Pre-game Notes

The Washington Capitals face Southeast Division rival Tampa Bay tonight at Verizon Center for the third time this season.

It is the fifth overall meeting this season with the Capitals currently holding a 3-1 edge in the season series.

The Capitals won the first two meetings this season at Verizon Center, 3-2 on January 31 on a late third period goal by Alex Ovechkin, and again last Thursday, 5-4, thanks to two third period goals from the newly acquired Scott Walker.

Washington enters tonight's game on the heels of a thrilling overtime win over fellow Southeast Division rival Carolina on Wednesday. Tomas Fleischmann notched his 19th goal of the season at 3:20 of the extra session to give the Capitals a 4-3 win.

The Capitals also enter tonight's contest as newly crowned division champions. Thanks to the Atlanta Thrashers dropping a 2-1 contest to the Columbus Blue Jackets last night in regulation, the Capitals clinched the Southeast Division for the third year in a row; becoming the only team to win the division three times.

The Lightning fell to the Tortonto Maple Leafs last night, 4-3, in overtime to fall six points behind the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conferences' 8th and final playoff spot. The Lightning have lost seven of eight games overall entering tonight's contest.

Semyon Varlamov should get the start in goal tonight for the Capitals as Coach Bruce Boudreau rests Jose Theodore for Sunday's nationally televised contest in Chicago against the Blackhawks.

Here are tonight's projected forward lines:

Ovechkin, Backstrom, Knuble
Semin, B. Morrison, Laich
Chimera, Fleischmann, Fehr
Walker, Steckel, Bradley

D-pairings:
Schultz-Green
Poti-Erskine
Sloan, Corvo