Capitals (2-1-3) vs. Lightning (3-4-0)
From NHL.com's preview:
Olaf Kolzig is 12-4-1 with a 2.20 GAA at home against Tampa since the Verizon Center opened in 1997. The 2000 Vezina Trophy winner went 2-0-1 with a 1.89 GAA in three home games versus the Lightning last season, and is 20-9-2 overall against them.
Tampa went 4-2-2 against Washington last season, but was 1-1-2 at the Verizon Center.
Kolzig, who is 2-1-1 with a 2.97 GAA this season, is expected to start Saturday after sitting out Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to Atlanta.
Alexander Semin scored his team-leading seventh goal to extend his point streak to six games, but the Capitals gave up the tying goal with 33 seconds left in regulation before losing the shootout 2-0.
Alex Ovechkin, who won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie last season with 52 goals and 54 assists, tallied his third goal of the season and also had an assist on Thursday. He has 10 points in eight games against the Lightning.
Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines.
Short Shifts: Donald Brashear has five goals and seven points in 26 career games against Tampa Bay. The five goals are tied for his most against any opponent … Ben Clymer has two goals in eight career games against the Lightning … Steve Eminger has a goal and five points in 11 career games against the Bolts. He has more points against the Lightning than against any other NHL club … Brent Johnson is 4-1-1 with a 2.11 goals against average and a .934 save pct. lifetime against the Lightning … Olie Kolzig is 20-9-2 with a 2.41 goals against average and a .914 save pct. in his career vs. Tampa Bay … Shaone Morrisonn has two assists in eight career games against the Lightning … Alex Ovechkin has five goals and 10 points in eight career games against the Bolts … Matt Pettinger has three goals and six points in 15 career games against the Lightning. With 112 career points, Ovechkin has tied Doug Jarvis for 50th place on the team's all-time list. Ovechkin has played in 87 games with the Caps; Jarvis played 265 … Brian Pothier has two goals and five points in 11 lifetime games vs. Tampa Bay … Alexander Semin has a goal and three points in five career games against the Lightning. He has picked up a point in each of Washington’s first six games this season and leads the Caps in scoring with nine points (seven goals, two assists). Semin is tied for the league lead in goals and is tied for the fastest goal-scoring start in team history with seven in six games. Dennis Maruk (1979-80) and Mike Gartner (1987-88) each had seven goals in six games, and neither scored in his seventh game in those seasons. After tallying 10 goals in 52 games as a 19-year-old rookie in 2003-04, Semin has rolled up more than half that total in just six games in 2006-07. A dozen of his 17 career NHL goals have come against Southeast Division opponents. Semin has three of Washington’s five power play goals this season … Richard Zednik has a dozen goals and 21 points in 33 career games against Tampa Bay … Dainius Zubrus has nine goals and 21 points in 41 career games vs. the Lightning … Dan Boyle has six goals and 20 points in 34 career games against Washington … Ryan Craig has two goals and three points in four career games against the Caps … Marc Denis is 1-3-1 with a 3.63 goals against average lifetime against the Capitals … Ruslan Fedotenko has nine goals and 16 points in 26 career games vs. the Caps … Vincent Lecavalier has 11 goals and 24 points in 36 lifetime games against Washington … Vaclav Prospal has five goals and 19 points in 34 career games against the Capitals … Brad Richards has four goals and 20 points in 29 lifetime tilts vs. Washington … Martin St. Louis has eight goals and 20 points in 29 career games against the Capitals.
Injuries
Tampa Bay Lightning
Left wing Right wing Rob DiMaio has a concussion and is out indefinitely.
Center Ryan Craig has a sprained knee and is out for a month.
Washington
Defenseman Mike Green has an upper body injury and is day-to-day.
Left wing Matt Pettinger has an upper body injury and is day-to-day.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Tampa Bay
Forwards
15-Alexeev, 19-Richards, 26-St. Louis
17-Fedotenko, 4-Lecavalier, 20-Prospal
74-Tarnasky 27-Taylor, 29-Afanasenkov
9-Perrin, 24-Karlsson
Defensemen
22-Boyle, 54-Ranger
3-Janik, 71-Kuba
21-Sarich, 44-Pratt
7-Richardson
Goaltenders
30-Denis, 40-Holmqvist
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 24-Beech, 20-Zednik
21-Laich, 16-Sutherby, 10-Bradley
87-Brashear, 38-Klepis, 22-Fata
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
27-Clymer, 44-Eminger
6-Heward, 47-Muir
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: Washington-Tampa Bay
Goals: Semin (7)-Craig (5)
Points: Semin (9)-Craig (6)
+/-: Semin (5)-Craig (6)
Team Stats (rank): Washington-Tampa Bay
PP Pct: 12.2 (23)-7.7 (27)
PK Pct: 79.4 (23)-80.0 (22)
Stats are Per Game
The JET's Take:
For the first time, this looks to be an even matchup for the Caps. They are facing a team that is not nearly as deep as they are on offense and defense. Tampa's goaltending is still a question mark since Khavibulin left and Denis did not prove himself in Columbus or with TB early in the season to be a reliable goalie.
Tampa's Special teams are, remarkably, worse than the Caps and their leading scorer, center Ryan Craig is injured. The Caps should come out of DC with the W tonight.
Olaf Kolzig is 12-4-1 with a 2.20 GAA at home against Tampa since the Verizon Center opened in 1997. The 2000 Vezina Trophy winner went 2-0-1 with a 1.89 GAA in three home games versus the Lightning last season, and is 20-9-2 overall against them.
Tampa went 4-2-2 against Washington last season, but was 1-1-2 at the Verizon Center.
Kolzig, who is 2-1-1 with a 2.97 GAA this season, is expected to start Saturday after sitting out Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to Atlanta.
Alexander Semin scored his team-leading seventh goal to extend his point streak to six games, but the Capitals gave up the tying goal with 33 seconds left in regulation before losing the shootout 2-0.
Alex Ovechkin, who won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie last season with 52 goals and 54 assists, tallied his third goal of the season and also had an assist on Thursday. He has 10 points in eight games against the Lightning.
Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines.
Short Shifts: Donald Brashear has five goals and seven points in 26 career games against Tampa Bay. The five goals are tied for his most against any opponent … Ben Clymer has two goals in eight career games against the Lightning … Steve Eminger has a goal and five points in 11 career games against the Bolts. He has more points against the Lightning than against any other NHL club … Brent Johnson is 4-1-1 with a 2.11 goals against average and a .934 save pct. lifetime against the Lightning … Olie Kolzig is 20-9-2 with a 2.41 goals against average and a .914 save pct. in his career vs. Tampa Bay … Shaone Morrisonn has two assists in eight career games against the Lightning … Alex Ovechkin has five goals and 10 points in eight career games against the Bolts … Matt Pettinger has three goals and six points in 15 career games against the Lightning. With 112 career points, Ovechkin has tied Doug Jarvis for 50th place on the team's all-time list. Ovechkin has played in 87 games with the Caps; Jarvis played 265 … Brian Pothier has two goals and five points in 11 lifetime games vs. Tampa Bay … Alexander Semin has a goal and three points in five career games against the Lightning. He has picked up a point in each of Washington’s first six games this season and leads the Caps in scoring with nine points (seven goals, two assists). Semin is tied for the league lead in goals and is tied for the fastest goal-scoring start in team history with seven in six games. Dennis Maruk (1979-80) and Mike Gartner (1987-88) each had seven goals in six games, and neither scored in his seventh game in those seasons. After tallying 10 goals in 52 games as a 19-year-old rookie in 2003-04, Semin has rolled up more than half that total in just six games in 2006-07. A dozen of his 17 career NHL goals have come against Southeast Division opponents. Semin has three of Washington’s five power play goals this season … Richard Zednik has a dozen goals and 21 points in 33 career games against Tampa Bay … Dainius Zubrus has nine goals and 21 points in 41 career games vs. the Lightning … Dan Boyle has six goals and 20 points in 34 career games against Washington … Ryan Craig has two goals and three points in four career games against the Caps … Marc Denis is 1-3-1 with a 3.63 goals against average lifetime against the Capitals … Ruslan Fedotenko has nine goals and 16 points in 26 career games vs. the Caps … Vincent Lecavalier has 11 goals and 24 points in 36 lifetime games against Washington … Vaclav Prospal has five goals and 19 points in 34 career games against the Capitals … Brad Richards has four goals and 20 points in 29 lifetime tilts vs. Washington … Martin St. Louis has eight goals and 20 points in 29 career games against the Capitals.
Injuries
Tampa Bay Lightning
Left wing Right wing Rob DiMaio has a concussion and is out indefinitely.
Center Ryan Craig has a sprained knee and is out for a month.
Washington
Defenseman Mike Green has an upper body injury and is day-to-day.
Left wing Matt Pettinger has an upper body injury and is day-to-day.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Tampa Bay
Forwards
15-Alexeev, 19-Richards, 26-St. Louis
17-Fedotenko, 4-Lecavalier, 20-Prospal
74-Tarnasky 27-Taylor, 29-Afanasenkov
9-Perrin, 24-Karlsson
Defensemen
22-Boyle, 54-Ranger
3-Janik, 71-Kuba
21-Sarich, 44-Pratt
7-Richardson
Goaltenders
30-Denis, 40-Holmqvist
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 24-Beech, 20-Zednik
21-Laich, 16-Sutherby, 10-Bradley
87-Brashear, 38-Klepis, 22-Fata
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
27-Clymer, 44-Eminger
6-Heward, 47-Muir
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: Washington-Tampa Bay
Goals: Semin (7)-Craig (5)
Points: Semin (9)-Craig (6)
+/-: Semin (5)-Craig (6)
Team Stats (rank): Washington-Tampa Bay
Goals for: 3.33 (5)-2.14 (26)
Goals against: 3.00 (18)-2.29 (7)PP Pct: 12.2 (23)-7.7 (27)
PK Pct: 79.4 (23)-80.0 (22)
Stats are Per Game
The JET's Take:
For the first time, this looks to be an even matchup for the Caps. They are facing a team that is not nearly as deep as they are on offense and defense. Tampa's goaltending is still a question mark since Khavibulin left and Denis did not prove himself in Columbus or with TB early in the season to be a reliable goalie.
Tampa's Special teams are, remarkably, worse than the Caps and their leading scorer, center Ryan Craig is injured. The Caps should come out of DC with the W tonight.
posted by The Jet at 10:10 AM
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