.........,,,,,,,,. .......
.................................,,,,Thursday January 31st 2013 - 7:00PM
..........................,,,,,,.....CAPITALS (1-4-1) @ MAPLE LEAFS (3-3-0)
.......................,,,,,,........TV: SNET-O; CSN-DC
...........................,,,,,,....RADIO: FAN590; 106.7 The Fan; Caps Radio Network
Leafs Begin Homestand Against Capitals
Season Series:
This is the first of three games this season. The Capitals seek to extend their winning streak against the Maple Leafs to four games.
Big Story:
Even in a shortened season, it is never reason to panic with just six games in the books. But Washington needs to turn the tide quickly or it will wind up behind the eight ball. With only three points and winless in three road games this season, the Capitals try to stop a Maple Leafs team coming off an exciting overtime win with just two seconds remaining against Buffalo on Tuesday.
Team Scope:
Capitals: A complete 60-minute effort by the Capitals has been rare in the early going, and their most recent loss Tuesday at Ottawa was another example of their struggle to maintain a lead. Troy Brouwer and Matt Hendricks staked Washington to an early 2-0 surplus and the team kept up the intensity well into the second period until the Senators' Jim O'Brien scored with just over a minute left. Milan Michalek would then tie it within the first two minutes of the third and the Capitals were finally done in by a Joel Ward penalty and a Sergei Gonchar game-winner in the closing minutes of regulation.
Despite the recently rough road, first-year coach Adam Oates is upbeat.
"On the road, if you're up 2-1 after two, you're in a great position," Oates told the Caps' official dunp 'n chase blog. "We were playing great hockey. They had one [scoring] chance, really. All game long they only had six [scoring] chances five-on-five, so we did a lot of good things."
Maple Leafs: Toronto needed a solid effort in its last game Tuesday versus the Sabres after coming off lopsided losses to the Islanders and Rangers. Forward Matt Frattin made his case for staying with the big-league club as the sometime AHL player tallied a goal in regulation and scored his second in dramatic fashion, making a nifty move past the defenseman and slipping a quick wrister past goalie Ryan Miller with just two ticks left on the OT clock to win it for the Maple Leafs.
Who's Hot:
Center Mike Ribeiro has a goal and two assists over his last three games for the Capitals. … Frattin has scored three goals in three games since being called up from the AHL's Toronto Marlies last Thursday.
Injury Report:
Forward Brooks Laich (groin) and defenseman Jack Hillen (upper body) are out for the Capitals. … The Maple Leafs are without forward Joffrey Lupul (broken forearm). Forward Clarke MacArthur sat out again Tuesday with a lacerated pinkie, while defenseman Mike Komisarek seeks to return soon after getting a sliver of fiberglass removed from his eye following practice Monday.
**** "WHO I'D LIKE TO SEE START" LEAF LINE-UP ****
JVR-Bozak-Kessel
Kulemin-Grabovski-Komarov
Frattin-Kadri-McClement
Orr-Steckel-Hamilton
Phaneuf-Kostka
Liles-Franson
Gunnarsson-Fraser
Reimer
Scrivens
* Last Game Against The Capitals:
*AS ALWAYS, MUCH MORE WILL BE ADDED:
(News/ Game Preview/ Game Line-Ups/ etc.)
GO LEAFS GO !!
