Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
When: March 31, 2011, 7:00 PM
History:
Caps
Record on this Date: 5-5-2-0
Caps
Game 78 Record: 15-13-3-3
All-Time
vs. CLB: 7-3-1-1
All-Time
at home vs. CLB: 2-1-1-1
Last
Season vs. CLB: 1-0-1
Last
Meeting: 4/3/10, WAS 3 CLB 2
Season
Series: 0-0-0
This Year:
WAS
Record: 44-22-11
Standings
Points: 99
Division
Rank: 1st
Conference
Rank: 2nd
Last
Game: 3/29/11, WAS 2 CAR 3 (OT-SO)
Streak:
Loss 1
CLB
Record: 34-31-11
Standings
Points: 79
Division
Rank: 4th
Conference
Rank: 12th
Last
Game: 3/29/11, CLB 3 FLA 2 (OT-SO)
Streak: Win 1
Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward
Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM,
Forward
Line 2: 21 LAICH, 44 ARNOTT, 22 KNUBLE
Forward
Line 3: 18 STURM, 90 JOHANSSON, 16 FEHR
Forward
Line 4: 26 HENDRICKS, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Defense
Pair 1: 55 SCHULTZ, 6 WIDEMAN
Defense
Pair 2: 27 ALZNER, 74 CARLSON
Defense
Pair 3: 23 HANNAN, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie:
30 NEUVIRTH
Back-up
Goalie: 1 VARLAMOV
Columbus
Forward
Line 1: 61 NASH, 16 BRASSARD, 11 CALVERT
Forward
Line 2: 18 UMBERGER, 50 VERMETTE, 93 VORACEK
Forward
Line 3: UP9 SHALL, 26 PAHLSSON, 15 DORSETT
Forward
Line 4: 43 MAYOROV, 24 MACKENZIE, 40 BOLL
Defense
Pair 1: 35 HEJDA, 4 LEPISTO
Defense
Pair 2: 51 TYUTIN, 3 METHOT
Defense
Pair 3: 52 RIVET, 10 RUSSELL
Goalie:
1 MASON
Back-up
Goalie: 32 GARON
Injuries:
Washington
– 3 POTI (upper body) IR, (upper body) IR, 52 GREEN (head) IR
CLB
– CLARK (lower body) DTD, HUSELIUS (ankle) DTD, STRALMAN (knee) IR, MURRAY
(lower body) DTD
Caps Milestones:
Jason
Arnott needs 2 goals to reach 400 in his career.
Jason
Chimera needs 4 goals to reach 100 in his career.
Alex
Ovechkin needs 2 goals to reach 300 in his career.
Preview:
The
Capitals face the Blue Jackets for first time in almost a year as they are the
last Western Conference team the Caps will face this regular season. Overall Washington
is 7-9-1 in 17 games against the West. Columbus is out of the playoff hunt but
would love to knock off the Caps and give the team a late season boost. The
Capitals look a little complacent against Carolina on Monday and needs to get
back to playing tough hardnosed hockey. I don’t know if it was the first game
after a road trip let down or the team getting Alex Ovechkin back and thinking
he would carry the play but it’s time to start preparing for the next season. I
expect a much more focused Washington team to show up and take this game from
the start. Look for a big game from the big name players and I am thinking that
the Caps will win by a comfortable margin.
Joe’s
prediction: Caps 4 CLB 1