Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
The Washington Capitals will play their first outer-conference game since March 1, 2020 on Tuesday when the Colorado Avalanche come to D.C. The Capitals have taken 10 out of their last 12 (10-2-0) matchups against the burgundy and blue but the two teams split their 2019-20 season series (the Avalanche won 6-3 in Washington on October 14, 2019). Action from Capital One Arena can be streamed on ESPN+/Hulu.
Projected Lineups
Avalanche
Andre Burakovsky — Nazem Kadri — Mikko Rantanen
Tyson Jost — J.T. Compher — Sampo Ranta
Darren Helm — Jayson Megna — Logan O’Connor
Mikhail Maltsev — Dylan Sikura —Martin Kaut
Samuel Girard — Cale Makar
Bowen Byram — Erik Johnson
Jack Johnson — Ryan Murray
Darcy Kuemper
Jonas Johansson
Capitals
Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson
Anthony Mantha — Lars Eller — Daniel Sprong
Conor Sheary — Connor McMichael — T.J. Oshie
Carl Hagelin — Nic Dowd — Garnet Hathaway
Martin Fehervary — John Carlson
Dmitry Orlov — Nick Jensen
Trevor Van Riemsdyk — Justin Schultz
Vitek Vanecek
Ilya Samsonov
** neither team has revealed their starting goalie
Absences
Avalanche
* Valeri Nichushkin (week-to-week, upper-body) – did not travel
* LHD Devon Toews (shoulder) – not cleared
* C Nathan MacKinnon (COVID-19 protocol) – [Update] – according to Adrian Dater, MacKinnon tested negative today (Monday) and is on his way to Washington DC to meet up with Avs. A negative test tomorrow and he may play against Washington.
* LW Gabriel Landeskgog (suspended)
* G Pavel Francois (ankle sprain)
Capitals
* C Nicklas Backstrom (week-to-week, hip)
Team Stats
Goals-per-game: COL: 3.50 (T-12th) WSH: 3.00 (T-14th)
Goals-against per game: COL: 3.50 (22nd) WSH: 1.50 (T-third)
Power play: COL: 0% (T-26th) WSH: 30% (13th)
Penalty kill: COL: 60% (T-25th) WSH: 83.3% (11th)
Shots-per-game: COL: 34 (13th) WSH: 30 (18th)
Shots-against per game: COL: 31 (19th) WSH: 24 (second)
Faceoff Winning %: COL: 47.9% (23rd) WSH: 43.9% (30th)
5-on-5 Corsi-For %: COL: 58.24% (fourth) WSH: 48.08% (22nd)
5-on-5 Expected GF%: COL: 66.6% (second) WSH: 41.04% (29th)
5-on-5 SCF%: COL: 67.78% (first) WSH: 49.33% (19th)
5-on-5 Shooting %: COL: 9.43% (10th) WSH: 4.76% (24th)
5-on-5 Save Percentage: COL: .907 (22nd) WSH: .9706 (third)
5-on-5 PDO: COL: 1.001 (T-17th) WSH: 1.018 (13th)
Player Leaders
Avalanche:
* Seven players: one goal
* Kadri: three assists, four points
* Makar: 24:22 average TOI/game
Capitals:
* Ovechkin: three goals, five points
* Kuznetsov: three assists
* Carlson: 23:44 average TOI/game
Goalie Stats
Avalanche
* Kuemper (1-1-0, .902 save percentage, 3.09 goals-against average)
Capitals
* Vanecek (1-0-1, .938 save percentage, 1.44 goals-against average)
By Harrison Brown
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