Caps (39-20-10, 88 points) vs. Blackhawks (37-24-7, 81 points)
What » Game #70
Where » Verizon Center
When » 12:30 p.m.
TV » NBC HD
Radio » WFED-1500 AM
A good test for the Caps as the defending Stanley Cup champs visit this afternoon. Chicago is rested – on the ice at least. The Blackhawks haven’t played a game since Wednesday at Tampa Bay. They’ve since spent three full days in the District with visits to Walter Reed, the White House and a couple of practices mixed in.
This is the only regular-season meeting between the two teams. The Caps took a come-from-behind 4-3 win at United Center last March 14 – a game that featured the ejection of Alex Ovechkin for a boarding major on Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell.
Braden Holtby will start in goal for the Caps again. Bruce Boudreau said Michal Neuvirth is healthy now after taking a shot to the mask in Tampa Bay on Monday. Holtby has stopped 170 of his last 174 shots on goal.
“He’s been pretty good. It would seem to be the easiest thing for the coach to do,” Boudreau said. “Rather than over coach and say ‘Is he going to be good or is he going to be bad today? Has his time run out?’ I don’t have a crystal ball. All I know is he’s playing really good. Why not continue to play him until something else happens.”
Corey Crawford (2.26 goals-against average, .917 save percentage) will start for the Blackhawks, This will be his 44th start of the season. Patrick Sharp leads Chicago with 34 goals while captain Jonathan Toews has 28 and Patrick Kane has 23.
Ovechkin leads all scorers with 73 points. He is starting to heat up with four goals and seven assists during Washington’s current seven-game win streak. Ovechkin also has at least one point in 11 of the last 12 games.
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