'NHL on NBC': 5 Storylines

The defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals will try to end a four-game losing streak when they play the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday in this week's "NHL on NBC" game (12:30 p.m. ET; NBC, TVAS).

The Capitals (27-15-5) have stumbled after a solid start and have dropped out of first place in the Metropolitan Division. The Blackhawks went 6-2-2 in their first 10 games but have won just 10 of 39 games since. They have lost their past five (0-3-2) and are last among the NHL's 31 teams at 16-24-9.
Here are 5 storylines to keep an eye on:

Ovechkin & Co. struggling to score

Washington forward Alex Ovechkin looked like he might get to 60 goals when he scored his 29th of the season on Dec. 15 against the Buffalo Sabres, capping a stretch that saw him score 17 times in 14 games. But the puck hasn't been going in much for Ovechkin since; he has four goals in his past 15 games. Ovechkin still leads the NHL with 33 goals, but the Capitals need him to heat up again. One problem has been getting shots on the net; he's on pace for 324, which would be his third-lowest total in a full season since entering the NHL in 2005.
So much of Washington's offense, especially on the power play, runs through Ovechkin that the Capitals can't afford him to go cold for very long. Even with his cooldown, Ovechkin is on track to become the sixth player in NHL history and the first since Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins in 1974-75 to lead the NHL in goals at age 33 or older.
But Ovechkin isn't the only member of the Capitals struggling to put the puck in the net. Washington has one 5-on-5 goal in its past four games, so in an effort to jumpstart his offense after a 2-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Friday, coach Todd Reirden shuffled his top three lines at practice Saturday. He reunited Ovechkin with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie, dropped Evgeny Kuznetsov to the third line with Andre Burakovsky and Brett Connolly, and moved Lars Eller between Jakub Vrana and Tom Wilson. Reirden hopes the line changes will spark something.

Kane still can

Not much has gone right for the Blackhawks this season, but forward Patrick Kane has done about everything new coach Jeremy Colliton could have asked. Kane leads the Blackhawks in goals (27), assists (38) and points (65) despite being the No. 1 target of opposition checkers. The 30-year-old has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) during a seven-game point streak, is five points away from his eighth 70-point season and is on pace for a 44-goal, 112-point season despite not getting a lot of offensive help, aside from center Jonathan Toews (42 points; 18 goals, 24 assists) and Alex DeBrincat (39 points; 24 goals, 15 assists).

Delia stepping in for Blackhawks

The concussion that has kept starting goaltender Corey Crawford out of the lineup since Dec. 16 has given rookie Collin Delia a chance to show what he can do. So far, the results have been better than the Blackhawks could have expected from a 24-year-old undrafted free agent who spent part of last season in the ECHL. Delia is 3-2-3 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in nine games (eight starts). With veteran Cam Ward struggling (7-8-4, 3.99 GAA, .884 save percentage), Delia has been getting more playing time and has shown he's ready for the NHL.

Holtby's return should boost Capitals

Braden Holtby looked sharp on Friday, even though the Capitals lost 2-0 to the New York Islanders. He made 23 saves, including a couple on breakaways, in his first game back after leaving in the second period on Jan. 12 when the stick of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson accidentally poked him in the left eye. Backup Pheonix Copley finished that game (a 2-1 overtime loss) and was in goal for a 4-1 home loss to the St. Louis Blues and a 7-2 loss at the Nashville Predators. Having their No. 1 goalie back should be a boost for Washington in a four-way battle for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

All-time series

Washington is 8-2-0 in its past 10 games against the Blackhawks, including a 4-2 win at Capital One Arena on Nov. 21. However, beginning with a 5-0 win on March 19, 2008, the Blackhawks are 5-1-2 against Washington in their past eight games at United Center. Overall, the Capitals are 15-27 with six ties in Chicago since entering the NHL in 1974. Ovechkin has had good success against Chicago; he has 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 17 games. The Capitals have had more success limiting Kane; he has nine points (four goals, five assists) and is minus-10 in 15 games against Washington. Kane's longtime teammate Jonathan Toews has had more success, with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 14 games.