Capitals (3-2-3) @ Vancouver (6-4-1)
From NHL.com's preview:
Alex Ovechkin was 15 years old and had yet to play professional hockey when the Washington Capitals last beat the Vancouver Canucks.
Now, the star forward is the centerpiece of a Capitals team that will try to defeat the Canucks for the first time in over 5 1/2 years when they meet at GM Place on Friday.
Vancouver (6-4-1) has won three straight and six of its last eight meetings with Washington (3-2-3), but this will be the teams' first matchup since a 6-1 road victory by the Canucks on Jan. 31, 2004. The Capitals' last win in the series was on Feb. 14, 2001, when they came away with a 4-3 overtime victory in Vancouver.
That was seven months before Ovechkin's 16th birthday and eight before his first season with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian League. The second-year left wing is now a star and has been heating up lately, scoring goals in three straight contests.
Ovechkin had an eventful game Wednesday as the Capitals opened a four-game road trip.
He scored his fifth goal of the season in a 5-3 win over Colorado and also took a slapshot to the leg and crumpled to the ice in the final seconds, but was walking around fine after the game.
"He's our horse, our organization," Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig said. "I got a little worried."
Ovechkin also missed a penalty shot in the third period - he kicked the puck back down the ice in frustration - and smashed in the glass near the Avalanche penalty box after ramming Karlis Skrastins into it.
"Make sure you get your tickets (to watch him)," Washington defenseman Mike Green said. "Players like him come around only so often."
Alexander Semin recorded an assist on Ovechkin's goal and has at least one point in all eight games, matching Ovechkin's string to open last season. Semin, also in his second year, leads the team with eight goals and 12 points.
From Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines:
Short Shifts: Kris Beech has six points (one goal, five assists) in his last eight games … Matt Bradley has three points (two goals, one assist) in his last four games … Donald Brashear has one goal in five career games against Vancouver … Chris Clark has three goals and five points in 14 career games against the Canucks. Clark has had at least a point in seven of Washington’s first eight games and is second on the team in scoring with nine points (three goals, six assists) … Rico Fata has played plus or even hockey in all eight Washington games this season and is plus-4 overall … Mike Green has two goals and three points in his last four games. He is plus-4 during that span … Jamie Heward has one goal and three points in nine career games against Vancouver … Brent Johnson is 2-2-2 with a 3.08 goals against average and an .867 save pct. lifetime vs. the Canucks … Olie Kolzig is 5-6 with a 3.34 goals against average and an .880 save pct. lifetime against Vancouver … Bryan Muir has two goals in nine career games against the Canucks … Alex Ovechkin has scored a goal in three straight games and has recorded a point in six of Washington’s eight games this season … Brian Pothier has four assists in his last three games and is plus-3 in his last four games. He is tied for the NHL lead among defensemen with eight assists. Pothier is averaging 27:07 per game in ice time, sixth in the NHL … Alexander Semin is Washington’s leading scorer with 12 points (eight goals, four assists). He has an eight-game scoring streak going, tied for the longest current run in the league … Richard Zednik has four goals and six points in a dozen career games against Vancouver. Zednik has three assists in his last four games … Dainius Zubrus has a goal and six points in 13 career games against the Canucks. Zubrus has four goals and seven points in his last six games … Jan Bulis has six goals and seven assists in 15 career games against Washington. Bulis has a goal and three points in his last four games … Matt Cooke has a goal and three points in six lifetime games vs. the Capitals … Josh Green has a goal and five points in nine career games against the Caps … Lukas Krajicek has four assists in eight career games against Washington … Trevor Linden has six goals and 22 points in 36 lifetime tilts against the Capitals … Roberto Luongo is 13-9-3 with two shutouts, a 2.16 goals against average and a .934 save pct. lifetime against Washington. Luongo was 7-0 with a shutout, a 1.96 GAA and a .949 save pct. vs. the Capitals last season. Luongo is seventh in the NHL with a 2.08 GAA and .928 save pct. in 2006-07 … Brendan Morrison has two goals and five points in 13 career games against the Caps. Morrison has two goals and three points in his last three games … Markus Naslund has five goals and 16 points in 18 career games against Washington. Naslund has two goals and five points in his last five games … Mattias Ohlund has three assists in six career games vs. the Capitals. Ohlund has three assists in his last three games … Taylor Pyatt has four goals and seven points in 14 career games against the Caps. Pyatt has five goals and seven points in his last eight games. He is plus-7 during that stretch … Sami Salo has one goal and five points in 11 career games vs. Washington. Salo has a goal and four points in his last four games. He is plus-4 during that span … Daniel Sedin is tied for second in the league in scoring with 14 points (five goals, nine assists). He is also second in the NHL with a plus-10 defensive rating … Henrik Sedin is tied for second in the league in scoring with 14 points (two goals, 12 assists). He leads the NHL in assists.
Injuries:
Vancouver
Defenseman Willie Mitchell has a concussion and is day-to-day.
Washington
None.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Vancouver
Forwards
19-Naslund, 7-Morrison, 38-Bulis
22-D. Sedin, 33-H. Sedin, 9-Pyatt
34-Cooke, 17-Kesler, 25-Green
14-Burrows, 32-Chouinard, 16-Linden
Defensemen
2-Ohlund, 3-Bieksa
5-Krajicek, 18-Fitzpatrick
4-Bourdon, 6-Salo
Goaltenders
1-Luongo, 35-Sabourin
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 38-Klepis, 20-Zednik
22-Fata, 16-Sutherby, 10-Bradley
87-Brashear, 24-Beech, 18-Pettinger
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
27-Clymer, 44-Eminger
6-Heward, 52-Green
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: Washington-Vancouver
Goals: Semin (8)-D. Sedin (5)
Points: Semin (12)-D. Sedin (14)
+/-: Clark (5)-D. Sedin (10)
Team Stats (rank): Washington-Vancouver
Goals for/game: 3.62 (2)-2.64 (20)
Goals against/game: 3.38 (21)-2.09 (4)
Power Play Percent: 17.0 (14)-12.5 (22)
Penalty Kill Percent: 81.2 (20)-87.3 (10)
The JET's take:
The Caps face an old nemesis in Roberto Luongo. One of the toughest goaltenders to score on, he is the reason that Vancouver is having so much success. The Capitals offense is performing very well this year, but they now face a very tough Defense/goaltending force. On the flip side, Vancouver's not very good at scoring goals and the Caps aren't great at stopping them.
The two teams look pretty evenly matched up, even on the special teams. Look for this game to be a close one, but Luongo will once again be the difference maker in keeping the Caps from getting the win.
Alex Ovechkin was 15 years old and had yet to play professional hockey when the Washington Capitals last beat the Vancouver Canucks.
Now, the star forward is the centerpiece of a Capitals team that will try to defeat the Canucks for the first time in over 5 1/2 years when they meet at GM Place on Friday.
Vancouver (6-4-1) has won three straight and six of its last eight meetings with Washington (3-2-3), but this will be the teams' first matchup since a 6-1 road victory by the Canucks on Jan. 31, 2004. The Capitals' last win in the series was on Feb. 14, 2001, when they came away with a 4-3 overtime victory in Vancouver.
That was seven months before Ovechkin's 16th birthday and eight before his first season with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian League. The second-year left wing is now a star and has been heating up lately, scoring goals in three straight contests.
Ovechkin had an eventful game Wednesday as the Capitals opened a four-game road trip.
He scored his fifth goal of the season in a 5-3 win over Colorado and also took a slapshot to the leg and crumpled to the ice in the final seconds, but was walking around fine after the game.
"He's our horse, our organization," Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig said. "I got a little worried."
Ovechkin also missed a penalty shot in the third period - he kicked the puck back down the ice in frustration - and smashed in the glass near the Avalanche penalty box after ramming Karlis Skrastins into it.
"Make sure you get your tickets (to watch him)," Washington defenseman Mike Green said. "Players like him come around only so often."
Alexander Semin recorded an assist on Ovechkin's goal and has at least one point in all eight games, matching Ovechkin's string to open last season. Semin, also in his second year, leads the team with eight goals and 12 points.
From Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines:
Short Shifts: Kris Beech has six points (one goal, five assists) in his last eight games … Matt Bradley has three points (two goals, one assist) in his last four games … Donald Brashear has one goal in five career games against Vancouver … Chris Clark has three goals and five points in 14 career games against the Canucks. Clark has had at least a point in seven of Washington’s first eight games and is second on the team in scoring with nine points (three goals, six assists) … Rico Fata has played plus or even hockey in all eight Washington games this season and is plus-4 overall … Mike Green has two goals and three points in his last four games. He is plus-4 during that span … Jamie Heward has one goal and three points in nine career games against Vancouver … Brent Johnson is 2-2-2 with a 3.08 goals against average and an .867 save pct. lifetime vs. the Canucks … Olie Kolzig is 5-6 with a 3.34 goals against average and an .880 save pct. lifetime against Vancouver … Bryan Muir has two goals in nine career games against the Canucks … Alex Ovechkin has scored a goal in three straight games and has recorded a point in six of Washington’s eight games this season … Brian Pothier has four assists in his last three games and is plus-3 in his last four games. He is tied for the NHL lead among defensemen with eight assists. Pothier is averaging 27:07 per game in ice time, sixth in the NHL … Alexander Semin is Washington’s leading scorer with 12 points (eight goals, four assists). He has an eight-game scoring streak going, tied for the longest current run in the league … Richard Zednik has four goals and six points in a dozen career games against Vancouver. Zednik has three assists in his last four games … Dainius Zubrus has a goal and six points in 13 career games against the Canucks. Zubrus has four goals and seven points in his last six games … Jan Bulis has six goals and seven assists in 15 career games against Washington. Bulis has a goal and three points in his last four games … Matt Cooke has a goal and three points in six lifetime games vs. the Capitals … Josh Green has a goal and five points in nine career games against the Caps … Lukas Krajicek has four assists in eight career games against Washington … Trevor Linden has six goals and 22 points in 36 lifetime tilts against the Capitals … Roberto Luongo is 13-9-3 with two shutouts, a 2.16 goals against average and a .934 save pct. lifetime against Washington. Luongo was 7-0 with a shutout, a 1.96 GAA and a .949 save pct. vs. the Capitals last season. Luongo is seventh in the NHL with a 2.08 GAA and .928 save pct. in 2006-07 … Brendan Morrison has two goals and five points in 13 career games against the Caps. Morrison has two goals and three points in his last three games … Markus Naslund has five goals and 16 points in 18 career games against Washington. Naslund has two goals and five points in his last five games … Mattias Ohlund has three assists in six career games vs. the Capitals. Ohlund has three assists in his last three games … Taylor Pyatt has four goals and seven points in 14 career games against the Caps. Pyatt has five goals and seven points in his last eight games. He is plus-7 during that stretch … Sami Salo has one goal and five points in 11 career games vs. Washington. Salo has a goal and four points in his last four games. He is plus-4 during that span … Daniel Sedin is tied for second in the league in scoring with 14 points (five goals, nine assists). He is also second in the NHL with a plus-10 defensive rating … Henrik Sedin is tied for second in the league in scoring with 14 points (two goals, 12 assists). He leads the NHL in assists.
Injuries:
Vancouver
Defenseman Willie Mitchell has a concussion and is day-to-day.
Washington
None.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Vancouver
Forwards
19-Naslund, 7-Morrison, 38-Bulis
22-D. Sedin, 33-H. Sedin, 9-Pyatt
34-Cooke, 17-Kesler, 25-Green
14-Burrows, 32-Chouinard, 16-Linden
Defensemen
2-Ohlund, 3-Bieksa
5-Krajicek, 18-Fitzpatrick
4-Bourdon, 6-Salo
Goaltenders
1-Luongo, 35-Sabourin
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 38-Klepis, 20-Zednik
22-Fata, 16-Sutherby, 10-Bradley
87-Brashear, 24-Beech, 18-Pettinger
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
27-Clymer, 44-Eminger
6-Heward, 52-Green
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: Washington-Vancouver
Goals: Semin (8)-D. Sedin (5)
Points: Semin (12)-D. Sedin (14)
+/-: Clark (5)-D. Sedin (10)
Team Stats (rank): Washington-Vancouver
Goals for/game: 3.62 (2)-2.64 (20)
Goals against/game: 3.38 (21)-2.09 (4)
Power Play Percent: 17.0 (14)-12.5 (22)
Penalty Kill Percent: 81.2 (20)-87.3 (10)
The JET's take:
The Caps face an old nemesis in Roberto Luongo. One of the toughest goaltenders to score on, he is the reason that Vancouver is having so much success. The Capitals offense is performing very well this year, but they now face a very tough Defense/goaltending force. On the flip side, Vancouver's not very good at scoring goals and the Caps aren't great at stopping them.
The two teams look pretty evenly matched up, even on the special teams. Look for this game to be a close one, but Luongo will once again be the difference maker in keeping the Caps from getting the win.
posted by The Jet at 12:49 PM
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