Caps Today and Top Game Notes

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations department:

Not very often do the Washington Capitals play a Western Conference team twice, but this season the Caps will play three Western Conference teams twice (Anaheim, St. Louis and San Jose). In the first meeting between these two teams Brooks Laich scored the only goal, while Semyon Varlamov stopped 22 out of 24 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss Dec. 15 at Verizon Center. Washington has won the two previous meetings in Anaheim against the Ducks dating back to Jan. 13, 2006. On that night, rookie Alex Ovechkin recorded his first career hat trick for a 3-2 overtime win against Anaheim. Ovechkin will look to rekindle the same magic tonight.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
Duck Hunter – Alex Ovechkin has registered 11 points (5-6-11) in five career games against the Ducks, his highest career point total against any Western Conference opponent despite being held scoreless in the meeting with Anaheim earlier this season. In his first four career outings against the Ducks, Ovechkin scored three or more points in three of the four games. His first career NHL hat trick came against Anaheim when he scored all three Washington goals in a 3-2 OT win on Jan. 13, 2006.

FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
Pacific Tour - Tonight’s game marks the fourth of five straight games against Pacific Division opponents for the Capitals, who began the stretch by hosting the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 8 and the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 12. The Caps continued the run by playing at Phoenix on Monday, play in Anaheim on Wednesday and at San Jose on Thursday. Alex Ovechkin has registered 31 points (16-15-31) in 27 career games against Pacific Division opponents.

Back in business – Alexander Semin collected an assist Monday night in Phoenix to record his first point since Dec. 26. Semin, who ranks third on the Caps in scoring with 18-18-36, missed 12 games due to injury from Jan. 11 to Feb. 6.

Net ‘virth’; – Michal Neuvirth has started three of the last four games for the Capitals, going 1-2-0. He has allowed just five goals in that span while posting a 1.69 goals against average, a .934 save percentage and recorded a shutout win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 6.

50-50 proposition – Alex Ovechkin (56 points) and Nicklas Backstrom (50) made the Capitals one of just five teams in the NHL with at least two 50-point scorers (Anaheim, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Vancouver; through Monday’s games).

PK replay – The Capitals have killed off 39 of their last 42 shorthanded situations (92.9%), a run that stretches back 14 games. Washington’s 86.2% penalty-kill ranks second in the NHL; the team hasn’t finished among the league’s top 10 in penalty killing since 1999-00 and hasn’t been higher than 17th (or 82.2%) in the past eight years