Capitals aiming to avoid an 0-4 start

NEWARK, N.J. -- The Washington Capitals conducted an optional skate Friday afternoon at Prudential Center in the wake of their third straight loss to open the 2012-13 season to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday at Verizon Center.

Washington coach Adam Oates will look to avoid an 0-4 start against the New Jersey Devils, for whom he served as an assistant under Peter DeBoer in 2011-12. The Capitals are winless in their first three games for the first time since 1993-94.

Capitals defenseman Mike Green is glad the team will be right back on the ice following Thursday's disappointing 4-1 loss on home ice.

"It's good to get right back after it, especially after a loss like that [against Montreal]," Green told NHL.com. "The way the last three games have gone, you can put it in the past right away and not dwell on it. This will be a good test for us. [The Devils] are playing well and we play similar systems, so it'll be a battle of attrition out there until the end."

The Capitals are the only team remaining in the NHL without a point and have been outscored 14-6. They've led for 2:32 in three games or 180 minutes, are 2-for-12 (16.6 percent) on the power play and have allowed seven power-play goals in 18 times short (61.1 percent penalty kill).

"You have to make your own opportunities ... we have to earn it," Green said. "I don't think we've earned it yet. For whatever reason, and there could be a lot of excuses with the season starting in January, but there's no excuse. We have to earn everything we get and it starts against New Jersey."

On top of the losing streak, Alex Ovechkin, who was inserted on right wing for the first time in Thursday's loss, has also struggled. The Capitals captain has taken a team-high 11 shots, but has one assist and a minus-1 rating for the season.

It appears as though Michal Neuvirth, who made 18 saves in the loss to Montreal on Thursday, will get his second straight start for Washington. New Jersey will counter with Martin Brodeur (2-0-0, 0.50 goals-against average, .977 save percentage).

Here are the possible line combinations for the Capitals:

Wojtek Wolski – Nicklas Backstrom – Alex Ovechkin

Matt Hendricks – Mike Ribeiro – Troy Brouwer

Jason Chimera – Jay Beagle – Joel Ward

Marcus Johansson – Mathieu Perreault – Joey Crabb

Karl Alzner – John Carlson

Tom Poti – Mike Green

Roman Hamrlik – Tomas Kundratek

Michal Neuvirth

Braden Holtby