Overview
- puck drop is 7:00 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena, with Washington at 34-27-8 and New Jersey at 35-31-2.
- Washington has gone 7-1-1 in its past nine at home and, with 13 games left, likely needs roughly nine or more wins to stay in the playoff hunt.
- New Jersey enters on a three-game run after a 6-3 win over the Rangers and has surged recently, with Jacob Markstrom heavily used and listed as the expected starter in previews.
- Rookie defenseman Cole Hutson scored an empty-netter in his NHL debut and drew strong praise from coach Spencer Carbery for his composure and impact.
- Alex Ovechkin recorded his 25th goal of the season in the 4-1 win over Ottawa, and outlets varied in how they cited his career total from that game due to different counting methods.