The Washington Capitals are set to face the San Jose Sharks tonight at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, at 10 p.m. EST. Here's a look at the projected lineups, recent performance, and key players to watch.

Washington Capitals (16-9-2)

The Capitals have been on a hot streak, winning eight of their last nine games. Their most recent victory was a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Washington boasts a strong defense, ranking second in the NHL in goals against per game, allowing just 2.52.

Here's the projected lineup for the Capitals:

• Forwards:
  • Anthony Beauvillier — Dylan Strome — Alex Ovechkin
  • Aliaksei Protas — Justin Sourdif — Tom Wilson
  • Brandon Duhaime — Connor McMichael — Ryan Leonard
  • Sonny Milano — Hendrix Lapierre — Ethen Frank
• Defense:
  • Martin Fehervary — John Carlson
  • Jakob Chychrun — Matt Roy
  • Rasmus Sandin — Trevor van Riemsdyk
• Goalies:
  • Charlie Lindgren
  • Logan Thompson

A few Capitals players are currently dealing with injuries. Nic Dowd is out with an upper-body injury, Pierre-Luc Dubois is sidelined with a lower-body injury, and Sonny Milano is out with an upper-body injury. Charlie Lindgren is day-to-day due to personal reasons. Lindgren is expected to start.

San Jose Sharks (13-11-3)

The Sharks have been performing decently, winning three of their last five games. They are coming off a 6-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth. San Jose's power play is ranked 16th in the league, operating at 19.2 percent.

Here's the projected lineup for the Sharks:

• Forwards:
  • Tyler Toffoli — Macklin Celebrini — Will Smith
  • William Eklund — Alexander Wennberg — Adam Gaudette
  • Philipp Kurashev — Ty Dellandrea — Collin Graf
  • Pavol Regenda — Barclay Goodrow — Ryan Reaves
• Defense:
  • Dmitry Orlov — Timothy Liljegren
  • Mario Ferraro — John Klingberg
  • Sam Dickinson — Vincent Iorio
• Goalies:
  • Yaroslav Askarov
  • Alex Nedeljkovic

Jeff Skinner is out with a lower-body injury. Alexander Wennberg, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is expected to play. Michael Misa is out with a lower-body injury. Vincent Desharnais is out with an upper-body injury. Former Capital Vincent Iorio, who was claimed off waivers by the Sharks in October, will play against his former team.

Players to Watch

• Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson leads the Capitals with 30 points, followed by Alex Ovechkin with 27. Ovechkin has 12 goals and 15 assists this season. Connor McMichael has been playing well recently, with three goals and eight assists in his last 10 games.
• San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini is a standout player for the Sharks, leading the team with 40 points. He has 14 goals and 26 assists. Will Smith has also been contributing significantly, with 27 points. Smith had a two-goal game in the Sharks' recent win against the Utah Mammoth.

Odds and Prediction

The Washington Capitals are favored to win the game with a moneyline of -154, while the Sharks are underdogs at +128. The over/under for total goals is set at 5.5.

Given the Capitals' strong recent performance and solid defense, they are likely to win this game. However, the Sharks have shown they can score, especially with players like Celebrini and Smith leading the charge.