Here's what to know before the Capitals take on the Ducks.
WASHINGTON – The Washington Capitals know they're in for a tough matchup on Tuesday, as the Anaheim Ducks can still do quite a bit of damage despite a so-so record to show for it. Regardless, they'll need two points with the Wild Card race getting tighter by the day, and they'll again be without their captain in Alex Ovechkin.
Here's everything to know before puck drop at 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena.
Washington Capitals Line Combinations
Ovechkin will sit out his third consecutive game with a lower-body injury. Ovechkin took part in the morning skate and was in a regular jersey, but he did not take power-play reps.
Meanwhile, there will be a change on defense, as Alex Alexeyev will slot in after 24 consecutive healthy scratches. As a result, Trevor van Riemsdyk will be the odd man out on the backend.
Here are the line combinations:
Max Pacioretty-Dylan Strome-T.J. Oshie
Hendrix Lapierre-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas-Connor McMichael-Anthony Mantha
Beck Malenstyn-Nic Dowd-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary-John Carlson
Alex Alexeyev-Nick Jensen
Joel Edmundson-Ethan Bear
Darcy Kuemper will get the start, while Charlie Lindgren, who started both games of the weekend back-to-back against New York, will back up.
Washington Capitals Injury Report
- Ovechkin (lower-body) will sit out for the third straight game. He was hurt on Jan. 5 after colliding with Jordan Staal and taking the brunt of the impact to the back of his left leg.
- Sonny Milano (upper-body) will miss his 17th consecutive game and remains in a non-contact jersey.
- Rasmus Sandin (upper-body) will miss his sixth consecutive game due to an ongoing ailment.
Washington Capitals Storylines
- T.J. Oshie has goals in back-to-back games and three of his last four games overall, as well as points in four of his last five outings.
- Max Pacioretty and Dylan Strome have points in three of their last four games. Strome also gets to face his brother, Ryan, in this tilt.
- Nic Dowd has points in five of his last eight games.
- Tom Wilson had a hat trick in his last outing against Anaheim to close out the month of November. It was his first career three-goal game.
How To Watch Capitals vs. Ducks
The Capitals and Ducks will face off on Monumental Sports Network. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+.
Fans can also tune in on Caps Radio 24/7 and 106.7 FM.