Photo: @JoeBpXp

The Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues clash for the first time this season at Enterprise Center in the first game of the Capitals’ three-game road trip. Action from St. Louis can be seen on NBC Sports Washington beginning at 8 PM Eastern. 

Capitals

Alex Ovechkin looks to end his six-game goal drought tonight at St. Louis.

In his past five games vs. Blues, he has eight goals (two hat tricks), three assists.

In his past 10 games vs. Blues, he has 13 goals, six assists.

Career vs. St. Louis:
17 games
15 goals, 13 assists.

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) January 3, 2019

#ALLCAPS Alex Ovechkin set to play in his 203rd consecutive (regular-season) game tonight, which would tie the longest streak of his career (Feb.2006-Oct.2008) @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/ttf06deSpa

— Ben Raby (@BenRaby31) January 3, 2019

Center Nic Dowd will replace center Travis Boyd and Dmitrij Jaskin will suit up against his former team in favor of forward Devante Smith-Pelly in the lineup tonight.

Goaltender Braden Holtby, who is 15-9-2 with a save percentage of .914, a goals-against average of 2.61, and two shutouts this season, will start against the Blues on Thursday night, meaning that Pheonix Copley will get the Dallas Stars tomorrow night. Holtby, 29, is 7-0-0 with a save percentage of .934 and a goals-against average of 1.99 in his career against St. Louis.

Defenseman Matt Niskanen will return to the lineup against the Blues after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury.

Defenseman Jonas Seigenthaler will step back into the lineup while Brooks Orpik will be a healthy scratch. Seigenthaler will play with to Madison Bowey on the third-pairing.

Holtby spoke to the media for the first time since he got selected into the NHL All-Star Game in San Jose yesterday afternoon, which he was surprised about. He thought center Nicklas Backstrom, who is the Capitals’ candidate for the final spot on the Metropolitan Division. Holtby told the media that he and defenseman John Carlson will both go to San Jose after captain Alex Ovechkin backed down from the captaincy of the Metro Division team for the All-Star Game.

Braden Holtby said he was surprised to learn he was selected to a fourth straight All-Star Game. He figured Backstrom and Carlson would get in. Anyway, he and Carlson both said they’ll go.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 3, 2019

Capitals forward Tom Wilson told St. Louis Today that he would apologize to Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist for giving him a concussion in the Capitals’ preseason game against the Blues on September 30, something he has been meaning to do but has not done yet. But Sundqvist said after the Blues’ morning skate that if the two talk during the game, he won’t be the one to start the conversation.

Blues

Head coach Craig Berube told reporters that star forward Vladimir Tarasenko is feeling ill and will be a game-time decision. The Blues recalled former Capitals forward Zach Sanford from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage this morning but he will not play even if he gets in the building prior to puck drop. Forward Alexander Steen skated in Tarasenko’s spot on a line with center Ryan O’Reilly and forward David Perron.

The Blues will dress seven defensemen regardless of whether Tarasenko will play against the Capitals. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who was activated off of injured reserve this morning, will return to the lineup after missing the last 20 games with an upper-body injury.

Goaltender Jake Allen, who is 13-12-4 with a save percentage of .900, a goals-against average of 3.07, and one shutout this season, has appeared in 31 of the Blues’ 37 games this season and will start against the Capitals on Thursday.  In three career appearances against the Capitals, the 28-year old netminder is 1-2-0 with a save percentage of .907, a goals-against average of 2.92, and one shutout.

Capitals Lineup

Caps expected lineup:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Eller-Connolly
Stephenson-Dowd-Jaskin

Kempny-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Siegenthaler-Bowey

Seems that Orpik, Boyd and Smith-Pell are out. Niskanen will play after missing two games with an injury.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 3, 2019

Blues Lineup

#stlblues lines:

Steen-O’Reilly-Perron
Schwartz-Schenn-Thomas
Fabbri-Bozak-Maroon
(O-Reilly)-Barbashev-Sundqvist

D pairs:
Bouwmeester-Pietrangelo
Edmundson-Parayko
Dunn-Bortuzzo
Gunnarsson-Schmaltz

Allen/Fitzpatrick

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 3, 2019

Gameday Links

Game Notes

Caps Today

From 1 to 92, Capitals share their stories behind their jersey numbers (The Athletic)

Why Alex Ovechkin’s decision to sit out the All-Star Game could help the Caps in the end (NBC Sports Washington)

By Harrison Brown