5 Reasons to watch Blackhawks-Capitals

The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals have played each other almost to a draw in their first 95 games entering the Wednesday Night Rivalry game at Capital One Arena (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV).
Since the Capitals entered the NHL in 1974, each team has won 42 times, with the other 11 games ending in a tie. However, the Capitals have won the past six games in Washington, including a 3-2 victory in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park.

The Capitals (16-11-1) have been dominant at home this season, winning 10 of 15 games. The Blackhawks (12-10-5) have stumbled after a fast start, going 0-2-2 in their past four games, and need to get on a roll to get back into a playoff position in the Western Conference.
Here are 5 reasons to tune in:

Alex Ovechkin

After a poor season (by his standards) in 2016-17, Ovechkin is back on top in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy as the top goal-scorer in the NHL. His goal against the San Jose Sharks on Monday made him the first player this season to reach 20, and it moved him past Mark Recchi into 20th place on the NHL all-time list with 578. Ovechkin has seven goals in his past six games and is back to being the most feared shooter in the NHL. He's had good success in his career against Chicago (eight goals, 13 points in 14 games).

Braden Holtby

Holtby's goals-against average is up (2.63; he hasn't been above 2.22 since 2013-14) and his save percentage is down (.919 after .925, .922 and .923 the past three seasons), but he remains one of the elite goaltenders in the League. One reason for his declining numbers: He's seeing nearly five more shots per game this season compared to last as the Capitals adapt to the loss of some experience on defense. Holtby is 14-6-0 in 20 games and has won seven of his 10 decisions in the past month, helping the Capitals right the ship after hitting a few bumps. He's 6-2-0 with a 2.23 GAA against the Blackhawks.

Anton Forsberg

Until late last week, it looked like this would be a matchup of elite goaltenders. But on Friday, the Blackhawks put Corey Crawford on injured reserve, meaning that inexperienced backup Anton Forsberg will have to carry the load for a while. Forsberg made 33 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss at the Dallas Stars on Saturday and made 21 saves on 22 shots in a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday. Forsberg has had success in the minor leagues, helping Lake Erie win the American Hockey League championship in 2016. But he's 2-11-3 in the NHL, including 1-3-3 this season.

Alex DeBrincat

So much for all that talk that DeBrincat was too small (5-foot-7, 165 pounds) to succeed in the NHL. Chicago's second-round pick (No. 39) in the 2016 NHL Draft is looking like a steal. The soon-to-be 20-year-old has 10 goals in his past 15 games, including his first NHL hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 27. DeBrincat's success will make it harder for opponents to concentrate their checkers on Chicago's other scorers.

Patrick Kane

DeBrincat already has been labeled as the next Kane, but the original is off to a pretty good start as well. Kane has 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 27 games, the most on the Blackhawks (DeBrincat is second with 19). He's one of those players who makes things happen every time he touches the puck, and opposing checkers can't give him much space. However, the Capitals have done a good job against Kane over the years, limiting him to seven points (three goals, four assists) in 12 games.