Game #24
Caps (13-5-5, 31 points) at Ottawa Senators (11-6-3, 25 points)
No rest for the weary. One day off was all the Caps got after back-to-back games against Montreal and Toronto. It wasn’t a particularly good weekend with a 3-2 loss and then a 2-1 shootout loss to the Leafs – the Eastern Conference’s worst team. But with seven regulars out of the lineup this team is going to have to grind it out for a while.
The Post reports from Ottawa that rookie goalie Semyon Varlamov will start again. Goalie Jose Theodore has not played since leaving the team last Tuesday in New York to deal with a personal matter. He is on the trip, however, and available, if needed. I’d be surprised if they turned to defenseman Shaone Morrisonn, who is on the trip but has missed two games with a head injury. Caps coach Bruce Boudreau did say that was a game-time decision, however. The rest of the IR crew? Tom Poti, Milan Jurcina, Boyd Gordon, Alex Semin and Mike Knuble. None of them made the trip. Caps return home for a Wednesday game against Buffalo at Verizon Center.
Looks like Ottawa forward Alex Kovalev won’t play. He was home in Russia for a family funeral and is traveling back. Kovalev has 45 points in 59 career games against Washington. But this won’t be easy either way. The Senators missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1996 – way back in the dark days right after expansion. So the team stuck with coach Cory Clouston, who took over behind the bench for the final 34 games last season. They also made some roster changes – notably trading star winger Dany Heatley to San Jose. Forward Milan Michalek was one of two NHL players acquired in that deal – the Sharks also threw in a second-round draft pick – and has a goal in three straight games. Ottawa sits in second place in the Northeast Division, has won three in a row and is 5-1-2 over its last eight games. Under Clouston, the Senators are 30-17-7 overall.
