Preview: Ducks Host Ovechkin, Caps Tonight at Honda Center

The Ducks will conclude a three-game homestand tonight with two key standings points on the line, hosting the first-place Washington Capitals at Honda Center.

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Anaheim got back on track Sunday night with a thorough 4-1 victory over the visiting New York Islanders, the club's sixth win in its last eight home games. The Ducks jumped out to an early lead on winger Sam Colangelo's goal and would only add to it from there, ultimately compiling one of the club's most complete performances of the season.

"We talked after the St. Louis game and I said, 'we have to be more prepared, more focused, we have to be sharper,'" head coach Greg Cronin said. "We got the Islanders on a back-to-back and we've been on the other side of that too. So we knew that if we played the puck deep and kept the possession game, most teams will start to wear out a little bit. We followed it and we got rewarded with the goals...I thought for the first 50 minutes of the game, we played the right way and we got rewarded with the goals and scoring chances."

Anaheim's youth once again powered the attack in Sunday's win, lead by the newly united trio of Sam Colangelo, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish, which has combined for 16 points in four games together.

"These opportunities for the young kids are tremendous," Cronin said. "Our job as coaches is to put them in positions to succeed, same as it was in October [when the season began]. We could lose games because we're playing all these kids but they're going to learn in this environment. I'm proud of the way they've played...When teams win, they get a taste of it. The carrot is right in front of them. They keep going, they're excited. This whole experience of being in a playoff race is enormous for this franchise.

"The thing I like with Sam and Cutter is they're coachable. They may not execute what you're asking right away, it may take a couple practices or a couple weeks, but they focus on it and they try to get better...For Mac, it’s about his skating and getting into those areas where he can actually deliver a shot and I think really the foundation to his game is his ability to protect the pucks on the wall. He’s really good in traffic so when he’s doing those things, that’s where the scoring is going to show up."

With a goal Sunday night, Colangelo became the first NHL rookie this season to score in four straight games.

"I'm playing with two Top-5 picks and there's a reason they were both drafted so high," Colangelo said. "They're unbelievable players playing in the league at a very young age. I think we read off each other well. It's been a lot of fun...With time comes more confidence and the ability to make more plays."

The win pushed Anaheim to 28-28-7 on the season, now just seven points back of the Western Conference's final Wild Card position.

"We're desparate for points," Cronin said. "We were coming off two losses and in order for us to get back into the conversation for being a playoff team, that was a huge game. Now, we turn the page and get ready for Washington."

The Capitals visit Orange County as owners of the NHL's best record and with the league's top storyline, too, as captain Alex Ovechkin nears Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Ovechkin, who 19 years ago scored his first career hat trick at Honda Center, now sits just eight goals shy of tying Gretzky after sealing Washington's 4-2 win over Seattle with an empty-netter Sunday night.

“We all know what's happening and how historic it is,” Washington forward Dylan Strome, the younger brother of Anaheim's Ryan Strome, told NHL.com's Harvey Valentine. “It's incredible. We obviously want to get him on the ice. He does a great job of finding ways to get open.”

"[Ovechkin] is a beast of a man, a big, 230-pound power forward with a snarl to how he plays," Cronin said. "He's got a high hockey IQ too. Offensively, he's a very deliberate player...He's playing at a really high level and you have to be aware of him."

The Caps enter play Tuesday with wins in four straight games and have expanded their division lead to 12 points over the second-place Hurricanes.