Dec. 11 vs. Detroit Red Wings at Capital One Arena

Time: 7:30 p.m.

TV: NBCSN

Radio: Capitals Radio 24/7, FAN 106.7

Detroit Red Wings 14-13-4

Washington Capitals 17-9-3

Treat Me Like A Saturday Night - On Saturday night in Columbus, Braden Holtby quieted the cannons. The Caps goalie stopped all 28 shots he faced in a 4-0 shutout win over the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, where a cannon erupts loudly after every goal from the home team. Holtby also quieted the Saturday night home crowd in Columbus, giving the locals nothing to cheer about and notching his 11th win of the season.

First place in the Metropolitan Division was at stake on Saturday night in Columbus, and Capitals played like it. They took control early and rarely wavered en route to a thorough 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

I Went Back To Ohio - Washington's three-game road trip this week started on Tuesday in Vegas, where the Caps won the Stanley Cup over the Knights on June 7 of this year. On Saturday night, the trip concludes in Columbus, where the Caps finished off their first-round series with the Blue Jackets the last time they were in town.

Dec. 8 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena

Time: 7:00 p.m.

TV: NBCSW

Radio: Capitals Radio 24/7, FAN 106.7

Washington Capitals 16-9-3

Columbus Blue Jackets 16-10-2

Right Side Of A Good Thing - Missing top six right wings T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson at the same time for the first time this season and owning a two-game losing streak, the Caps went into Thursday's game against the Coyotes in Arizona looking to get right. They did so with a 4-2, come-from-behind win, their first regulation triumph here since Jan. 16, 2006.

For Caps winger Andre Burakovsky, Thursday night's game against the Arizona Coyotes offered great expectations. He'd be playing the right side of Washington's top line, with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Once the game got started, though, it was a bit of Dickens in reverse for Burakovsky - it was the worst of times, and it was the best of times.

December In The Desert - The Caps are in Glendale on Thursday night, playing the middle match of a three-game road trip in which they'll play in three different time zones. The journey started on Tuesday night with a 5-3 loss to the Golden Knights in Vegas.

Dec. 6 vs. Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena

Time: 9:00 p.m.

TV: NBCSW

Radio: Capitals Radio 24/7, FAN 106.7

Washington Capitals 15-9-3

Arizona Coyotes 13-11-2

Missed It By That Much - The Caps were 85 seconds away from getting out of Vegas with a point on Tuesday night until an old friend snatched it away. Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt scored on the power play at 18:35 of the third to break a 3-3 tie, and he added an empty-netter just over a minute later to seal the deal in a 5-3 Washington loss.