Washington Capitals blogs: Japer's Rink, too many others to mention
The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Well, there's a pretty good Swede and some other guys, too. Despite some lackluster play of late, the Caps are one of the most dynamic teams in the league, and the #3 team in the Eastern Conference. In their last meeting, on October 18 in Washington, the Preds lost 4-3 in a shootout.
Questions to be answered: (1) How will Scott Nichol fare in his return to action after almost 3 months on injured reserve? (2) Can the workmanlike, team-based Nashville approach top the star-studded Washington attack? (3) Can presumed starter Pekka Rinne bounce back from giving up 4 goals to the Flyers on Saturday?
Caps coming in: That 40-21-6 record is impressive, but Washington just concluded an 0-3-1 homestand, so they'll be looking to right the ship. They enjoy a 9-point lead in the Southeast Division over Carolina, and hold a game in hand, so perhaps this is a case of a team struggling to find motivation.
Predators coming in:Their loss Saturday in Philadelphia ended a 6-game winning streak, which has lifted Nashville into the thick of the Western Conference playoff chase.
Caps to watch: Besides fawning over Alex Ovechkin, there are plenty of other players (Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom) to keep an eye out for. On defense, Mike Green has blown past the competition with 23 goals and 35 assists.
Preds to watch:Martin Erat has scored in each of the two games since his return from an injured groin, and David Legwand's 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 6 games has him on the precipice of only his 2nd 20-goal season.
Here's a look at the two teams in the main statistical categories, along with overall NHL rank:
| Washington | Nashville | |||
| Record | 40-21-6 | 5th | 33-29-4 | 18th |
| Pts % | .642 | 5th | .530 | 19th |
| Goals For/Game | 3.22 | 6th | 2.52 | 26th |
| Goals Against/Game | 2.91 | 16th | 2.73 | 10th |
| 5-on-5 GF/GA | 1.18 | 7th | 0.95 | 16th |
| PP% | 24.4 | 2nd | 14.1 | 28th |
| PK% | 79.6 | 22nd | 84.3 | 4th |
| Shots/Game | 32.9 | 4th | 29.2 | 15th |
| Shots Against/Game | 29.5 | 13th | 29.2 | 11th |
| FO % | 51.4 | 6th | 53.0 | 3rd |
If the Preds are going to win tonight, it will be due to solid defense shutting down a potent bunch of Capitals. The Washington power play vs. Nashville penalty killing is the featured matchup here, as both groups are among the league leaders.
One other statistical tidbit to toss in here. Who's likely to load up the penalty box tonight?
| Washington | Penalties Drawn | Nashville | Penalties Drawn | ||||
| Player | Draws | Fouls | Pen +/- | Player | Draws | Fouls | Pen +/- |
| Alex Ovechkin | 33 | 32 | +1 | Jordin Tootoo | 45 | 40 | +5 |
| Brooks Laich | 32 | 13 | +19 | Martin Erat | 22 | 24 | -2 |
| Alex Semin | 25 | 26 | -1 | Ryan Jones | 22 | 9 | +13 |
| Donald Brashear | 25 | 32 | -7 | Dan Hamhuis | 21 | 23 | -2 |
| Mike Green | 20 | 28 | -8 | Joel Ward | 20 | 10 | +10 |
| Matt Bradley | 18 | 13 | +5 | Vern Fiddler | 20 | 7 | +13 |
| Penalties Taken | Penalties Taken | ||||||
| Alex Ovechkin | 33 | 32 | +1 | Jordin Tootoo | 45 | 40 | +5 |
| Donald Brashear | 25 | 32 | -7 | Ryan Suter | 16 | 33 | -17 |
| Mike Green | 20 | 28 | -8 | Shea Weber | 14 | 32 | -18 |
| Milan Jurcina | 6 | 27 | -21 | Martin Erat | 22 | 24 | -2 |
| Alex Semin | 25 | 26 | -1 | Greg de Vries | 11 | 24 | -13 |
| Shaone Morrisonn | 17 | 25 | -8 | Dan Hamhuis | 21 | 23 | -2 |