Dec. 20. "I'm very excited. I definitely didn't expect to be out this long," Miller told the team's website. "I want to get back in and battle." Captain Henrik Sedin, who had a pair of assists in the physical contest versus the Panthers, scored and set up a goal in the initial game against the Capitals to extend his point total to 13 (three goals, 10 assists) in 16 career encounters.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (32-7-3): Nicklas Backstrom, who had three assists versus the Senators, has scored three goals and set up six others during his six-game point streak. The first-time All-Star, however, has been limited to just five assists in 10 career meetings versus Vancouver. Evgeny Kuznetsov has cooled down a bit of late, notching just one assist since recording three multi-point performances during a four-game stretch.
OVERTIME
1. Washington will honor Ovechkin for becoming the fifth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 500-goal plateau during a pregame ceremony on Thursday.
2. Vancouver has scored one power-play goal in each of its last four contests after going 0-for-20 with the man advantage in the previous nine.
3. Capitals C Marcus Johansson is eligible to return to the lineup after serving his two-game suspension for an illegal check.