Photo: InPlayMagazine

The Washington Capitals face off with the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday (7 PM ET, ESPN) for the third and final time this season in the biggest game of the season for both squads to date. After Detroit took an 8-3 decision exactly six weeks ago, Washington responded with a 4-3 overtime win four weeks later.

Biggest game of the year so far tonight. 40 percentage point swing for the Wings and 33 point swing for the Caps https://t.co/QDOrXeNeuZ pic.twitter.com/MVRrerO7DK

— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) April 9, 2024

Schedule

Washington: opens two-game Atlantic Division road trip, continues span where they are on the road for four of six (0-3-1 so far)

Detroit: close out three-game homestand (1-1-0) before opening two-game Northeastern road trip at Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday

How Each Team Is Doing

Washington: has lost six straight (0-4-2) since three-game winning-streak, stretch where they went 14-7-2 ended with their win over Detroit

Detroit: 2-3-2 since winning three of four but has won two of their last three

Standings

Washington: 36-30-11 (.539 points percentage — fourth in Metropolitan Division, ninth in Eastern Conference); one point behind Detroit (with each team down to five games left) and Pittsburgh (four) for final wild-card spot in East, two points back of New York Islanders (five) for third in Metropolitan, tied with Philadelphia Flyers (four) for 10th in East, three points up on both New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres (four)

Detroit: 38-31-8 (.545 points percentage — fifth in Atlantic Division, eighth in Eastern Conference); cannot finish higher than the second wild-card with one more point lost between them or Tampa Bay Lightning gain

Team Leaders

Larkin (tied for 28th) and Ovechkin (tied for 39th) both rank among the NHL’s top-40 in goals. Carlson, who is just four seconds off of the league lead in ice-time per game (Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty), and Gostisbehere are tied for 55th in assists. Strome is tied for 60th in points.

Team Statistics

Detroit ranks ninth in goals and on the power play but also allows the ninth-most. Both teams are among the seven-worst in shots and Detroit yields the fifth-most against. Washington is better than only the Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo in faceoffs and has scored the fifth-fewest goals.

Washington bests Detroit in every possession category despite not ranking better than 24th in any of the three but Detroit has had better puck luck this season. Only the Vancouver Canucks (10.66%) have finished their shots better than Detroit, who is tied for fourth in PDO with Arizona.

Expected Goalie Matchup

Both goaltenders have posted similar stats this season.

Injuries/Illnesses

Washington

• D Ethan Bear (NHLPA players assistance program)
• C Nicklas Backstrom (hip)
• D Rasmus Sandin (upper-body)

Detroit

• G Ville Husso (lower-body)
• C Michael Rasmussen (upper-body)

Projected Lines

Washington

Ovechkin — Strome — Wilson
Aliaksei Protas — Connor McMichael — T.J. Oshie
Max Pacioretty — Hendrix Lapierre — Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn — Nic Dowd — Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Martin Fehervary — Carlson
Vinny Iorio — Nick Jensen
Alexander Alexeyev — Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper

Scratched: RW Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW Ivan Miroshnichenko, C Mike Sgarbossa, D Lucas Johansen

Detroit

DeBrincat — J.T. Compher — Patrick Kane
David Perron — Dylan Larkin — Lucas Raymond
Robby Fabbri — Andrew Copp — Christian Fischer
Austin Czarnik — Joe Veleno — Daniel Sprong

Ben Chiarot — Seider
Simon Edvinsson — Jeff Petry
Olli Maatta — Gostisbehere

Lyon
James Reimer

Scratched: D Justin Holl

Betting Odds (BetMGM)

Washington: +125, Detroit: -155

Over-under: 6 (-110 over/under)

By Harrison Brown