Ottawa (5-7-0) vs. Washington (5-4-4)
From NHL.com's preview:
Now that the Washington Capitals have ended their longtime struggles in one building, perhaps they have enough momentum to overcome another nemesis on home ice.
The Capitals look to defeat the Ottawa Senators at home for the first time in more than five years Monday when the teams face off at the Verizon Center.
Alexander Ovechkin scored two of Washington's four first-period goals and increased his team-leading points total to 16 on Saturday as the Capitals (5-4-4) defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 at the Wachovia Center. The victory snapped a 16-game winless streak in Philadelphia for the Capitals, who concluded a stretch of five road games in six contests.
"It's part of our progress here that you try to win in buildings where you haven't won," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. "It says something at where you are as far as building a team because this is usually the kind of mark that you try to meet as far as competitiveness and challenging and physical play.
"It's just good for us to get this win."
Defeating Ottawa (5-7-0) could be nearly as satisfying - and overdue. The Capitals are winless in eight home meetings with the Senators since the start of the 2001-02 season, with six losses and two ties over that span.
The games frequently haven't even been close. Five of the six Ottawa victories were by three goals or more, and the Senators have outscored the Capitals 35-13 in their last eight visits to Washington.
From Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines:
Short Shifts: Matt Bradley has a goal and two points in 10 career games against Ottawa. Bradley has a goal and five points in his last seven games … Donald Brashear has three goals and eight points in 31 career games against the Senators … Chris Clark has a goal and two points in eight career games vs. the Sens. Clark has a goal and four points in his last three games … Ben Clymer has six assists in 18 career games against Ottawa … Boyd Gordon has two assists in his last three games … Mike Green has been a plus or even player in 10 of his last 11 games. He is plus-5 during that stretch … Jamie Heward has two goals and seven points in 11 career games against the Senators … Brent Johnson is 2-0 with a shutout, a 1.22 goals against average and a .966 save pct. in three career games against the Sens … Olie Kolzig is 7-13-3 with a pair of shutouts, a 3.42 goals against average and an .887 save pct. in 26 career games vs. Ottawa … Shaone Morrisonn has a goal and four points in his last three games … Bryan Muir has played plus or even hockey in all six games he has played this season. He is plus-3 overall … Alex Ovechkin has one goal and two points in four career games against the Senators. He has picked up at least a point in 10 of Washington’s 13 games this season. Ovechkin has six goals and 12 points in his last eight games … Matt Pettinger has two goals in a dozen career games against the Sens. Pettinger tallied his first NHL goal against Ottawa’s Jani Hurme on Nov. 13, 2001 … Brian Pothier is tied for fifth among all NHL defensemen with nine assists … Brian Sutherby has one goal and three points in nine career tilts vs. the Senators. Sutherby netted his first NHL goal against the Senators’ Patrick Lalime on Nov. 29, 2002. Sutherby has a goal and four points in his last seven games … Richard Zednik has eight goals and 18 points in 33 career games against Ottawa … Dainius Zubrus has two goals and 13 points in 30 career games against the Senators. Zubrus has seven goals and nine points in his last eight games … Daniel Alfredsson has 23 goals and 40 points in 36 career games against Washington … Patrick Eaves has two goals in four career games against the Capitals … Ray Emery is 2-1 with a 1.34 goals against average in four career appearances vs. the Caps. Emery has won three of his last four starts. He has allowed two or fewer goals in four of his five starts this season … Mike Fisher has three goals and six points in 13 career games against Washington. Fisher has two goals and six points in his last six games … Martin Gerber is 4-2 with a 2.83 goals against average lifetime against the Capitals … Dany Heatley has five goals and 18 points in 17 career games against the Caps. Heatley has seven goals and 10 points in his last seven games ... Chris Kelly has two assists in four career games against Washington ... Dean McAmmond has two goals and nine points in 18 career games vs. the Capitals. McAmmond has two goals and five points in his last six games ... Andrej Mezszaros has four assists in four lifetime games against the Caps. Meszaros has a goal and four points in his last five games … Chris Neil has four goals and seven points in 16 career games vs. Washington. Neil has a goal and four points in his last six games … Tom Preissing has two goals and five points in his last six games … Wade Redden has five goals and 21 points in 35 career games against the Capitals … Peter Schaefer has four goals and six points in 15 games against the Caps … Jason Spezza has three goals and 13 points in 10 career games against Washington. Spezza has three goals and 12 points in his last seven games … Antoine Vermette has four goals and seven points in his last six games.
Injuries:
Ottawa Senators
Defenseman Wade Redden has a groin injury and is day-to-day.
Washington
None.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Ottawa
Forwards
15-Heatley, 19-Spezza, 44-Eaves
20-Vermette, 12-Fisher, 11-Alfredsson
27-Schaefer, 37-McAmmond, 25-Neil
17-Hamel, 22-Kelly, 16-McGrattan
Defensemen
14-Meszaros, 24-Volchenkov
4-Phillips, 7-Corvo
5-Schubert, 42-Preissing
Goaltenders
1-Emery, 29-Gerber
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
43-Fleischmann, 38-Klepis, 18-Pettinger
10-Bradley, 16-Sutherby, 27-Clymer
28-Semin, 15-Gordon, 87-Brashear
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
6-Heward, 52-Green
44-Eminger, 47-Muir
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: WSH - OTT
Goals: Zubrus (9) - Heatley (7)
Points: Ovechkin (16) - Heatley (14)
+/-: Clark (4) - Priessing (9)
Team Stats (rank): WSH - OTT
Goals for/game: 3.31 (7) - 3.00 (15)
Goals against/game: 3.23 (21) - 2.50 (7)
Power Play Pct.: 15.9 (15) - 8.4 (30)
Penalty Kill Pct.: 83.1 (18) - 90.6 (3)
The JET's Take:
The Caps definitely should not let the record fool them. Even though Ottawa is the worst team in the Northeast Division point-wise, they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Sens still have allowed only few goals per game and have the 7th best defense. While they have had trouble scoring (particularly on the PP), they still have the third highest shots per game total. That will ultimately be the key stat.
Washington's defense still allows far too many shots and against Olie Kolzig, that will come back to haunt them. History will repeat itself tonight as the Senators will put up a TON of goals against the Caps tonight and leave DC with a win.
Now that the Washington Capitals have ended their longtime struggles in one building, perhaps they have enough momentum to overcome another nemesis on home ice.
The Capitals look to defeat the Ottawa Senators at home for the first time in more than five years Monday when the teams face off at the Verizon Center.
Alexander Ovechkin scored two of Washington's four first-period goals and increased his team-leading points total to 16 on Saturday as the Capitals (5-4-4) defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 at the Wachovia Center. The victory snapped a 16-game winless streak in Philadelphia for the Capitals, who concluded a stretch of five road games in six contests.
"It's part of our progress here that you try to win in buildings where you haven't won," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. "It says something at where you are as far as building a team because this is usually the kind of mark that you try to meet as far as competitiveness and challenging and physical play.
"It's just good for us to get this win."
Defeating Ottawa (5-7-0) could be nearly as satisfying - and overdue. The Capitals are winless in eight home meetings with the Senators since the start of the 2001-02 season, with six losses and two ties over that span.
The games frequently haven't even been close. Five of the six Ottawa victories were by three goals or more, and the Senators have outscored the Capitals 35-13 in their last eight visits to Washington.
From Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines:
Short Shifts: Matt Bradley has a goal and two points in 10 career games against Ottawa. Bradley has a goal and five points in his last seven games … Donald Brashear has three goals and eight points in 31 career games against the Senators … Chris Clark has a goal and two points in eight career games vs. the Sens. Clark has a goal and four points in his last three games … Ben Clymer has six assists in 18 career games against Ottawa … Boyd Gordon has two assists in his last three games … Mike Green has been a plus or even player in 10 of his last 11 games. He is plus-5 during that stretch … Jamie Heward has two goals and seven points in 11 career games against the Senators … Brent Johnson is 2-0 with a shutout, a 1.22 goals against average and a .966 save pct. in three career games against the Sens … Olie Kolzig is 7-13-3 with a pair of shutouts, a 3.42 goals against average and an .887 save pct. in 26 career games vs. Ottawa … Shaone Morrisonn has a goal and four points in his last three games … Bryan Muir has played plus or even hockey in all six games he has played this season. He is plus-3 overall … Alex Ovechkin has one goal and two points in four career games against the Senators. He has picked up at least a point in 10 of Washington’s 13 games this season. Ovechkin has six goals and 12 points in his last eight games … Matt Pettinger has two goals in a dozen career games against the Sens. Pettinger tallied his first NHL goal against Ottawa’s Jani Hurme on Nov. 13, 2001 … Brian Pothier is tied for fifth among all NHL defensemen with nine assists … Brian Sutherby has one goal and three points in nine career tilts vs. the Senators. Sutherby netted his first NHL goal against the Senators’ Patrick Lalime on Nov. 29, 2002. Sutherby has a goal and four points in his last seven games … Richard Zednik has eight goals and 18 points in 33 career games against Ottawa … Dainius Zubrus has two goals and 13 points in 30 career games against the Senators. Zubrus has seven goals and nine points in his last eight games … Daniel Alfredsson has 23 goals and 40 points in 36 career games against Washington … Patrick Eaves has two goals in four career games against the Capitals … Ray Emery is 2-1 with a 1.34 goals against average in four career appearances vs. the Caps. Emery has won three of his last four starts. He has allowed two or fewer goals in four of his five starts this season … Mike Fisher has three goals and six points in 13 career games against Washington. Fisher has two goals and six points in his last six games … Martin Gerber is 4-2 with a 2.83 goals against average lifetime against the Capitals … Dany Heatley has five goals and 18 points in 17 career games against the Caps. Heatley has seven goals and 10 points in his last seven games ... Chris Kelly has two assists in four career games against Washington ... Dean McAmmond has two goals and nine points in 18 career games vs. the Capitals. McAmmond has two goals and five points in his last six games ... Andrej Mezszaros has four assists in four lifetime games against the Caps. Meszaros has a goal and four points in his last five games … Chris Neil has four goals and seven points in 16 career games vs. Washington. Neil has a goal and four points in his last six games … Tom Preissing has two goals and five points in his last six games … Wade Redden has five goals and 21 points in 35 career games against the Capitals … Peter Schaefer has four goals and six points in 15 games against the Caps … Jason Spezza has three goals and 13 points in 10 career games against Washington. Spezza has three goals and 12 points in his last seven games … Antoine Vermette has four goals and seven points in his last six games.
Injuries:
Ottawa Senators
Defenseman Wade Redden has a groin injury and is day-to-day.
Washington
None.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Ottawa
Forwards
15-Heatley, 19-Spezza, 44-Eaves
20-Vermette, 12-Fisher, 11-Alfredsson
27-Schaefer, 37-McAmmond, 25-Neil
17-Hamel, 22-Kelly, 16-McGrattan
Defensemen
14-Meszaros, 24-Volchenkov
4-Phillips, 7-Corvo
5-Schubert, 42-Preissing
Goaltenders
1-Emery, 29-Gerber
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
43-Fleischmann, 38-Klepis, 18-Pettinger
10-Bradley, 16-Sutherby, 27-Clymer
28-Semin, 15-Gordon, 87-Brashear
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
6-Heward, 52-Green
44-Eminger, 47-Muir
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: WSH - OTT
Goals: Zubrus (9) - Heatley (7)
Points: Ovechkin (16) - Heatley (14)
+/-: Clark (4) - Priessing (9)
Team Stats (rank): WSH - OTT
Goals for/game: 3.31 (7) - 3.00 (15)
Goals against/game: 3.23 (21) - 2.50 (7)
Power Play Pct.: 15.9 (15) - 8.4 (30)
Penalty Kill Pct.: 83.1 (18) - 90.6 (3)
The JET's Take:
The Caps definitely should not let the record fool them. Even though Ottawa is the worst team in the Northeast Division point-wise, they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Sens still have allowed only few goals per game and have the 7th best defense. While they have had trouble scoring (particularly on the PP), they still have the third highest shots per game total. That will ultimately be the key stat.
Washington's defense still allows far too many shots and against Olie Kolzig, that will come back to haunt them. History will repeat itself tonight as the Senators will put up a TON of goals against the Caps tonight and leave DC with a win.
posted by The Jet at 8:12 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home