The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Washington Capitals Wednesday night, after a short break from their stretch of five games in seven days.
After recording just four points in their five game stretch, the Blackhawks now sit in seventh in the Central Division with just 29 points and a 12-10-5 record.
The Capitals currently hold a 16-11-1 record, to sit in fifth in the Metropolitan Division, but have been turning things around lately, recording five wins in their last six games. Washington is on their fourth game of a five game home stand, in which they’ve recorded two straight victories.
Wednesday night will be the first meeting between the Blackhawks and Capitals this season. Washington has had the ‘Hawks number over the past few years, with Chicago only recording three wins against the Capitals in their last 12 meetings, and losing five straight in Washington. The Blackhawks will like to break that trend at Capital One Arena Wednesday, but will be doing so with their starting goaltender still on the sidelines.
With Corey Crawford still out from a lower-body injury, Anton Forsberg will get the start in Washington. In his seven games started for Chicago this season, Forsberg has a 1-3-1 record, along with a 3.01 goals against average and .914 save percentage.
Braden Holtby will get the nod for the Capitals. In his 20 games played for the Capitals this season, Holtby boasts a 14-6 record, adding a 2.63 goals against average and .919 save percentage.
Blackhawks
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| F1 | Ryan Hartman – Jonathan Toews – John Hayden |
| F2 | Brandon Saad – Artem Anisimov – Patrick Kane |
| F3 | Lance Bouma – Nick Schmaltz – Alex DeBrincat |
| F4 | Patrick Sharp – Tommy Wingels – Richard Panik |
| D1 | Duncan Keith – Cody Franson |
| D2 | Connor Murphy – Brent Seabrook |
| D3 | Gustav Forsling – Jan Rutta |
| Goaltender | Anton Forsberg |
Capitals
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| F1 | Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – Tom Wilson |
| F2 | Jakub Vrana – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Alex Chiasson |
| F3 | Travis Boyd – Lars Eller – Brett Connolly |
| F4 | Tyler Graovac – Jay Beagle – Devante Smith-Pelly |
| D1 | Brooks Orpik – John Carlson |
| D2 | Dmitri Orlov – Matt Niskanen |
| D3 | Christian Djoos – Madison Bowey |
| Goaltender | Braden Holtby |
How to watch Blackhawks vs. Capitals
Start time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
TV: NBC Sports
Live stream: NBC Sports Live