:caps: @ :sens: Preview
CAPITALS (43-21-10) at SENATORS (28-37-9)
TV -- TSN (HD), RDS; CSN-DC (HD)
Last 10 -- Washington 9-1-0; Ottawa 6-4-0
Season series -- It's the last of this season's four meetings, with Washington looking for a sweep. The Caps have a pair of 3-2 wins and beat the Senators 3-1 in their most recent meeting on Jan. 16.
Big story -- The Caps enter the fifth game of their six-game trip as the hottest team in the NHL with 12 wins in their last 13 games. A victory at Scotiabank Place will give them 98 points, matching Philadelphia for the most in the East. But the Senators have been a much-improved club over the past few weeks and come home after a 2-1 shootout win against the Rangers in new York on Thursday.
Team Scope:
Capitals -- Not even the absence of Alex Ovechkin can slow down the Caps. Ovi missed Tuesday's game in Philadelphia and the Capitals still scored four times before winning in a shootout to clinch a playoff berth.
With a chance to catch the Flyers for the top spot in the East, coach Bruce Boudreau said there's no chance his team will overlook the last-place Senators before visiting Montreal on Saturday.
"I've come to the feeling that's there's just no weak team with the salary cap," he said. "There's no chance we'll take Ottawa lightly."
Senators -- The return of goaltender Craig Anderson was just what the Senators needed in New York. Anderson, returning after missing three games with a lower-body injury, made 29 saves through overtime and was 5-for-5 in the shootout before Erik Karlsson scored for the win.
"We've got a lot of pride in our room," Anderson said. "You want to finish strong. It doesn't matter happened through the first 60 games or so."
CAPITALS (43-21-10) at SENATORS (28-37-9)
TV -- TSN (HD), RDS; CSN-DC (HD)
Last 10 -- Washington 9-1-0; Ottawa 6-4-0
Season series -- It's the last of this season's four meetings, with Washington looking for a sweep. The Caps have a pair of 3-2 wins and beat the Senators 3-1 in their most recent meeting on Jan. 16.
Big story -- The Caps enter the fifth game of their six-game trip as the hottest team in the NHL with 12 wins in their last 13 games. A victory at Scotiabank Place will give them 98 points, matching Philadelphia for the most in the East. But the Senators have been a much-improved club over the past few weeks and come home after a 2-1 shootout win against the Rangers in new York on Thursday.
Team Scope:
Capitals -- Not even the absence of Alex Ovechkin can slow down the Caps. Ovi missed Tuesday's game in Philadelphia and the Capitals still scored four times before winning in a shootout to clinch a playoff berth.
With a chance to catch the Flyers for the top spot in the East, coach Bruce Boudreau said there's no chance his team will overlook the last-place Senators before visiting Montreal on Saturday.
"I've come to the feeling that's there's just no weak team with the salary cap," he said. "There's no chance we'll take Ottawa lightly."
Senators -- The return of goaltender Craig Anderson was just what the Senators needed in New York. Anderson, returning after missing three games with a lower-body injury, made 29 saves through overtime and was 5-for-5 in the shootout before Erik Karlsson scored for the win.
"We've got a lot of pride in our room," Anderson said. "You want to finish strong. It doesn't matter happened through the first 60 games or so."
