With Alex Ovechkin still out Washington Capitals host Montreal Canadiens – NHL Preview
Alex Ovechkin’s absence owing to an injury did not bring a good omen for Washington Capitals as they lost a game without their captain.
Now with Ovechkin set to sit out of another game, Capitals will seriously have to regroup to overcome the short but noticeable slump.
They have a good opportunity to get back to winning ways as they are going to play the next National Hockey League (NHL) game on their home ice and that too against a seemingly feeble opponent.
Montreal Canadiens will travel to play Washington Capitals on Friday, February 24, 2012, at Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia.
Here is a look at both the teams.
Capitals
Ovechkin, who is also the team’s top scorer, is out after receiving a low body injury and his team is on a three-game losing streak.
His absence was badly felt as the offensive line completely failed to perform in the last game against Ottawa Senators.
The Senators scored twice in the first and second period respectively while Capitals groped on the rink displaying numerous failed attempts to control the puck.
Capitals finally got something to cheer about when they scored twice in the final period, reducing the deficit to only two goals, but Senators scored another goal to secure a decisive advantage.
Capitals’ winger, Troy Brouwer, said after the game:
"You can take things from it, but at the end of the day you need to have a better start, have a better effort and get two points. That's all that matters right now. We've got to find a way to get points and start climbing the standings."
Capitals are ranked at 10th spot in the Eastern Conference with 63 points after 60 games.
Canadiens
Canadiens can certainly utilise Ovechkin’s absence, but they too are performing poorly on offence.
Out of their last five games, Canadiens have only won one and are currently on a two-game losing streak with the recent defeats coming against New Jersey Devils (3-1) and Dallas Stars (3-0).
Canadiens are placed at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 58 points after 61 games.
Montreal’s centre, Lars Eller, is falling short of excuses for the team’s present status. He said:
"If we could point to one or two things, we could fix it. But it's not one player, one thing or the power play -- it's a lot of things. ... We play like this, we're not even close to winning."
Predictions
Capitals have more chances of winning the game.
The sum of goals scored by both the teams might stay under six.
If Canadiens win, the winning margin will be less than two goals.
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