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)

Game Notes

By Harrison Brown