Capitals Look to Open New Year With a Victory Over Ottawa
The Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators on New Year’s Day and will look to string together back-to-back victories.
After a six-goal outburst on New Year’s Eve, the Washington Capitals head back to Verizon Center on Sunday to host the Ottawa Senators. The Caps snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday and will look to carry the positive vibes into the contest with the Ottawa Senators.
Sunday will mark the first meeting between Washington and Ottawa this season.
The Caps have been playing some inconsistent hockey lately and have struggled to score the puck. They currently rank 13th in the league with 2.7 goals per game. There’s no denying that Washington has a very talented lineup, it’s just struggled to find consistency.
Perhaps Saturday’s game is a sign of things to come.
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One person who hasn’t been struggling is captain Alexander Ovechkin. He leads the team with 17 goals and has scored in three of the last four games. Center Jay Beagle has also been an important player, winning face-offs and providing scoring at key times.
An area that has kept the Capitals in games this year is the penalty killing. The Caps are third in the league in that department and killed of nine New Jersey power plays in the last game.
Braden Holtby is the confirmed starter for Washington in this one after sitting out Saturday’s tilt in New Jersey.
Ottawa enters the game with five wins in the last 10 games and currently sits just below the Caps in the Eastern Conference standings. The Senators had a four-game win streak, but have lost their last two games.
Star defenseman Erik Karlsson leads the team with 32 points, including 25 assists. Kyle Turris is the team’s top scorer with 12 goals.
Mike Condon will be between the pipes for the Senators. He has eight wins this year and a GAA of 2.43.
Washington has won eight of its last 12 games and currently sits fourth in the Metropolitan division.
