Thrashers (8-3-3) vs. Capitals (4-3-4)
From NHL.com's preview:
The Capitals, though, haven't been very effective in short-handed situations this season, killing off just 81.8 percent (54-of-66) of opponents' power plays.
Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk's six-game goal streak and eight-game point streak ended Wednesday. The point streak started when he had a goal and two assists in the first meeting with Washington. Kovalchuk recorded nine goals and eight assists in October.
In the Thrashers' second victory of the season over the Caps, Hossa scored the tying goal with 33 seconds left in regulation and had a goal in the shootout. Washington is 0-3 in shootouts this season.
Washington returns to the Verizon Center after going 2-1-1 on a four-game road trip. The Capitals, who won 4-2 at Calgary on Monday, play their final 71 games in the Eastern time zone.
Capitals coach Glen Hanlon moved Richard Zednik to the fourth line against the Flames and got results, as Zednik delivered with his first two goals of the season. Zednik had 16 goals in 67 games with Montreal last season before Washington acquired him for a third-round pick in July.
"You could feel it on the bench, you could see it in his body language, the relief and exuberance that he showed," Hanlon said.
Dainius Zubrus scored twice, and Ovechkin added two assists for the Caps.
From Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines:
Short Shifts: Matt Bradley has four assists in 15 career games against Atlanta … Donald Brashear has three goals and 10 points in 17 career games against the Thrashers … Chris Clark has three goals and six points in 15 lifetime tilts vs. Atlanta … Ben Clymer has three goals and eight points in 30 career games against the Thrashers … Boyd Gordon has a goal and two points in five career games against the Thrashers. Gordon netted his first NHL goal against Atlanta on Oct. 11, 2003 … Mike Green has two assists in three career games against the Thrashers. Green recorded his first NHL assist vs. Atlanta on Mar. 4, 2006 … Jamie Heward has two goals and 11 points in 13 lifetime games against the Thrashers … Brent Johnson is 6-3 with a 2.20 GAA and a .906 save pct. lifetime against the Thrashers … Olie Kolzig is 12-8-6 with four shutouts during his career against Atlanta … Brooks Laich has two goals and four points in nine career games vs. the Thrashers … Shaone Morrisonn has three assists in 10 career games against Atlanta … Bryan Muir has a goal and four points in 13 career games against the Thrashers … Alex Ovechkin has six goals and 17 points in 10 career games against Atlanta. Ovechkin has four goals and eight points in his last six games … Matt Pettinger has four goals and five points in 20 lifetime contests vs. the Thrashers … Brian Pothier has three assists in eight career games against Atlanta. Pothier has five assists in his last six games. He is tied for 10th among all NHL blueliners with nine assists … Alexander Semin has four goals and six points in six career games against the Thrashers. Semin has netted 13 of his 18 career goals against Southeast Division foes … Brian Sutherby has three assists in 15 career games vs. Atlanta … Richard Zednik has seven goals and 21 points in 27 lifetime games against the Thrashers. Zednik has two goals and six points in his last seven games … Dainius Zubrus has 12 goals and 21 points in 26 career games vs. Atlanta. Zubrus has five goals and seven points in his last six games … Johan Hedberg is 3-2-2 lifetime against the Capitals … Bobby Holik has 18 goals and 42 points in 72 lifetime games vs. Washington. Holik has a goal and three points in his last three games … Marian Hossa has 21 goals and 42 points in 32 career games against the Caps. Hossa has seven goals and 11 points in his last nine games … Niko Kapanen has four assists in six career games against the Capitals … Ilya Kovalchuk has 13 goals and 29 points in 24 career games against Washington. Kovalchuk has nine goals and 15 points in his last nine games … Slava Kozlov has 11 goals and 22 points in 33 career games against the Capitals. Kozlov has six assists in his last six games … Kari Lehtonen is 5-0 lifetime against Washington. Lehtonen has won one of his last four starts, allowing four or more goals in all four … Steve McCarthy has one goal and three points in five career games against the Caps … Scott Mellanby has 18 goals and 50 points in 82 career contests vs. the Capitals. Mellanby has three goals and six points in his last six games … Steve Rucchin has five goals and eight points in 17 career games against the Caps … Jon Sim has nine goals and 13 points in 16 career games against Washington. He has twice as many goals against the Caps as he does against any other foe … Andy Sutton has six goals and 10 points in 24 career games against the Caps. Sutton has three times as many goals against Washington as he does against any other opponent in the league. He has two assists in his last three games.
Injuries
Atlanta Thrashers
Defenseman Braydon Coburn has a shoulder injury and is out indefinitely.
Defenseman Niclas Havelid is on personal leave and is day-to-day.
Washington
None.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Atlanta
Forwards
17-Kovalchuk, 20-Rucchin, 14-Sim
13-Kozlov, 39-Kapanen, 18-Hossa
23-Slater, 16-Holik, 19-Mellanby
29-Larsen, 9-Metropolit, 11-Vigier
Defensemen
2-Exelby, 25-Sutton
3-Vishnevski, 7-de Vries 5-McCarthy
34-Hnidy
Goaltenders
1-Hedberg, 32-Lehtonen
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 24-Beech, 18-Pettinger
21-Laich, 16-Sutherby, 10-Bradley
87-Brashear, 15-Gordon, 20-Zednik
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
6-Heward, 27-Clymer
47-Muir, 52-Green
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: WSH - ATL
Goals: Semin (8) - Hossa (11)
Points: Semin (12) - Hossa (18)
+/-: Clark (4) - Kozlov (5)
Team Stats (rank): WSH - ATL
Goals for/game: 3.18 (11) - 3.36 (6)
Goals against/game: 3.18 (22) - 2.71 (11)
Power Play Pct.: 17.0 (11) - 18.8 (9)
Penalty Kill Pct.: 81.8 (20) - 86.4 (11)
The JET's Take:
No contest in this one. Atlanta is simply a better team than Washington. The Capitals have not been good against teams with a winning record and Atlanta has been steamrolling through teams. In every single aspect, either individually or as a team, the Thrashers outmatch the Caps.
The only glaring hole in Atlanta is their goaltender, Kari Lehtonen. If the Caps want to win, he'd better have a terrible game. While DC has taken ATL to OT in their previous two games, that's not going to happen this time. The Thrash will win handily.
The Capitals, though, haven't been very effective in short-handed situations this season, killing off just 81.8 percent (54-of-66) of opponents' power plays.
Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk's six-game goal streak and eight-game point streak ended Wednesday. The point streak started when he had a goal and two assists in the first meeting with Washington. Kovalchuk recorded nine goals and eight assists in October.
In the Thrashers' second victory of the season over the Caps, Hossa scored the tying goal with 33 seconds left in regulation and had a goal in the shootout. Washington is 0-3 in shootouts this season.
Washington returns to the Verizon Center after going 2-1-1 on a four-game road trip. The Capitals, who won 4-2 at Calgary on Monday, play their final 71 games in the Eastern time zone.
Capitals coach Glen Hanlon moved Richard Zednik to the fourth line against the Flames and got results, as Zednik delivered with his first two goals of the season. Zednik had 16 goals in 67 games with Montreal last season before Washington acquired him for a third-round pick in July.
"You could feel it on the bench, you could see it in his body language, the relief and exuberance that he showed," Hanlon said.
Dainius Zubrus scored twice, and Ovechkin added two assists for the Caps.
From Mike Vogel's washingtoncaps.com short shifts, injuries and probable lines:
Short Shifts: Matt Bradley has four assists in 15 career games against Atlanta … Donald Brashear has three goals and 10 points in 17 career games against the Thrashers … Chris Clark has three goals and six points in 15 lifetime tilts vs. Atlanta … Ben Clymer has three goals and eight points in 30 career games against the Thrashers … Boyd Gordon has a goal and two points in five career games against the Thrashers. Gordon netted his first NHL goal against Atlanta on Oct. 11, 2003 … Mike Green has two assists in three career games against the Thrashers. Green recorded his first NHL assist vs. Atlanta on Mar. 4, 2006 … Jamie Heward has two goals and 11 points in 13 lifetime games against the Thrashers … Brent Johnson is 6-3 with a 2.20 GAA and a .906 save pct. lifetime against the Thrashers … Olie Kolzig is 12-8-6 with four shutouts during his career against Atlanta … Brooks Laich has two goals and four points in nine career games vs. the Thrashers … Shaone Morrisonn has three assists in 10 career games against Atlanta … Bryan Muir has a goal and four points in 13 career games against the Thrashers … Alex Ovechkin has six goals and 17 points in 10 career games against Atlanta. Ovechkin has four goals and eight points in his last six games … Matt Pettinger has four goals and five points in 20 lifetime contests vs. the Thrashers … Brian Pothier has three assists in eight career games against Atlanta. Pothier has five assists in his last six games. He is tied for 10th among all NHL blueliners with nine assists … Alexander Semin has four goals and six points in six career games against the Thrashers. Semin has netted 13 of his 18 career goals against Southeast Division foes … Brian Sutherby has three assists in 15 career games vs. Atlanta … Richard Zednik has seven goals and 21 points in 27 lifetime games against the Thrashers. Zednik has two goals and six points in his last seven games … Dainius Zubrus has 12 goals and 21 points in 26 career games vs. Atlanta. Zubrus has five goals and seven points in his last six games … Johan Hedberg is 3-2-2 lifetime against the Capitals … Bobby Holik has 18 goals and 42 points in 72 lifetime games vs. Washington. Holik has a goal and three points in his last three games … Marian Hossa has 21 goals and 42 points in 32 career games against the Caps. Hossa has seven goals and 11 points in his last nine games … Niko Kapanen has four assists in six career games against the Capitals … Ilya Kovalchuk has 13 goals and 29 points in 24 career games against Washington. Kovalchuk has nine goals and 15 points in his last nine games … Slava Kozlov has 11 goals and 22 points in 33 career games against the Capitals. Kozlov has six assists in his last six games … Kari Lehtonen is 5-0 lifetime against Washington. Lehtonen has won one of his last four starts, allowing four or more goals in all four … Steve McCarthy has one goal and three points in five career games against the Caps … Scott Mellanby has 18 goals and 50 points in 82 career contests vs. the Capitals. Mellanby has three goals and six points in his last six games … Steve Rucchin has five goals and eight points in 17 career games against the Caps … Jon Sim has nine goals and 13 points in 16 career games against Washington. He has twice as many goals against the Caps as he does against any other foe … Andy Sutton has six goals and 10 points in 24 career games against the Caps. Sutton has three times as many goals against Washington as he does against any other opponent in the league. He has two assists in his last three games.
Injuries
Atlanta Thrashers
Defenseman Braydon Coburn has a shoulder injury and is out indefinitely.
Defenseman Niclas Havelid is on personal leave and is day-to-day.
Washington
None.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Atlanta
Forwards
17-Kovalchuk, 20-Rucchin, 14-Sim
13-Kozlov, 39-Kapanen, 18-Hossa
23-Slater, 16-Holik, 19-Mellanby
29-Larsen, 9-Metropolit, 11-Vigier
Defensemen
2-Exelby, 25-Sutton
3-Vishnevski, 7-de Vries 5-McCarthy
34-Hnidy
Goaltenders
1-Hedberg, 32-Lehtonen
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 24-Beech, 18-Pettinger
21-Laich, 16-Sutherby, 10-Bradley
87-Brashear, 15-Gordon, 20-Zednik
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
6-Heward, 27-Clymer
47-Muir, 52-Green
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: WSH - ATL
Goals: Semin (8) - Hossa (11)
Points: Semin (12) - Hossa (18)
+/-: Clark (4) - Kozlov (5)
Team Stats (rank): WSH - ATL
Goals for/game: 3.18 (11) - 3.36 (6)
Goals against/game: 3.18 (22) - 2.71 (11)
Power Play Pct.: 17.0 (11) - 18.8 (9)
Penalty Kill Pct.: 81.8 (20) - 86.4 (11)
The JET's Take:
No contest in this one. Atlanta is simply a better team than Washington. The Capitals have not been good against teams with a winning record and Atlanta has been steamrolling through teams. In every single aspect, either individually or as a team, the Thrashers outmatch the Caps.
The only glaring hole in Atlanta is their goaltender, Kari Lehtonen. If the Caps want to win, he'd better have a terrible game. While DC has taken ATL to OT in their previous two games, that's not going to happen this time. The Thrash will win handily.
posted by The Jet at 8:12 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home