Predators at Capitals
Filip Forsberg's name isn't well received by many of the fans of the Washington Capitals, and for good reason. Forsberg looks to continue to torment the team that made him a first-round draft pick in 2012 and summarily traded him away to Nashville the following season when the Predators visit the NHL-leading Capitals on Thursday.
Forsberg scored the winning goal and had two assists in Nashville's 5-2 win over Washington on Feb. 25, increasing his point total to nine (five goals, four assists) in five games against the club that acquired veteran Martin Erat in the trade deadline deal in 2013. The 22-year-old Swede scored and set up a goal in the Predators' 5-4 overtime victory over Winnipeg on Monday, with his team-leading 28 tallies residing just five shy of last season's career-high total. Captain Alex Ovechkin (team-leading 28 goals) is far removed from his personal-best goal total of 65 in 2007-08, but the three-time Hart Trophy winner ended a 10-game drought as Washington snapped a four-game skid with a 4-2 triumph over Minnesota. The Russian standout was held off the scoresheet in his previous encounter with Nashville, but has nine goals and four assists in the previous 13.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (34-24-11): Defenseman Roman Josi scored twice in the first meeting with Washington and has four assists in his last three contests overall, but it's the play in front of his own net that remains foremost on his mind. "I think in front of our net, we've got to be tougher and protect our net better," the 26-year-old Josi told the Tennessean. "Most goals are scored in that little area in front of the net. ... You're always going to give up scoring chances, but I think your goal is to limit those 'A' chances." Veteran forward James Neal has been taking advantage of those chances at the other end, scoring in back-to-back contests for the first time since Jan. 22-24 to reach the 20-goal plateau for the ninth time in as many seasons.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (45-17-7): Nicklas Backstrom set up three goals for the third time this season to reach the 50-assist mark for the fourth consecutive campaign and a franchise-best seventh time in his career. The 29-year-old Swede's impressive outing versus Minnesota upped his season total to a team-leading 70 points, marking the fourth consecutive campaign that he has notched as many and sixth overall, matching Peter Bondra to sit two behind Mike Gartner and three in back of Ovechkin on the franchise list. Fellow center Evgeny Kuznetsov continues to be an offensive force as well, collecting four goals and five assists in his last nine games.
OVERTIME
1. Washington has won five of its last six at home versus Nashville and sports a 20-2-1 mark in its last 23 games overall at the Verizon Center.
2. Predators G Pekka Rinne, who is in line to play in his 500th career game on Thursday, owns just a 1-1-2 mark in March while posting a 3.68 goals-against average since Feb. 11.
3. The Capitals have scored 25 power-play goals in their last 30 games.