Capitals at Kings
The Washington Capitals scored a staggering 4.65 goals per game during a scintillating 17-2-1 run, only to return from their bye week by tallying just 22 times over their last 10 (5-4-1). After recording regulation losses in back-to-back contests for the first time in over three months, the NHL-leading Capitals look to get it in gear on Saturday when they visit the Los Angeles Kings for the second leg of their trek through California.
"We haven't lost two in a row for a while and it does seem a little awkward," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said on the heels of Thursday's 4-2 setback to San Jose. "But this group is great and we'll see how they respond in L.A." Former King Justin Williams scored in Washington's 5-0 rout of Los Angeles on Feb. 5 but has just one tally in his last 13 games while three-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin is mired in a career-long 16-game, even-strength goal drought. While the Capitals' veterans are in a bit of a rut, 39-year-old Jarome Iginla recorded his first multi-goal performance of the season by scoring in overtime of Los Angeles' 3-2 win over Nashville on Thursday. The Kings improved to 2-1-0 on their seven-game homestand and have collected points in five of their last six contests overall (3-1-2) to keep the heat on St. Louis for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), FSN West (Los Angeles), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (44-15-7): Trade deadline acquisition Kevin Shattenkirk continues to pay dividends, as the defenseman set up a goal on Thursday to both extend his assist streak to three games and match his career high in points with 45, set in 2013-14 with St. Louis. The 28-year-old resides two assists shy of tying his career high of 36 in 2014-15, but he was held off the scoresheet in two meetings against the Kings this season while playing with the Blues. Nicklas Backstrom (team-leading 46 assists, 67 points) has scored three goals and set up another in his last five games overall and had an assist in the first encounter with Los Angeles.
ABOUT THE KINGS (32-28-6): Veteran forward Marian Gaborik notched his third multi-point performance of the season on Thursday by scoring and setting up a goal on the power play. Special teams have been quite the boon for the Kings, who have scored with the man advantage in each of the last four contests and are 7-for-14 in that stretch. Los Angeles' third-ranked penalty kill has thwarted 48-of-50 short-handed situations over the last 20 games -- the best in the league during that span.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles G Jonathan Quick owns a 3-0-1 mark with a .918 save percentage since his return from injury in the season opener.
2. Capitals G Braden Holtby has yielded seven goals on 35 shots to lose back-to-back outings after a stellar 18-0-2 run to begin the calendar year.
3. Kings D Drew Doughty has an assist in three straight games to increase his season total to 29, one behind C Anze Kopitar for the team lead.