The Canes travel to Washington for a puck drop at 19.00.

On By Littum

One team is on a two-game winning streak, while the other is on a two-game skid. Can the Carolina Hurricanes make it three wins in a row and do it against the team one spot ahead in the standings?

Washington’s strong start to the season is one of the biggest surprises of the NHL season. Most preseason predictions had the Capitals on the playoff bubble or missing the postseason.

The old Southeast Division rival shattered those predictions. Washington is fourth in the NHL with 44 points, three ahead of Carolina in the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals are just one of four teams left with single-digit losses on the season.

Last season, Washington ranked 27th in goal differential. The -37 goal differential was the worst of any playoff team.

This year, the Caps have reversed that difference. At +35, Washington’s goal difference is second best in the league.

A major factor in Washington’s improved defense is the offseason acquisition of goaltender Logan Thompson.

Thompson has a 12-2-2 record this season with a 2.48 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.

Two other key offseason additions on the back end were Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy.

Chychrun has nine goals and 12 assists in 26 games this season. He is on the first power play unit with John Carlson and has tallied two goals and four assists on the man advantage.

Roy was brought in to be a shutdown defenseman and is living up to his six-year contract so far. Among Capitals defensemen, he has the lowest expected goals against in five-on-five games.

On offense, Washington is back to their scoring ways. The Capitals are tied for fourth in the NHL with 118 goals scored this season.

Dylan Strome is once again leading the way for Washington. He has 38 points in 31 games to lead the Caps, and those points are tied for 14th in the league.

Alexander Ovechkin will not play tonight as he is still recovering from a broken fibula. Despite missing 13 games, he is fourth on the team in points and tied for the scoring lead with Connor McMichael.

For the Canes, expect Pyotr Kochetkov back in net tonight after his shutout performance on Tuesday.

While not as dangerous without Ovechkin on the dot, Carolina will look to keep their perfect month on the penalty kill intact.

On the flip side, the Canes’ power play continues to regain its effectiveness. The fourth-ranked Carolina power play will go against Washington’s sixth-ranked penalty kill. This will be an important special teams matchup on the road.

No lineup changes are expected, but keep an eye out for line combinations.

How to check the action:

  • Time: 19:00 ET
  • Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
  • TV: FanDuel Sports Network South with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Hanna Yates, in-game reporter; Shane Willis, analyst.
  • Radio: 99.9 The tab
  • Line: ML: CAR -142; PL: BIL -1.5 +180