When – 7 p.m.

TV – CSN HD

Radio – WFED-1500 AM

Maybe at some point later in the season – during the dog days of February, say – we’ll look back on this 10-game stretch of hockey and say the Caps simply hit an early season skid. When they played the game correctly they didn’t finish (Nashville). When they had an early 2-0 lead they didn’t hold it (Islanders, Devils). The offense struggled (Edmonton). The blueline and goaltending didn’t hold up (Dallas, Vancouver). The penalty kill faltered (Winnipeg).

That’s how a 7-0 start slips away. Washington is 3-6-1 since that winning streak ended in Edmonton on Oct. 27. And while seven of those games 10 games have been away from Verizon Center , it’s still a concerning trend. Saturday night they have a chance to arrest the skid and build some momentum heading into a busy Thanksgiving week when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

If ever there was a time to grab two points it’s this one. According to the Globe and Mail, the Maple Leafs are a hot mess right now. Defenseman Mike Komisarek suffered a broken arm Thursday against Nashville and will need surgery. He’s gone for eight weeks and joins a crowded injured reserve list that includes Clarke MacArthur (upper body), Mikhail Grabovski (leg), Matthew Lombardi (left arm), Colby Armstrong (ankle sprain) and goalie James Reimer (concussion symptoms). Toronto was struggling even before this rash of injuries. Now, the Leafs have lost four in a row at home and are 1-4-1 in their last six overall.

Won’t hurt that the Caps see yet another backup goalie when Jonas Gustavsson gets the nod, according to media reports from the morning skate at Air Canada Centre. Gustavsson has started seven games with an ugly .878 save percentage and a 3.78 goals-against average. If the Caps can’t find a way to score against this depleted group then they might really be in trouble.  

Having said that, Phil Kessel has 13 goals and linemate Joffrey Lupul has nine so Toronto has a puncher’s chance here. I’m putting Lupul in the official “Caps killer” file, by the way. In 10 career games against Washington he has five goals and eight assists– and also this happened. Sorry about that.

Caps are taking and allowing exactly 30.4 shots per game. Toronto gives up 30.4 per game as well, which is kind of odd. Washington’s penalty kill was going pretty well until it allowed two power-play goals at Winnipeg on Thursday. But the Caps are in one of their power-play skids at 0-for-20 since Alex Semin scored one in the first period against Dallas on Nov. 8. Got to put a stop to that soon. No better time than when facing the NHL’s second-worst penalty kill (52-for-70, 74.3%). The Maple Leafs do have the NHL’s 12^th-best power play (17.8%).

According to the Times’ Steve Whyno and the Post’s Katie Carrera, the healthy scratch is again expected to be forward Matthieu Perreault. He has been scratched in six of the last eight games. WashCaps.com’s Mike Vogel has the Jason Chimera-Brooks Laich-Joel Ward line back together. Pretty good unit to counter the Kessel crew if the Caps can get that matchup on the road.

The top line has changed, too. Bruce Boudreau goes with Alex Ovechkin-Marcus Johansson-Alex Semin. Don’t know how often we’ve seen Ovechkin and Semin without Nicklas Backstrom, who centers a second line of Cody Eakin and Troy Brouwer. The fourth line stays the same with Matt Hendricks, Jeff Halpern and Mike Knuble.

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