The Game
Alex Ovechkin and Patrik Laine, the top two goal-scorers in the NHL since the start of the 2016-17 season, will meet when the Washington Capitals visit the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place on Wednesday.
Ovechkin, the Capitals captain, has 12 goals this season and leads all players with 94 in the past three seasons. Laine has eight goals this season and 88 since entering the NHL in 2016-17.
Laine has 144 points (88 goals, 56 assists) in his first 171 NHL games. Ovechkin had 207 points (103 goals, 104 assists) in his first 171 games.
This is the second of back-to-back road games for the Capitals, who defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on Tuesday.
The Jets, who are seeking their third straight win, have outscored opponents 10-4 in their previous two games. Winnipeg is 7-3-0 in its past 10 games and has allowed two goals or fewer in four of its past six.
Players to watch
Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom has seven points (two goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak.
Jets forward Blake Wheeler has 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in a 10-game point streak, including four straight multipoint games.
They said it
"Hopefully we can, from a strategy standpoint, manage the game a little bit better than we've done in our past back-to-backs. But certainly, it's good to have Braden (Holtby) fresh going into that game, in a real good spot." -- Capitals coach Todd Reirden
"They got a lot of skill, their power play is deadly -- they're a good team, they won the Stanley Cup last year. They got a lot of good pieces and they move the puck really well. As a whole team, every line's got to be prepared for them. It will be a fun challenge again tonight." -- Jets forward Mark Scheifele
Capitals projected lineup
Jakub Vrana -- Nicklas Backstrom -- T.J. Oshie
Injured: Brooks Orpik (lower body)
Jets projected lineup
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Mark Scheifele -- Blake Wheeler
Scratched: Brendan Lemieux, Sami Niku
Injured: Dmitry Kulikov (upper body)
Status report
Washington did not hold a morning skate. … Lemieux returns from a two-game suspension because of an illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck on Nov. 2. He is not expected to play.
Stat pack
Ovechkin needs one power-play goal to tie Mario Lemieux (236) for seventh place on the all-time list, and two to tie Brendan Shanahan (237) for sixth. ... Scheifele has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in his past nine games. … Byfuglien has eight points (one goal, seven assists) during a six-game point streak.
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