Caps Close Out Season Series With Flyers

After taking two of their first three meetings with Philadelphia this season (dropping the other in overtime), Washington wraps up the four-game set against its old Patrick Division rival with a Sunday matinee at Verizon Center.

Widely expected to be a Stanley Cup contender with their offseason moves, the Flyers right now are fighting for their playoff lives, and despite a strong stretch where they have gone 8-2-1, they still sit a point out of the final playoff spot in the East - and one point behind last year's worst overall club, the New York Islanders.

Part of the reason the Flyers haven't sunken into the abyss is the play of Carolina castoff Michael Leighton, who is 8-1-1 as a starter for Philadelphia. However, with the return of Ray Emery from injury, new Flyers coach Peter Laviolette isn't saying who will get the start vs. Washington. However, it certainly figures to be Leighton, since whomever starts for Philly will be taking on the high-scoring Capitals, who lead the league in goals and have 22 tallies in their last four games.

Across the ice, Jose Theodore has gotten the decisions in all three games against Philadelphia this year, winning two and coming in relief in the overtime loss, allowing just two goals in just under two periods before Daniel Briere notched the game winner.

Theodore was solid - and got some help from the posts - after performing well in relief of Michal Neuvirth in both Tampa Bay and Florida, stopping 28 of 29 shots, including keeping the Caps ahead early when they were being outgunned 11-2 and faced a pair of Toronto power-plays.

After a shaky road trip through Florida, the Caps roared back to smack down the Maple Leafs Friday night, shredding a porous defense to generate several great scoring chances and netting six goals. The Flyers certainly won't be quite as open as Toronto, as like several teams have in the last few games, Philadelphia certainly will look to bring out the physical play against Washington.

Ironically, the Flyers have been idle since Thursday, when they were handed a 4-0 defeat - at the hands of Toronto.

As for the Caps, with the Devils' loss to Colorado Saturday afternoon, they get a chance to retake first overall in the Eastern Conference with a win, as they sit with 64 points and just a point behind New Jersey and are tied (although with more games played) with Buffalo.

After a quiet few games for Washington's superstar (at least relatively), Alex Ovechkin certainly shone bright against Toronto, having a hand in Washington's first five goals and recording his first-ever four assist performance - not to mention potting his 29th goal.

Ovechkin has had some terrific moments against the Flyers - and has four goals and a helper in two games against Philadelphia this season - but the Flyers figure to try and get physical with the Caps' star.

Speaking of physical play, Jason Chimera will be in Washington's lineup despite getting an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of the 6-1 win over Toronto, avoiding a possible one-game suspension. John Carlson also will get another chance to show his stuff as the NHL level, although per Capitals Insider, he likely will be sent back down to Hershey Monday so he can participate in the AHL's All-Star Game.