Ducks at Capitals
After guiding Washington to plenty of home victories, Bruce Boudreau will attempt to prevent the Capitals from winning a franchise-best 13th consecutive decision on Friday when his Anaheim Ducks pay a visit. The former Capitals and current Ducks coach will also receive an close-up look at Braden Holtby, who began his NHL career under his watchful eye in 2011.
Holtby has guided the Capitals to the top of the NHL while ticketing himself as a front-runner in the race for the Vezina Trophy, posting a 30-5-2 mark with a 2.01 goals-against average. The 26-year-old Saskatchewan native posted his 13th win in 14 starts at home with 32 saves in Washington's 6-3 win over Columbus, but has yet to face the Ducks in his career. Anaheim has also enjoyed quite a bit of success at home of late, completing a season-high eight-game stretch at the Honda Center with a 5-3-0 mark. Rickard Rakell scored his career-high 10th goal - and second in as many contests - in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Minnesota.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, FSN West (Anaheim), CSMA (Washington)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (20-18-7): Anaheim made its second trade in six days on Thursday as it acquired Ryan Garbutt from Chicago for fellow depth forward Jiri Sekac. "I'm willing to play whatever role they want," Garbutt told the Ducks' website. "It's something that I'm sure will get sorted out when I get there and get a chance to talk to the coaching staff, and see what they expect out of me." Anaheim is getting plenty out of goaltender John Gibson, who leads the NHL with a 1.86 goals-against average, although only two of his 10 wins have been recorded on the road.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (35-8-3): Evgeny Kuznetsov followed up a three-assist performance in Sunday's 5-2 win over the New York Rangers with a career-high four more versus the Blue Jackets. The 23-year-old has recorded 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in his last five contests to move six ahead of fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin, who has scored in back-to-back contests and has seven tallies in his last seven games. The three-time Hart Trophy winner scored two goals and set up two others in Washington's 5-3 triumph over Anaheim on Feb. 15.
OVERTIME
1. The start of Friday's game was moved up two hours due to the snowstorm that is expected to blast the Mid-Atlantic states.
2. Washington D Karl Alzner will play in his franchise-record 423rd consecutive contest on Friday.
3. Anaheim rookie D Shea Theodore has collected a goal and three assists in his last four games after failing to dent the scoresheet in his first six contests.