Caps (15-12-1, 31 points) vs. Flyers (18-7-3, 39 points)
What – Game #29
Where – Verizon Center
When – 7 p.m.
TV – CSN HD
Radio – WFED-1500 AM
We’ll see tonight if the Caps can get on a legitimate roll. They have won three of the last four under new coach Dale Hunter. But this will be the stiffest test yet against the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia Flyers.
Washington is still without defenseman Mike Green, who is expected to meet the team on its road trip to Winnipeg and Colorado. He is off seeing a specialist about his injured right groin. Matt Hendricks (right knee) won’t play tonight, either, but will travel with the club after Wednesday’s practice in Arlington. Jeff Schultz will be the scratched defenseman.
No sympathy from the Flyers, however. The team diagnosed star center Claude Giroux – NHL-best 39 points – with a concussion on Tuesday. He is out indefinitely. Defenseman Chris Pronger is also on the shelf after the ‘ol knee surgery/concussion combination. No firm date for his return, either.
Tomas Vokoun starts in goal for Washington while Ilya Bryzgalov, who left Saturday’s game early with an injury of his own, is okay to go for Philadelphia. With Giroux out, it sounds like rookie Sean Couturier anchors the top line between Scott Hartnell and Jaromir Jagr. A year ago at this time, Couturier was preparing to be a linemate with Caps rookie Cody Eakin on Canada’s entry into the prestigious World Juniors tournament. That’s quite a jump.
“Sean has played extremely well for us this year in any role that we’ve given him,” said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. “He’s a real smart hockey player, he thinks the game really well, defensively he’s been excellent and offensively there’s a lot of potential there, so we’re really happy with the way Sean has played.”
That depth up the middle will help Philadelphia make up for Giroux’s absence – for the time being. Washington is 7-0-3 in its last 10 games against the Flyers. They last lost in regulation on Feb. 24, 2009. A win here would mean four of five and could vault the Caps as high as sixth place in the conference. So far under Hunter they are 3-3 with each loss by one goal. Any extra pressure in a rivalry game where the opponent is playing at such a high level?
“You pretty much measure it every game, you know. It’s one game at a time and you’re measured by it by 11 o’clock tonight how well you did,” Caps coach Dale Hunter said. “That’s the attitude that you got to take that you worry about the game in hand and nothing else matters.”
The expected forward line for both teams:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin Hartnell-Couturier-Jagr
Brouwer-Johansson-Halpern Zolnieczyk-Briere-Simmonds
Chimera-Laich-Ward van Riemsdyk-Talbot-Voracek
Eakin-Perreault-Knuble Shelley-Read-Ronaldo
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