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Capitals-Thrashers Preview

Jan 8, 2010 - 6:47 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Washington (26-11-6) at Atlanta (19-18-6), 7:00 p.m. EDT

One of the worst stretches in franchise history for the Atlanta Thrashers just came to a halt upon their return home from a lengthy road trip.

The Washington Capitals have made themselves feel at home whenever they've faced the Thrashers recently.

Its long losing streak over, Atlanta turns its attention Saturday night to reversing its fortune against the visiting Capitals, who seek their fifth straight win over the Thrashers and fourth in a row at Philips Arena.

Atlanta (19-18-6) was in fifth place in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 17, but an 0-6-3 skid followed, its longest winless stretch since a 10-game slide in its 1999-2000 inaugural season.

The Thrashers allowed 4.4 goals per game during the losing streak, but got two points Thursday to begin a four-game homestand. Johan Hedberg made 29 saves in a 2-1 shootout victory over the New York Rangers.

"We deserved this win," said Hedberg, who was 0-2-3 with a 3.89 goals-against average in his previous five starts. "We have been working for it for a long time now."

Only the Thrashers' first two losses during the nine-game slide came at home before a brutal seven-game road trip. Atlanta is 8-3-3 at Philips Arena since Nov. 8, and coach John Anderson is certainly pleased to be back.

"What I did (Thursday) was put my red slippers on and click my heels three times and say, 'There's no place like home,'" Anderson said.

The Thrashers haven't had much of a home-ice advantage lately against the Southeast Division-leading Capitals (26-11-6). Washington has won its last three in Atlanta - including one-goal victories eight days apart in late October - and has averaged 4.8 goals in winning four straight in the series overall.

Washington's Alex Ovechkin had seven points in those victories, including two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win Oct. 29. The Capitals have won eight of 10 over the Thrashers, scoring at least four goals in all but one of those games.

Ovechkin didn't have a point in his first two games of 2010 before having a big third period against Ottawa on Thursday, assisting on two goals from Nicklas Backstrom and later scoring in a 5-2 win.

Backstrom hadn't scored in four games after a 12-game stretch in which he had 11 goals.

"(Backstrom) showed a lot of leadership, because I thought we were floundering in the second period when it was 2-1," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "And he comes out in the third period and he gets two goals. He was just determined, and that's what's making him one of the best."

The Capitals improved to 9-2-1 when Backstrom has a goal and 4-1-1 when both he and Ovechkin score.

Backstrom hasn't scored a goal in eight games against Atlanta, though he does have six assists in that stretch.

The Thrashers' win Thursday was just their sixth in 17 games when Ilya Kovalchuk doesn't score. Atlanta's all-time leading scorer and the subject of trade rumors as he nears unrestricted free agency this summer, Kovalchuk has four goals during the team's four-game losing streak against Washington.

His two-goal game in a 5-4 loss to the Capitals on Oct. 22 snapped a 10-game streak of Thrashers' victories when Kovalchuk scored at least twice.