The Senators hope to continue their hot streak while the Capitals try to stay within shouting distance of a playoff spot.
When the young Ottawa Senators and the aging Washington Capitals last met back in October, there was little doubt that if one of the teams was going to be playoff-bound in 2024, it was probably going to be the Senators.
Ottawa destroyed Washington that night, 6-1 at the Canadian Tire Centre, but it's the Capitals who still have an outside shot at the playoffs.
For the Sens, Washington represents the halfway milestone of what would be a miracle comeback to get to the playoffs. The Capitals are eight points out of the Eastern playoffs and the Sens are eight points behind the Caps.
Yes, we mentioned playoffs. The Sens' playoff odds have been unofficially upgraded from "impossible" to "still need a miracle," thanks to their recent 10-3-3 run in their last 16 games.
Tonight's game (7 p.m. SN, TVAS) is the second of three between the two clubs. Sens' defenceman Artem Zub will be out of the lineup once again, so the Sens will roll out the same lineup as Saturday, including Anton Forsberg in goal.
The status quo should come as no surprise as Ottawa has earned seven of eight points in their last four games, all against top playoff-bound teams (Tampa Bay, Florida, Dallas, Vegas).
The Sens are 7-2-1 in their last ten while the Capitals are 4-3-3.
Thomas Chabot has goals in three straight games while Claude Giroux is riding an eight-game point streak.
Former third-overall pick Dylan Strome has found his groove in Washington, leading the Capitals this season with 21 goals, already just two shy of his career-best of 23 that he scored last season. T.J. Oshie will miss the game for the Capitals. Anthony Mantha and Nick Jensen are game-time decisions after both were nicked up in their last game.
Washington head coach Spencer Carbery gave the return of Shane Pinto considerable credit for Ottawa's improved play of late.
“It’s been a while, and they gave it to us pretty good in their building back then,” Carbery told the Capitals website. “Shane Pinto has changed their group a lot since he’s been back. I feel like it gives them three lines that can stress you in different ways defensively.
Ottawa's Probable Lines:
Mathieu Joseph - Tim Stutzle - Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk - Shane Pinto - Vladimir Tarasenko
Ridly Greig - Josh Norris - Drake Batherson
Dominik Kubalik - Mark Kastelic - Parker Kelly
Jake Sanderson - Jacob Bernard-Docker
Thomas Chabot - Erik Brannstrom
Jakob Chychrun - Travis Hamonic
Anton Forsberg
Joonas Korpisalo
Washington's Probable Lines:
Alex Ovechkin - Dylan Strome - Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas - Connor McMichael - Anthony Mantha
Max Pacioretty - Mike Sgarbossa - Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn - Hendrix Lapierre - Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Trevor van Riemsdyk - John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin - Joel Edmundson
Alexander Alexeyev - Ethan Bear
Darcy Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren