Game #41 Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When:  January 4, 2011, 7:00 PM

History:           

Caps Record on this Date: 5-5-6-0

Caps Game 41 Record: 10-15-9-1

All-Time vs. TAM: 60-26-6-4

All-Time at Home vs. TAM: 32-11-4-2

Last Season vs. TAM: 4-2-0

Last Meeting: 11/26/10, WAS 6 TAM 0

This Year:

WAS Record: 23-12-5

Standings Points: 51

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th

Last Game: 1/1/11, WAS 3 PIT 1

Streak: Win 3

TAM Record: 23-11-5

Standings Points: 51

Division Rank: 1st

Conference Rank: 2nd    

Last Game: 1/1/11, TAM 2 NYR 1 (OT)

Streak: Win 2

Probable Line-Ups:     

Washington

Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 22 KNUBLE

Forward Line 2: 21 LAICH, 85 PERRAULT, 28 SEMIN

Forward Line 3: 25 CHIMERA, 90 JOHANSSON, 14 FEHR

Forward Line 4: 26 HENDRICKS, 83 BEAGLE, 39 STECKEL

Defense Pair 1: 52 GREEN, 23 HANNAN

Defense Pair 2: 27 ALZNER, 74 CARLSON

Defense Pair 3: 55 SCHULTZ, 4 ERSKINE

Goalie: 1 VARLAMOV

Back-up Goalie: 30 NEUVIRTH

Tampa Bay

Forward Line 1: 6 MALONE, 91 STAMKOS, 26 ST. LOUIS

Forward Line 2: 12 GAGNE, 4 LECAVALIER, 10 BERGENHEIM

Forward Line 3: 21 RITOLA, 19 MOORE, 16 PURCELL

Forward Line 4: 18 HALL, 44 THOMPSON, 42 TYRELL

Defense Pair 1: 39 LUNDIN, 5 OHLUND

Defense Pair 2: 7 CLARK, 77 HEDMAN

Defense Pair 3: 8 JONES, 13 KUBINA

Goalie: 33 ELLIS

Back-up Goalie: 35 ROLOSON

Injuries:

Washington – 3 POTI (undisclosed) DTD, 15 GORDON (lower body) IR, 17 KING (undisclosed) IR, 10 BRADLEY (broken finger) IR

TAM – 9 DOWNIE (ankle) IR, 41 SMITH (knee) IR

Caps Milestones:

Mike Knuble needs 1 point to reach 500 in his career.

Nicklas Backstrom needs 5 points to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:

After winning the Winter Classic, the Caps must now focus on the Southeast Division. The first place Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Phone Booth looking to payback Washington for the 6-0 rout they absorbed in their last meeting. The Capitals are rolling in their last 6 games with a 5-0-1 record and have allowed only 7 goals against in those games. This should be another tight game for the Capitals who need to continue the momentum from the big January 1^st victory. The new defensive system has been getting good buy in from the players and becoming very effective. You’ve got to ask yourself, with all the talent the Caps have on offense, how are the other teams in league viewing this change? I’m thinking that they do not want to face this team playing shut down, especially if they can get the power play rolling and you know it’s going to get rolling. Key match up in against Tampa is who defends the Stamkos line. Look for Karl Alzner and John Carlson to be out there. The rookie pair has been getting big minutes against the league’s best lines and they are only going to get better. They are a combined +13 in the last 6 games. I expect a little more scoring in this game but the Caps win going away.   

Joe’s prediction: Caps 5 TAM 3

Official Preview