Tonight's game will conclude Anaheim's second season series of the young campaign (also Winnipeg).
The Ducks are making their first trip to the nation's capital since November 2019. Anaheim owns a 10-7-3 mark at Capital One Arena (formerly Verizon Center), including points in eight of its last ten visits (5-2-3).
The Ducks could again be without two of the club's best forwards, with Getzlaf still sidelined (lower-body) and Adam Henrique leaving Friday night's game vs. Calgary in the second period. Anaheim
recalled rookie Benoit-Olivier Groulx
from San Diego this weekend and placed Getzlaf on injured reserve.
Without Getzlaf and Henrique, Anaheim will continue to rely heavily on its offensively-active defenders. Ducks defensemen collectively rank second in goals (19) and fifth in scoring among NHL d-corps (19-41=60).
Washington hosts the Ducks halfway through a four-game homestand. The Caps suffered an OT loss to Chicago in the opener before a suffocating defensive performance in a 3-1 defeat of Columbus, holding the Blue Jackets to just 18 shots on net.
The Capitals are atop the Metropolitan Division (15-4-6, 36 points), with a 10-2-2 record in their last 14 games. Washington has been one of the NHL's best teams on both sides of the puck, the only club to rank in the top-five in goals per game (3.52) and goals against (2.44).
Washington's lineup features several former Ducks, including forwards Carl Hagelin, Michael Sgarbossa, and Daniel Sprong and defenseman Matt Irwin.
Tonight's game also marks the first half of Anaheim's fourth back-to-back of the season as the Ducks take on the Sabres tomorrow night in Buffalo.
