The Washington Capitals will try to rebound from a close
loss and extend their point streak to nine games when they welcome the
struggling Columbus Blue Jackets for today's clash at Verizon Center.
The Capitals had won six in a row before being dealt an overtime loss on
Friday by the New York Islanders. Washington, which lost a shootout decision
just prior to beginning its lengthy winning streak, has gone eight straight
contests without a regulation loss.
Washington was beaten 53 seconds into the extra session on Friday as Mark
Streit buried a pass from rookie John Tavares to lift the Islanders to a 4-3
win in D.C.
Tomas Fleischmann lit the lamp twice and Alex Ovechkin also tallied for the
Capitals. Ovechkin, the two-time reigning Richard Trophy winner, leads the NHL
with 14 goals and 23 points on the season.
Jose Theodore allowed four goals on 30 shots in defeat.
Washington forward Quintin Laing missed his third straight game with swine flu
and centerman Nicklas Backstrom is questionable for today's contest with an
illness. Head coach Bruce Boudreau doesn't believe Backstrom has swine flu.
Also, Capitals defenseman Mike Green is probable today with a foot/ankle
injury, while winger Eric Fehr is questionable after missing the last three
tests with an upper-body injury. Green is currently riding an eight-game point
streak.
The Caps are 4-1-2 as the host this year and are completing a brief two-game
homestand today.
The Blue Jackets come into today's contest having dropped three straight and
five of their last six games. The recent funk follows Columbus' excellent
4-1-0 start to the season.
Columbus was able to earn a point in Friday's loss against visiting
Pittsburgh, as the defending Stanley Cup champions notched the road win in the
shootout phase. Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner in the shootout as the
Penguins rallied to take a 4-3 win at Nationwide Arena.
Rick Nash had two goals while Derek Dorsett lit the lamp once for the Blue
Jackets, who carried a 3-1 lead into the third before allowing Pittsburgh to
tie the game with two goals in a 39-second span. Steve Mason made 29 saves in
the loss for Columbus.
"It should have never got to the shootout," said Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock.
"We did everything well but get the game shut down. We're up 3-1, we have to
get it shut down."
The Blue Jackets are 3-4-0 as the guest this season and are beginning November
by playing two of their first three games on the road.
Columbus won both meetings with the Capitals in 2008-09, as Mason notched a
pair of shutouts to help the Blue Jackets post identical 3-0 victories. The
Jackets earned their first-ever win in D.C. on January 9 after going 0-2-1 in
their first three trips to Verizon Center.
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