Carolina Hurricanes (27-16-2, fourth in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Washington Capitals (30-11-5, first in the Metropolitan Division)
Washington; Monday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: John Carlson leads Washington into a matchup against Carolina. He's 10th in the NHL with 55 points, scoring 13 goals and totaling 42 assists.
The Capitals are 6-7-1 against opponents in the Metropolitan Division. Washington averages 10.3 penalty minutes per game, the fourth-most in the league. Tom Wilson leads the team serving 67 total minutes.
The Hurricanes are 4-8-1 against the rest of their division. Carolina ranks seventh in the league averaging 5.8 assists per game, led by Teuvo Teravainen with 0.8.
In their last meeting on Jan. 3, Washington won 4-3.
TOP PERFORMERS: Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals with 26 goals, adding 16 assists and collecting 42 points. Carlson has recorded eight assists over the last 10 games for Washington.
Teravainen leads the Hurricanes with 43 points, scoring nine goals and collecting 34 assists. Lucas Wallmark has recorded five goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Carolina.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 5-5-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.4 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game with a .890 save percentage.
Capitals: 5-5-0, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.9 assists, 4.3 penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game with a .886 save percentage.
INJURIES: Capitals: None listed.
Hurricanes: None listed.
