Caps (15-6-2, 32 points) vs. Lightning (13-7-2, 28 points)
What » Game #24
Where » Verizon Center
When » 5 p.m.
TV » CSN HD
Radio » WFED-1500 AM
Should be a fun one this evening when the Caps and Lightning get together. Only four points separate the two teams in the Southeast Division – a change from the last two seasons where Washington put its division rivals out of reach early in the season. Tampa is the hottest team in the league with five wins in a row despite injuries to forward Vinnie Lecavalier and Simon Gagne.
The Caps will be without defensemen Mike Green (upper-body injury) and Tyler Sloan (lower-body injury) and Brian Fahey – sent down on Thursday – is back. Sloan, listed as day-to-day, is on injured reserve and will miss Sunday’s game against Carolina, too. Tom Poti also came through Wednesday’s game okay and will play tonight. Mike Knuble (broken jaw) is going to take warm-ups tonight, but no word on if he’ll play. In goal? Semyon Varlamov led the Caps onto the ice a few moments ago so it looks like he’s getting a second game in a row. Tomas Fleischmann and D.J. King are the healthy scratches tonight.
Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin remains at right wing even with Knuble back in the lineup. That experiment worked pretty well on Wednesday against the Hurricanes. That means Knuble is the second line with Alex Semin shifting to left wing.
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