Game Preview #33: Washington Capitals vs Ottawa Senators

Senators return home to face Capitals

Senators look to break a two-game losing streak against Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

The Ottawa Senators return to the Canadian Tire Centre tonight, desperate to get back into the win column. They’ll face off against the Washington Capitals as Alex Ovechkin tries to pass Gordie Howe in career goals. The veteran center needs two more goals to surpass the legend, but the Sens will stand in his way in Ottawa tonight.

After reaching the .500 mark over the weekend, the Senators have lost their previous two games in regulation. The pair of losses ended what had been a red-hot point streak for the Sens, but it’s how the team played in both that concerned fans. The team came out flat and went down early in Minnesota and Winnipeg. While they controlled the puck better early on in Winnipeg, they were outplayed in almost every aspect of both games. Some of this can be attributed to injuries, but they can’t afford another slow start against one of the league’s hottest scorers coming to town.

Lineup Notes

Here are the lineups from today’s morning skate:

The most notable change is the presence of Tim Stützle, who has been out with a shoulder injury ten days ago against the Ducks. There was some uncertainty around his timetable to return, so his participation is cause for excitement. Coach DJ Smith shared that Stütle will be a game-time decision tonight. His return would likely mean the struggling Derick Brassard would be the healthy scratch.

Another notable change is in the third pairing, where Dillon Heatherington will be filling for an injured Erik Brannstrom. The defense has been atrocious over the last two games, so perhaps Heatherington can provide a spark. Fellow blueliner Artem Zub was on the ice for a bit this morning, hoping his return could come in the next week. Zub, who signed a new contract with the Sens earlier this week, has been out with a broken jaw since

Offensive Leaders

Points: WSH – Alex Ovechkin (36) / OTT – Brady Tkachuk (36)

Goals:  WSH – Alex Ovechkin (20) / OTT – Claude Giroux (14)

Assists: WSH – Evgeny Kuznetsov (21) / OTT – Brady Tkachuk (23)

+/-: WSH – Nick Jensen (+9) / OTT – Mathieu Joseph & Tyler Motte (+3)

Shots: WSH – Alex Ovechkin (144) / OTT – Brady Tkachuk (140)

Hits: WSH – Garnet Hathaway (118) / OTT – Brady Tkachuk (78)

Starting Goalies

 Darcy Kuemper– Washington Capitals

2022-2023 Season Stats: 20 GP, 8-9-2, 0.916 SV%, 2.56 GAA

It appears Darcy Kuemper will be returning from injury to get the start tonight in Ottawa. The 32-year-old is returning from an upper-body injury that has kept him out for most of December. Kuemper got the start when these teams met in October and allowed three goals in the loss. The goalie had three wins to close out November but struggled in his two December starts.

Anton Forsberg – Ottawa Senators

2022-2023 Season Stats: 17 GP, 5-8-2, 0.906 SV%, 3.23 GAA

With Cam Talbot still dealing with injuries and coming off a five-goal performance on Tuesday, it appears the Sens will turn to Anton Forsberg tonight. Forsberg has been having a nice December, as he is 1-1-1 and allowing 2.60 goals per game while saving 91.4% of shots. He was in goal when these two teams met in October, helping get the win by allowing just two goals. He’ll be charged with standing in the way of history tonight as Ovechkin attempts to become the NHL’s second-leading scorer in history.

Key Stats & Trends

Washington Capitals

• 6th in the Metropolitan with 38 points
• 7-2-1 over their last 10 games
• 7-8-3 on the road
• 12th in the NHL in Penalty Kill Percentage (80.2%)
• 19th in NHL in Goals Forced/Games Played (3.06)
• 13th in NHL in Goals Allowed/Games Played (2.85)
• 21st in NHL in Faceoff Percentage (48.6%)

Ottawa Senators

• 8th in the Atlantic with 30 points
• 6-3-1 over their last 10 games
• 8-8 at home
• 4th in NHL in Power Play Percentage (28.5%)
• 11th in NHL in Penalty Kill Percentage (80.3%)
• 4th in NHL in Faceoff Percentage (53.7%)
• 19th in NHL in Goals Forced/Games Played (3.06)
• 19th in Goals Allowed/Games Played (3.22)