Kings at Capitals
The Los Angeles Kings won their last five games and will test that hot streak against the league’s top team when they visit the Washington Capitals for a Sunday matinee. The Kings surrendered only three goals during their surge to move into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference after Jeff Carter scored the overtime winner in a 1-0 triumph at Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon.
It was Carter’s team-leading 27th goal and league-best ninth game-winning tally as Los Angeles improved to 10-1 in contests ending in overtime to open a string of four straight on the road. The Kings face a Washington squad that is 15-2-2 in the last 19 games after grinding out a 3-2 victory at Montreal on Saturday afternoon with another big effort from Nicklas Backstrom. The 29-year-old center scored the winning goal on the power play and leads the team with 52 points - five of them coming in the last three contests. The Capitals, who visit Los Angeles on March 11, earned points in five of the last six meetings (2-1-3) - including a 3-1 victory over the Kings at home last February.
TV: Noon ET, NBC
ABOUT THE KINGS (27-21-4): Forward Tyler Toffoli was in the lineup Saturday for the first time since Dec. 20 after dealing with a lower-body injury and registered a shot on goal and a hit in 15:12 of ice time. The addition of Toffoli (20 points, 33 games) will take a little pressure off Carter while captain Anze Kopitar owns two goals and five assists in the last five contests and defenseman Drew Doughty boasts at least one assist in seven straight outings. Goalie Peter Budaj may get a rest Sunday, but has been in net through the streak - turning aside 115 of 118 shots - and leads the NHL with seven shutouts.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (35-11-6): Backstrom posted a pair of goals and three assists in three games since the All-Star break and boasts 22 points in his last 15 games - 12 of them victories. Captain Alex Ovechkin (25 goals) was kept off the scoresheet Saturday after tallying in three straight games and Evgeny Kuznetsov did not have a point either, but accumulated 22 in his last 16 contests. Goalie Braden Holtby (six shutouts) has not lost in regulation since Dec. 27 after turning aside 20 shots Saturday while backup Philipp Grubauer is 9-3-2, but lost his last two starts.
OVERTIME
1. Capitals LW Andre Burakovsky scored his 11th goal of the season Saturday and has six in his last 10 games.
2. The Kings have killed off all 18 power plays they faced in the last six contests.
3. Washington’s veteran F Justin Williams (lower-body) was back in the lineup Saturday after missing one game.