Final
Red Wings, Caps put unbeaten records on the line in D.C.
Oct 22, 2011 - 2:54 PM (Sports Network) - A showdown between the NHL's two remaining unbeaten teams is on tap tonight in Washington, as the Capitals host the Detroit Red Wings in an interconference clash at the Verizon Center.Washington is 6-0 on the year, giving the franchise its best-ever start to a season. The Red Wings are 5-0 and can match the club's best start with a win tonight. Detroit won its first six games of the 1972-73 campaign.
The Red Wings have dominated Washington in recent years, taking two of three, five of seven and eight of the last 11 meetings in this series. However, Detroit has dropped its last two games in the nation's capital and hasn't won in D.C. since Dec. 9, 2005.
The Capitals kept their season-opening winning streak intact in impressive fashion on Thursday, pounding the Flyers, 5-2, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Alex Ovechkin, a two-time Hart and Rocket Richard Trophy winner, scored a pair of goals in the win after hitting the net just once in his first five games of the year.
"Well, we knew it was going to be a hard game for us," Ovechkin said. "We knew it was going to be a real battle. We made a couple of mistakes in the first period. They scored the first one, then I think, you know, in the first period we scored the most important goals for us. We get the lead and then we play our game."
Mathieu Perreault had a goal and an assist for the Capitals. Roman Hamrlik and Joel Ward also lit the lamp, while Tomas Vokoun made 40 saves to improve to 5-0-0 in his first season with Washington.
Vokoun, who spurned Detroit when he opted to a sign a one-year deal with Washington this offseason, is expected to get the start tonight. The veteran backstop has not fared well in his career against the Red Wings, however, going 9-20-1 with three ties and a 3.23 goals-against average in 35 games versus Detroit.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, recorded their latest victory Friday against visiting Columbus. Johan Franzen made his 400th career game a memorable one, recording two goals and an assist in the 5-2 victory over the winless Blue Jackets.
Valtteri Filppula assisted on each of Franzen's goals and added an empty-net tally in the closing minutes of the game. Jimmy Howard stopped 32 shots in the win.
"Today we were able to get a lot of second and third chances and get some goals," Filppula said.
Howard has faced the Capitals just once in his career and that was on March 16 of last season when Detroit notched a 3-2 win over a visiting Washington club.
- DETROIT: 1
WASHINGTON: 7
Final
Oct 22 9:33 PM - DETROIT: 1
WASHINGTON: 4
End of 2nd
Oct 22 8:42 PM - Detroit Power-Play Goal - Niklas Kronwall, at 11:05.
Red Wings 1, Capitals 3 2nd - 8:55Oct 22 8:24 PM - Washington Power-Play Goal - Mike Green (3), at 4:59.
Red Wings 0, Capitals 3 2nd - 15:01Oct 22 8:12 PM - DETROIT: 0
WASHINGTON: 2
End of 1st
Oct 22 7:48 PM - Washington Power-Play Goal - Mike Green (2), at 14:00.
Red Wings 0, Capitals 1 1st - 6:00Oct 22 7:34 PM - DETROIT: 0
WASHINGTON: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Oct 22 7:09 PM
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