Islanders at Capitals
The Washington Capitals will have their full complement of players on Thursday when they look to snap a modest two-game skid versus the visiting New York Islanders. Captain Alex Ovechkin (lower body) was serving a mandatory one-game suspension for missing the NHL All-Star Game and Braden Holtby was given the night off on Tuesday in Washington's 5-2 setback to Florida.
"He's fresh," Capitals coach Barry Trotz told Monumental Network of Ovechkin. "We'll see if he's totally healthy, but he'll play (Thursday). He's zooming around and he's missing everybody. When you don't play, you feel like an outsider. He's in the in group again and he'll be good." Ovechkin and Holtby certainly were good in the teams' first meeting this season, as the former scored a goal and the latter made 34 saves as Washington posted a 4-1 victory over New York on Jan. 7. Brock Nelson scored his club's lone goal in that contest and has six of his career high-tying 20 in the Islanders' last six games (4-1-1) - including a tally in the team's 5-3 win over Minnesota on Tuesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA, SN360, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (26-16-6): Coach Jack Capuano was pleased with Tuesday's 40-save performance by Jean-Francois Berube, noting that the 24-year-old will be an integral part of the club. "I think everybody's got to realize he is part of the team," Capuano told Newsday. "We have three goalies. It's not like he's an extra goalie. He's one of the three." As for whether Berube receives a second straight start or Jaroslav Halak or Thomas Greiss gets the nod on Thursday, well, Capuano isn't saying.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (35-9-4): Taylor Chorney did his best to play through an illness on Tuesday, but the defenseman fought a losing battle and exited the contest in the second period. With fellow blue-liner Brooks Orpik on long-term injured reserve, Washington may need to look to the minors for an emergency recall should Chorney be unable to play against New York. "We don't know if he's available," Trotz told the Washington Post. "We might not know until after warm-ups."
OVERTIME
1. Ovechkin has scored 42 points (27 goals, 15 assists) in 38 career meetings with the Islanders.
2. New York is making its first visit to Verizon Center since losing in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs last spring.
3. The Capitals are 7-1-2 in their last 10 meetings with the Islanders.