Vegas looking to win fourth straight; Holtby expected to start for Washington
ByDanny Webster
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
CAPITALS (22-12-2) at GOLDEN KNIGHTS (22-9-2) 8 p.m. ET, ATTSN-RM, NBCSWA, NHL.TV
Vegas, coming off a 4-3 victory against the League-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, has not lost in regulation since Dec. 1 against the Winnipeg Jets and hasn't lost in regulation at home since Nov. 28 against the Dallas Stars. Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt will face his former team for the first time since Vegas selected him in the NHL Expansion Draft. Schmidt played five seasons in Washington. The Capitals are playing the second of back-to-back games. Washington lost 3-2 in overtime Friday at the Arizona Coyotes, ending its four-game winning streak. Goaltender Braden Holtby is expected to start after backup Philipp Grubauer played against the Coyotes.
Players to watch
Capitals forward T.J. Oshie scored a goal against the Coyotes in his second game back in the lineup. He had missed the previous six games because of a concussion. Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault leads Vegas with 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists). He has five points (two goals, three assists) in the past two games and 19 (seven goals, 12 assists) in the past 14.
They said it
"I look at it as losing a point. We had it. We've just got to close it out." -- Capitals coach Barry Trotz on the loss Friday "This game, heading into Christmas break, you never want to head into a break knowing what you could've done before against a good team, a team that's playing well." -- Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt
Neither team had a morning skate. ... Carrier, who has missed 10 games because of an upper-body injury, is a game-time decision. He was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 30.
Stat pack
Ovechkin has 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in the past 14 games. ... Holtby is 9-2-0 and has allowed 27 goals in his past 11 starts. ... Washington is 5-3-0 with one tie in its first game against expansion teams since 1991. … Fleury is 2-0-1 and has allowed six goals in three starts since returning to the lineup after missing 25 games with a concussion. ... Haula has 10 points (five goals, five assists) during his seven-game point streak.
