Caps (21-12-5, 47 points) vs. Canadiens (20-14-2, 42 points)
What » Game #39
Where » Verizon Center
When » 7 p.m.
TV » CSN HD
Radio » WFED-1500 AM
No love lost here. The Caps remember all too well what happened last spring against Montreal. A 3-1 lead and a season of high expectations was trashed in one agonizing three-game spell in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. One win in the regular season will do nothing to assuage that anger/frustration/guilt etc. But it’ll make them feel good for a few hours at least.
It doesn’t hurt that Washington is 3-1-2 over its last six games. That’s a long way from their eight-game slide earlier this month. Semyon Varlamov is back in goal for the Caps. Keith Aucoin was recalled from AHL Hershey and takes Mathieu Perreault’s second-line center spot. The 22-year-old broke his nose against Carolina on Sunday. Looks like Mike Knuble on the top line with Alex Semin on the second line. Jay Beagle centers the third line as injuries are mounting. Rookie Marcus Johansson is out tonight with an undisclosed injury.
On the blueline, defenseman Jeff Schultz is in tonight for the first time since Dec. 6 when he suffered a broken finger. He is paired with John Erskine. The other two pairings are the same. Schultz was originally expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks so he’s beaten the most optimistic timetable by a game and given himself a shot to play at the Winter Classic this weekend in Pittsburgh. Defenseman Tom Poti will sit again tonight, missing his second game in a row with a head injury and is apparently on injured reserve now – though would still be eligible to play in Pittsburgh because his last game action was Dec. 23.
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