Caps Game Day – vs. Hurricanes, 11/28/10

The Capitals got back on track with a 3-2 win at Carolina on Wednesday night. This evening the two teams play for the third time this season. Washington has won both meetings. Defenseman Mike Green (upper-body injury) is back in the lineup after missing the past two games. Forward Tomas Fleischmann also returns. He didn’t play against Tampa Bay on Friday. Boyd Gordon gets a rest. The top line is Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin. 

Semyon Varlamov led the Caps onto the ice for warm-ups and will start in goal. Washington is again tied with Philadelphia for the NHL’s best record – though has 34 points in one less game. It is also five points clear of second-place Tampa Bay in the Southeast Division. Carolina, meanwhile, is in fourth-place in the Southeast. The Caps are 11-1-1 at home this season.

It would be in the Hurricanes’ best interests not to allow a power-play goal here tonight. Washington is 12-0-1 when tallying with the man-advantage. Special teams: Caps are 21-for-87 (24.1%), fourth in the NHL. Carolina is 18-for-101 (17.8% and ranked 11^th. The penalty-kill unit is 86-for-102 for Washington (84.3%). That’s good for seventh overall. The Hurricanes are struggling at 27^th (62-for-81, 76.5%).