ARLINGTON, Va. -- With the Washington Capitals and Arizona Coyotes each playing on the road Saturday, neither team held a morning skate prior to their game Sunday at Verizon Center.

The game features two teams in need of a victory to halt recent skids.

The Coyotes have lost the first three games of their four-game Eastern Conference road trip, the most recent a 3-0 loss to the previously winless Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. In losing six of seven (1-5-1), Arizona has the fewest points in the Western Conference with seven.

"There's lots of glaring holes in our game," captain Shane Doan told The Arizona Republic following the loss to the Hurricanes. "Pretty embarrassing."

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Scouring the game log of Alex Ovechkin's decade-long career, there have been few prolonged scoring droughts.

The Washington Capitals captain is without a goal or assist in his past four games, the fifth time in his 687-game career he has been held pointless for that long. If he fails to get one against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA, SN1), it will be the longest slump of his career, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Ovechkin has seven shots over that span, the second time he has had two or fewer shots in each of four consecutive games, according to JapersRink.com. That is uncharacteristic of the 29-year-old, who has led the NHL in shots eight times and has a career average of 5.05 shots per game

"It's hard to say for myself, but I just play as I can, play hard," Ovechkin said. "If I didn't score goals, I try to do different stuff."

ARLINGTON, Va. – Having several reliable defensemen with varying skill sets is a luxury that has recently been afforded to the Washington Capitals.

A veteran-laden top five provides Washington with defensive stability that has been fleeting in recent seasons.

“Their strengths come on different days,” coach Barry Trotz said of his defensemen. “The strength of some pairs are maybe heavy and more weight to them, the other pairs may be quicker and faster and they use their strength to their advantage.”

WASHINGTON -- Through three games the New Jersey Devils are among the highest-scoring teams in the NHL at 4.33 goals per game.

Although the sample size is small, it is unfamiliar territory for the traditionally stingy Devils, who have finished 27th or lower in that category in three of the past four seasons.

Even after 6-4 and 5-1 victories against the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers, respectively, New Jersey feels more comfortable playing tight games.

"I don't think we need to get into run-and-gun and open up our game," forward Dainius Zubrus said. "I think the games we did score, we still played our way, our game. I don't think we're the '80s [Edmonton Oilers]. I don't think we're that. And I don't think we should be that."

ARLINGTON, Va. -- In grouping together forwards Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich and Joel Ward, Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz pictured an industrious trio that, among other things, could stymie the opposition’s most potent skaters. 

Calling them a shutdown line, though, will be met with slight resistance. 

"Regardless of who we're playing against or matched up against, I think the thing is to get on the offensive side," Ward said. "I don't know about that defensive stuff, whatever people keep talking about. But if you're playing offense the majority of the time you don't have to be playing any defense. The focus is just to get on the other side of the blue line and try to make plays."

Ward has a point. He scored a career-high 24 goals last season, while Chimera contributed a personal-best 42 points. Laich is a three-time 20-goal scorer. 

The big-bodied veterans' straightforward style is difficult to contend with, especially when anchored along the boards in the offensive zone.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Washington Capitals' second-line center position has been characterized by frequent turnover.

Mathieu Perreault, Mike Ribeiro and Mikhail Grabovski are some of the players to recently fill the spot.

The latest player in that position may be the most intriguing in recent memory.

Rookie Andre Burakovsky, a 19-year-old natural wing, will make his NHL debut Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens following a successful offseason transition to center.

"It's been a huge move for me," Burakovsky said. "I didn't know that it was supposed to go that fast. I think I've been playing really well and I've gotten a lot of help from my teammates too. I feel really comfortable with the center position more than the wing, so hopefully I stay at the center and do really good."

WASHINGTON – The Tampa Bay Lightning's regular-season finale has taken on significant importance.

To secure home-ice advantage for their Eastern Conference First Round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, the Lightning must defeat the Washington Capitals on Sunday at Verizon Center.

Tampa Bay, which is making its second Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in seven years, has not had home-ice advantage in a series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2004.

"We'd love to have home ice," Lightning defenseman Eric Brewer told reporters. "Clearly it's something that you never want to use, but you'd love to have. The other thing is you just want to play well going into the playoffs."

WASHINGTON -- As Chicago Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews remain out of the lineup while nursing injuries, the team has been buoyed by the recent play of its younger role players.

Forward Jeremy Morin, recalled from the American Hockey League when Kane was placed on long-term injured reserve March 21 after suffering an apparent knee injury two days earlier, has scored three goals in as many games.

Forward Ben Smith has also been contributing offensively with three goals in his past four games, all of which the Blackhawks have won.

In doing so, Morin and Smith have thrust themselves into the lineup conversation when the Blackhawks open the Stanley Cup Playoffs next week.

"Well obviously the goal is play in [the] playoffs," Morin said. "I can't control that. All I can do is if I'm in the lineup, just make the most of it. I'm trying to finish off the season the right way and just keep contributing."

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals, opponents Tuesday at Verizon Center, are lingering on the cusp of their respective conference's Stanley Cup Playoff race.

Entering play Tuesday, each team is one point out of the second wild-card spot.

Dallas, playing the first of four straight road games against Eastern Conference opponents, trails the Phoenix Coyotes with eight games remaining. Washington is one of four Eastern teams within four points of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who currently hold the final playoff spot.

There will be a heightened sense of urgency Tuesday when the Stars and Capitals look to solidify themselves as postseason participants in the final two weeks of the season.

"It feels like every game is do or die," Capitals forward Marcus Johansson said. "This game means a lot for both teams. No one's going to take it easy out there. It's going to be full throttle from the start of the game to the very end."

WASHINGTON -- The Boston Bruins' record since returning from the 2014 Sochi Olympics is nearly spotless.

In winning 13 of 16, the Bruins have propelled themselves to the top of the Eastern Conference standings with the Stanley Cup Playoffs fast approaching.

Boston has suffered one regulation loss in the past month: a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, who have little choice but to replicate their March 1 performance Saturday as they attempt to qualify for the postseason.

"They're going on all cylinders, they're a good hockey team. Very good hockey team," Capitals coach Adam Oates said. "We know they're a good hockey team and if you're not ready to play them they can embarrass you. I'm hoping we have the effort we had in there [March 1] and we can play solid and not give them much."