Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals visit the Carolina Hurricanes for the first of three regular-season meetings between the two teams on Monday night. Washington took three out of four games against the reigning Metropolitan Division regular-season champions, including both in Raleigh (most recently, a 4-3 shootout win on March 18). Action from PNC Arena can be seen on NBC Sports Washington+ locally or NHL Network nationally beginning at 7 PM ET.

SCHEDULE

Washington concludes a four-game road trip, which they have gone 2-1-0 on so far after a 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday, and open a set of back-to-backs as the Vegas Golden Knights will be awaiting them in DC for a Tuesday night tilt.

Carolina makes a quick stop at home during a stretch where they play six out of eight games on the road.

RECORDS

Washington: 5-4-0 (including 2-3-0 on road) – tied for third place in Metropolitan Division with New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and tied for fifth in Eastern Conference

Carolina: 5-2-1 (1-1-0 at home) – tied for first in Metropolitan Division with Philadelphia Flyers and second in Eastern Conference with Philadelphia and Florida Panthers

TEAM LEADERS

Washington

• LWs Alex Ovechkin/Conor Sheary (four goals each)
• D Nick Jensen/C Dylan Strome/D Dmitry Orlov/C Evgeny Kuznetsov (five assists each)
• Ovechkin (seven points each)
• D John Carlson (21:55 average TOI/game)

Notes: Carlson, 32, has two goals and six points in his last six games; Jensen, 32, has a goal and six points in his last seven, including four points in his last four; C Nic Dowd has two goals and three points in his last four; Orlov, 30, has five assists in his last five; C Aliaksei Protas has two goals and three points in his last three

Carolina 

• RW Andrei Svechnikov (seven goals)
• C Martin Necas (six assists, 11 points)
• C Sebastian Aho (six assists)
• D Jaccob Slavin (23:13 average TOI/game)

Notes: Necas, 23, has been held off of the scoresheet just one time this season and has two goals and four points over his last three games; Aho, 25, has been held off of the scoresheet just once over his last seven; Svechnikov, 22, has just one goal over his last four; D Brent Burns has goals in back-to-back games and eight points over his last six; D Brady Skjei has three helpers during a three-game assist-streak; LW Teuvo Teravainen has just three assists through eight games

KEY TEAM STATS

Goals-per-game:                   WSH – 3.11 (T-17th)    CAR – 3.25 (13th)

Goals-against per game:     WSH – 2.89 (T-11th)   CAR – 2.88 (T-9th)

Power Play:                           WSH – 20% (T-19th)   CAR – 17.2% (24th)

Penalty Kill:                          WSH – 81.5% (T-12th) CAR – 80% (17th)

Shots-per-game:                  WSH – 28.9 (T-25th)   CAR – 36.4 (5th)

Shots-against per game:    WSH – 32.6 (T-20th)   CAR – 27 (3rd)

Faceoff-winning %:             WSH – 41% (T-32nd)   CAR – 53.7% (6th)

5v5 Corsi-for Percentage:  WSH – 50.35% (14th)   CAR – 55.36% (3rd)

5v5 x Goals-For %:              WSH – 50.66% (15th)  CAR – 54.03% (4th)

5v5 SCF Percentage:           WSH – 50.58% (14th)  CAR – 54.47% (4th)

5v5 Shooting Percentage:  WSH – 8.9% (9th)        CAR – 8.67% (11th)

5v5 Save Percentage:          WSH – .9231 (11th)       CAR – .9255 (7th)

5v5 PDO:                               WSH – 1.012 (T-6th)    CAR – 1.012 (T-6th)

KEY STATS AT A GLANCE

The Capitals have a slight edge in special teams, and will need to take advantage of that edge in Monday night. That’s because the Hurricanes are dominating many of the other statistical categories. [Click to enlarge]

ADVANCED POSSESSION  METRICS

The Capitals are slowly improving a few of their possession metrics over the last two games, but still pale in comparison to the Hurricanes. The Capitals have the better overall goaltending numbers.

EXPECTED STARTING GOALTENDERS

Washington: Darcy Kuemper, 32 — 4-3-0, .919 save percentage, 2.47 goals-against average, one shutout in seven games; 1-2-0, .883 save percentage, 3.91 goals-against average in four career games vs. Carolina

Carolina: Frederik Andersen, 33 — 3-2-0, .896 save percentage, 2.81 goals-against average in five games; 6-4-2, .908 save percentage, 2.87 goals-against average, two shutouts in 12 career regular-season games vs. Washington

INJURIES/ILLNESSES

Washington

* Carlson (lower-body, first, status TBD)

* RW Connor Brown (lower-body, will miss sixth straight game, out indefinitely)

* LW Carl Hagelin (hip, 10th, indefinite)

* RW Tom Wilson (ACL, 10th, indefinite)

* C Nicklas Backstrom (hip, 10th, indefinite)

* RW T.J. Oshie (lower-body, first, status TBD)

Carolina 

* RW Ondrej Kase (concussion, eighth, indefinite)

* LW Max Pacioretty (Achilles, ninth, indefinite)

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Washington

Ovechkin — Strome — Sheary
Connor McMichael — Kuznetsov — Marcus Johansson
Protas — Lars Eller — Anthony Mantha
Beck Malenstyn — Dowd — Garnet Hathaway

Matt Irwin — Orlov
Martin Fehervary — Jensen
Erik Gustafsson — Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren

Scratched: LW Joe Snively

Carolina

Teravainen — Aho — Seth Jarvis
Svechnikov — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Necas
Jordan Martinook — Jordan Staal — Jesper Fast
Stefan Noesen — Paul Stastny — Derek Stepan

Slavin — Brent Burns
Skjei — Brett Pesce
Dylan Coghlan — Jalen Chatfield

Andersen
Antti Raanta

Scratched: D Calvin de Haan

Game Notes

By Harrison Brown