The Washington Capitals visit the Detroit Red Wings for the first time this season and of three times in a span of exactly six weeks on Tuesday night (7 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network 2 in-market, ESPN+ out-of-market). Detroit earned five of a possible six points (Washington: 1-2-0) in last season’s regular-season set between the two squads.
Schedule
Washington: wraps up back-to-back set after Monday’s 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators and stretch where they play three games in four nights and eight of 11 against Atlantic Division opponents (5-3-2 so far)
Detroit: begin three-game homestand, stretch where they host five of six (3-0-0 so far)
How Each Team Is Doing
Washington: 4-0-1 during five-game point-streak, has points in six of their last seven (4-1-2) since ending six-game winless streak (0-5-1)
Detroit: has won five in a row, is 15-4-2 (.762 — second in the NHL) since January 1
Standings
Washington: 27-21-9 (.553 points percentage — fourth in Metropolitan Division, ninth in Eastern Conference); point up on New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders with a game in hand on both teams; six points behind Tampa Bay Lightning (three) for second wild-card spot in Eastern Conference, seven back of Detroit (one) for the first, four behind Philadelphia Flyers (two) for third place in Metropolitan Division
Detroit: 32-20-6 (.603 points percentage — fourth in Atlantic Division, sixth in Eastern Conference); four points back of Toronto Maple Leafs (who have a game in hand) for third in Atlantic, one point up on Tampa Bay for first wild-card spot
Team Leaders
Left-wing Patrick Kane leads Detroit with an average of 1.04 points-per-game (28 in 27) and the team has 12 players with at least 10 goals.
Team Statistics
Detroit ranks sixth in goals-per-game, eighth on the power play, and ninth on the penalty kill but allows the seventh-most shots.
Injuries/Illnesses/Suspensions
Washington
- C Nicklas Backstrom (hip)
- RW T.J. Oshie (upper-body)
- C Evgeny Kuznetsov (NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program)
- C Nic Dowd (upper-body)
- D Martin Fehervary (lower-body)
- D Nick Jensen (lower-body)
Detroit
- G Ville Husso (undisclosed)
Expected Goaltending Matchup
Tuesday’s probable matchup in the crease features two that have awfully similar statistics.
Projected Lines
Washington
Alex Ovechkin – Strome – Tom Wilson
Anthony Mantha – Connor McMichael – Aliaksei Protas
Max Pacioretty – Michael Sgarbossa — Pierrick Dube
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Rasmus Sandin – Carlson
Alexander Alexeyev – Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson – Ethan Bear
Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: N/A
Detroit
DeBrincat – Larkin – Kane
Michael Rasmussen – J.T. Compher – Raymond
David Perron – Andrew Copp — Joe Veleno
Robby Fabbri – Christian Fischer – Daniel Sprong
Jake Walman – Seider
Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry
Olli Maatta – Shayne Gostisbehere
Lyon
James Reimer
Scratched: C Klim Kostin, D Justin Holl
Betting Odds (BetMGM)
Washington: +150, Detroit: -185
Over-under: 6 (-120 over, +100 under)
By Harrison Brown
