Caps (3-1-0, 6 points) at Predators (3-0-0, 6 points)
What » Game #5
Where » Bridgestone Arena
When » 8 p.m.
TV » CSN HD
Radio » WFED-1500 AM
The Caps are in Music City tonight trying to hand Nashville its first loss of the season. They play in different conferences, but these teams have become pretty familiar with each other thanks to four games the previous three seasons plus two more preseason games this year. With much of its regular lineup playing, the Predators thumped Washington, 3-1, at Verizon Center on Oct. 3 in the preseason finale.
“They had their whole lineup. They played really well,” said Caps forward Brooks Laich. “They skate really well and they worked hard. They shut us down at home, which isn’t an easy thing to do.”
No it isn’t. But the Caps have been a little more careful with a lead this season. In three of their four games Washington has scored three goals or less. Tonight, they will be without defensemen Mike Green (upper-body injury) and Tom Poti (lower-body injury) and forward Matt Bradley (lower-body injury), none of whom made the trip to Nashville, according to both the Washington Post’s Katie Carrera and WashingtonCaps.com senior writer Mike Vogel.
Rookie Marcus Johansson (foot) is expected to play. Without Poti and Green, Washington has recalled defenseman Brian Fahey from AHL Hershey. At 29 he makes his NHL debut tonight. Bruce Boudreau has goalie Semyon Varlamov (groin) available for the first time this season, but according to the Post has chosen to go with rookie Michal Neuvirth again. Look for Varlamov to get his first start at home against Boston on Tuesday.
Not that Nashville cares. It hasn’t had starting goalie Pekka Rinne since the season-opener last weekend thanks to a lower-body injury. He will not return tonight, either, according to a report in The Tennessean. Forward Martin Erat is also out with an upper-body injury. He is listed as day-to-day. Free-agent center Matthew Lombardi was off to a rough start on the ice and will sit tonight with an upper-body injury, The Tennessean reported. The Predators have turned to ageless veteran Steve Sullivan. At 36 and with his troublesome back issues finally behind him, Sullivan has four goals and an assist in just three games. Alex Ovechkin could have a long night ahead against Nashville defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Then again he did score twice against the Predators almost exactly a year ago in a 3-2 Caps win on Oct. 17, 2009.
Follow me on Twitter @bmcnally14
