Capitals go for fourth straight win (Update)

 thehockeynews.com:

Washington (8-4-2) at Carolina (8-5-2), 7:00 p.m. EST

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Washington Capitals eye their fourth straight victory when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Washington went 3-0-0 on its latest homestand, capped with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.

Defensemen Tom Poti and Mike Green scored first-period goals and Alex Ovechkin snapped a nine-game scoring drought with his third tally of the season late in the third period. It was the 23-year-old's first goal since he scored twice on October 11.

Since returning from his two-game absence to be with his ailing grandfather in Russia, Ovechkin has one goal and four assists in his last four contests.

The Hurricanes are finishing a three-game homestand and have split the first two contests. Carolina dropped a 5-2 decision to Atlanta on Sunday.

Ray Whitney had a goal in the loss and leads the team with 13 points. The left wing has registered a point in five of his last six games.

Washington won the first of eight meetings, 3-2, last Thursday.

"I'm sure they're waiting for us, salivating," Boudreau said after the game last night. "I think we're tied with them now and it's like taking something away that they believe is theirs. It is going to be a quite a test for our team."

Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings

Carolina Forwards
13-Whitney, 12-Staal, 15-Ruutu
18-Bayda, 17-Brind’Amour, 59-LaRose
14-Samsonov, 8-Cullen, 24-Walker
28-Brookbank, 16-Sutter, 63-Helminen

Carolina Defensemen
6-Gleason, 25-Pitkanen
4-Seidenberg, 77-Corvo
7-Wallin, 33-Babchuk

Goaltenders
30-Ward, 49-Leighton

Update:
Corey Masisak, TWT, Nov. 12, 2008:

The Caps are just finishing up the morning skate here in Raleigh. Bruce Boudreau was on the ice with his charges, something he wasn't doing earlier in the season.

"I have [gone on the ice] the last three games, and I am really superstitious," Boudreau said.

Viktor Kozlov will return tonight, and Brent Johnson will be in net for the fifth straight game. Boudreau did not want to say who the healthy scratch will be, but Eric Fehr is the last one on the ice, which normally means he's the odd man out.

A win would be the fourth straight for the Caps and vault them into sole possession of first place in the division. Two points could also, with some help from Chicago and St. Louis tonight, move Washington into a tie for the second-most points in the Eastern Conference behind the N.Y. Rangers.

8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 28-Semin
14-Fleischmann, 92-Nylander, 25-Kozlov
21-Laich, 39-Steckel, 17-Clark
87-Brashear, 15-Gordon, 10-Bradley

55-Schultz, 52-Green
3-Poti, 89-Sloan
4-Erskine, 23-Jurcina

1-Johnson

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