Washington Capitals (6-3-0-12, 2nd SE) v. Minnesota Wild (3-3-2-8, 4th NW)

8:00 pm EST, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN

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The Washington Capitals travel to the Land o'Lakes to face the Minnesota Wild in the middle game of a three-game road trip, in a building where Washington is 0-5-0 all-time.

Tonight's match-up to watch is the Caps penalty kill against Minnesota's top-rated power play.  The Capitals are 13th in the league in total penalty minutes and ninth overall in minors taken.  They took five minors last night in a 3-0 win over Carolina, killing all five ensuing power plays.

The Wild score at a 43.5 percent clip on the power play at home, so it's critical for the Caps to stay out of the box tonight.

Minnesota has lost their past two games, at Vancouver 5-1 and a shootout home loss to Los Angeles, 3-2, Monday night.  They'll be well rested for a Caps team that enters play uncharacteristically looking to get on track offensively.

Coach Bruce Boudreau thinks a team on a two-game losing streak is a dangerous team, especially in the middle of a long homestand. 

"We don't know them as well as we'd like to, and anytime you don't know a team, you feel uncomfortable with it," Boudreau said on Caps365 after this morning's practice . "You never like playing against a desperate team because they always play above themselves."

Rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth is expected to start again tonight.  He stopped all 29 shots he faced for his first career shutout last night in Carolina. Neuvirth has appeared in all nine games for the Capitals and shares the NHL lead with six wins.

Neuvirth is already a third of the way to the Capitals’ rookie record for wins (18, Jim Carrey in 1994-95).

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LEADERS

WAS:  LW Alex Ovechkin (4-5-9, even), LW Alexander Semin (5-3-8, +4), G Michal Neuvirth (6-2-0, 2.18, .929)

MIN:  C Matt Cullen (3-6-9, -2), C Mikko Koivu (2-7-9, +5), G Niclas Backstrom (3-2-2, 2.25, .926)

INJURIES

WAS:  C Marcus Johansson (foot-OUT), G Semyon Varlamov (groin-OUT), D Tom Poti (LBI-OUT), RW Boyd Gordon (UNK-QUE)

MIN:  LW Guillaume Latendress (UNK.-OUT), RW Chuck Kobesew (groin-DBT), G Josh Harding (OUT)

STATS

WAS:  GF/G: 2.89 (11th);  GA/G: 2.33 (5th);  PP: 11.1% (25th);  PK: 90.0% (5th)

MIN:  GF/G:  2.88 (13th);  GA/G: 2.62 (13th);  PP: 34.3% (1st);  PK:  83.7% (17th)

Posted by Anthony Amobi, Special Contributor of Caps News Network

WASHINGTON – Despite not having Alex Ovechkin on the ice, the Washington Capitals aren’t suffering – in fact, they’re rolling. They made the most of their opportunities on Friday night, and in the end, the Capitals defeated the Minnesota Wild, 3-1.

The game was competitive from start to finish and Washington finally broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as Brian Pothier scored his second goal of the season at the two minute mark. The Capitals went up 3-1 in the final minute as Brooks Laich got his eighth goal of the season with an empty-netter.

Despite an excellent showing by the Wild’s Josh Harding – who stopped 38 of 40 shots on goal – he was overwhelmed in the third quarter and Minnesota could not get anything going.

Meanwhile, Washington’s Semyon Varlamov was superb, only allowing one goal – Cal Clutterbuck’s shot with a minute into the second period that gave Minnesota an early 1-0 lead. Overall, Varlamov had 29 saves against 30 shots on goal.

The Capitals got on the four minutes later as they had a power play and Mike Green took advantage. Minnesota covered Washington as tight as they could during the power play; however, the Capitals saw an opening, and Mike Green – with an assist from a Tomas Fleischman pass – scored his 4th goal of the season sending a shot past the legs of Harding to tie the game at one.

Washington may have won the game; however, they may have lost yet another teammate to injury.

Mike Knuble had to leave the game in the first period, as he fell over Harding in the Wild’s goal and crashed into the net, thanks to a push by Minnesota’s Marek Zidlicky. It looks as if his finger is broken and will more than likely need surgery.

Photos © 2009 Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

In other news, it looks like Alex Ovechkin may be on his way back to the ice. He’s not played since November 1st with a upper-body issue; however, he’s been practicing with the team this week and may return over within the week.

The timetable for Ovechkin’s return is undetermined.
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SCORESHEET

1ST PERIOD
None.

2ND PERIOD
01:31 NJ - C. Clutterbuck (4), Slap Shot.  Assists: B. Burns and K. Brodziak.
5:39 WAS - [Power play] M. Green (3), Slap Shot.  Assists: T. Fleischmann and B. Morrison.

3RD PERIOD
02:00 WAS Brian Pothier (2), Snap Shot.  Assists: M. Perreault and E. Fehr.
19:23 WAS [Empty Net] Brooks Laich  (8), Wrist Shot.  Unassisted.
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THREE STARS

1. J. Harding - MIN (Saves: 38, Save Pct.: .950)

2. B. Pothier - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)

3. T. Fleischmann - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)

Minnesota Wild (7-10-1, 15 points, 5th in Northwest Division)

v.

Washington Capitals (11-3-4, 26 points, 1st in Southeast Division)

7:00 at Verizon Center

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PREVIEW

The Washington Capitals host the Minnesota Wild on Friday the 13th for the much anticipated match up of Cap Center Nicklas Backstrom vs. Wild Goalie Niklas Backstrom.

Alex Ovechkin was hoping to be back on the ice on Friday night, however, it sounds like he needs a couple more days.  Caps Insider explains that Ovi is getting closer.

Jeff Schultz is a game-time decision. 

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LEADERS

WAS: G: Ovechkin (14) A: Backstrom (18) P: Ovechkin (22) +/-: Ovechkin (+8)

MIN: G: Koivu (5) A:  Koivu (11)  P: Koivu (16)  +/-: Shane Hnidy (0)

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INJURIES

WAS: LW Alex Ovechkin (IR-Upper body), D Jeff Schultz (Q-Lower body), F Boyd Gordon (DTD-back)
MIN: C Pierre-Marc Bouchard (IR-Head), RW Petr Sykora (OUT-Concussion)

Despite a furious late third period comeback attempt, the Washington Capitals (11-7-3, first in Southeast Division) lost their third straight game road game to the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, at the Xcel Energy Center. The loss drops the Caps 1-3-1 on their extended road trip, and the injuries keep piling up.

The most devastating of the new injuries came to D Jeff Schultz, who broke a finger in the first period blocking a shot. The team has already stated he will miss at least a couple weeks for the digit to heal. The injury leaves an already depleted defense squad further reduced, leaving the team no choice in calling up a player for tomorrow's game against Atlanta. There is already mounting speculation that player will be Sami Lepisto.

In addition, F Boyd Gordon left the game with back spasms and D John Erskine left with an undisclosed injury. Along with D Mike Green, F Sergei Federov and F Alexander Semin, these players will be listed as day-to-day, though the latter three have missed several games already.

As for the game itself, the Caps played like the tired and wounded team that they are, completing a four-game, seven-day stretch across the west coast of the country. Minnesota built a 4-0 lead midway through the third period, on two goals from rookie Cal Clutterbuck, the first tow of his career. Marek Zidlicky and James Sheppard added the third and fourth goals, with Sheppard's proving to be the eventual game winner. It was his first goal in 48 games.

Zidlicky's goal came on a 5-on-3 power place as a result of two consecutive closing-hand-on-the-puck penalties called 26 seconds apart on the Capitals' Tom Poti and Alex Ovechkin.

Washington's comeback started at 14:43 of the third when Matt Bradley slid a backhanded shot, his third of the season, past Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom. Alex Ovechkin notched his ninth a minute and a half later as he used his patented delay shot, using a Minnesota defender to screen the normally reliable Backstrom. At 18:16, the Caps' Niklas Backstrom scored against his namesake on a power play, cutting the lead to just one. However, the Caps had dug themselves too deep a hole and could never realize the equalizer.

Backstrom's goal gives him 16 points in his last nine games.

The Caps return home to face the Atlanta Thrashers Wednesday night at 7:00 pm ET from the Verizon Center.

Video courtesy of Caps365 at http://capitals.nhl.tv
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THREE STARS

1. C. Clutterbuck - MIN (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)

2. M. Zidlicky - MIN (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)

3. M. Koivu - MIN (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)
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NOTES: Minnesota is 5-0 against the Caps at home in their history.

Washington gave up 26 goals on its five-game road trip. They play just one game the rest of the season (at Nashville) outside the Eastern time zone.

Ovechkin's goal was his first career marker against Minnesota. The only teams remaining he has not scored against are Los Angeles and San Jose.