Caps (18-7-2, 38 points) vs. Thrashers (13-10-3, 29 points)
What » Game #28
Where » Verizon Center
When » 7 p.m.
TV » CSN HD
Radio » WFED-1500 AM
Let’s do this one more time. The Caps and Thrashers meet for the fifth time in 28 games. That’s an absurd schedule quirk. Atlanta is done with games at Verizon Center this season – which is good since it hasn’t won in the District in its last nine tries and Washington is 12-1-1 at home in 2010-11. The Thrashers have whipped the Caps twice at Philips Arena this season, however, by a combined score of 7-2 and they had a six-game winning streak snapped Thursday in Pittsburgh. They certainly have the look of a playoff contender.
Semyon Varlamov is back in goal for the fifth time in six games. He has yet to face Atlanta this season. Defenseman Tom Poti (groin) is out for the second game in a row with a recurrence of that nagging injury. Defenseman Scott Hannan makes his Verizon Center debut after last week’s trade with Colorado. Sorry Tomas Fleischmann fans and anyone who recently bought his No. 14 jersey. It’s always a risk.
Washington tries to bounce back from Thursday’s exasperating 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, where the game-tying goal by defenseman John Carlson in the final 10 seconds was waved off because Alex Ovechkin was ruled to have interfered with the goalie as the puck was whipping past. Ovechkin, meanwhile, has tied his career-long goal drought at nine games.
One lucky break for Washington – Atlanta will be without forward Evander Kane (knee). Instead, Tim Stapleton goes into the lineup. Kane has scored five goals already this season against the Caps.
You’re lines look like this: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble; Laich-Johansson-Semin; Chimera-Gordon-Fehr; Hendricks-Steckel-Bradley. John Erskine was hurt in Thursday’s game against Dallas. He is out and replaced by Tyler Sloan, who last played Nov. 22 against New Jersey.
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