Capitals at Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks attempt to salvage the finale — and score their first goal — of their three-game homestand when they host the Washington Capitals on Saturday. After beginning the season with four consecutive victories, Vancouver has been streaking in the opposite direction, going 0-3-1 over its last four contests while getting shut out in each of the first two games of its homestand.
The Canucks still are waiting for some offense from Loui Eriksson, who has yet to tally for the club after reaching the 30-goal plateau for the second time in his career with Boston last season. Washington looks to avoid a third straight loss as it continues its four-game trip across Western Canada. The Capitals dropped a 4-2 home decision to the New York Rangers last Saturday before kicking off their trek with a 4-1 loss at Edmonton on Wednesday. Captain Alex Ovechkin enters the matchup against Vancouver with a four-game goal-scoring streak after being kept off the scoresheet in his first two contests of 2016-17.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CSN-DC (Washington), CBC (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (3-2-1): Ovechkin leads the team in goals with four — two more than Andre Burakovsky, T.J. Oshie and Daniel Winnik, who are the only other members of the club with more than one tally. The 31-year-old Russian has accounted for one of Washington's two power-play goals and two of the team's three game-winners. The Capitals have yet to receive a goal from their defense corps, although each of their six blue-liners have notched at least one assist.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (4-3-1): Captain Henrik Sedin shares the team lead in goals (three) with Bo Horvat and points (five) with Brandon Sutter. Mike Zalewski has yet to make his season debut as he was a healthy scratch Friday after being recalled from Utica of the American Hockey League a day earlier. The 24-year-old left wing notched one assist in five games with Utica prior to the promotion and has set up two goals in five career contests with the Canucks.
OVERTIME
1. The Capitals rank 29th in the league on the power play, going 2-for-19 while scoring both of the goals in one game.
2. Vancouver has scored fewer than three goals in five of its first six home contests.
3. Washington has suffered consecutive regular-season regulation losses for the first time since March 11-13, 2015.