Capitals vs. Jets: Projected Lineups and Game Preview

The Washington Capitals are set to face off against the Winnipeg Jets tonight at the Canada Life Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST.

Team Records and Recent Performance

The Capitals enter the game with a record of 18-9-4, placing them near the top of the league standings. Washington has been on a strong run, boasting a 3-0-2 record in their last five games. The Jets, on the other hand, are looking to turn things around with a 14-15-1 record. Winnipeg has struggled recently, going 1-4-1 in their last six.

Projected Lineups

Here's a look at the projected lineups for both teams:

Washington Capitals

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

Bogdan Trineyev is expected to make his NHL debut in tonight's game. Veteran players Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson and Martin Fehervary, who had maintenance days, are expected to play. Charlie Lindgren has been activated from injured reserve and could potentially start in goal.

Winnipeg Jets

• Forwards: Kyle Connor — Mark Scheifele — Alex Iafallo / Morgan Barron — Jonathan Toews — Gabriel Vilardi / Cole Perfetti — Adam Lowry — Cole Koepke / Nino Niederreiter — Vladislav Namestnikov — Gustav Nyquist
• Defense: Josh Morrissey — Neal Pionk / Dylan Samberg — Dylan DeMelo / Logan Stanley — Luke Schenn
• Goalies: Eric Comrie, Domenic DiVincentiis

Connor Hellebuyck has been activated from injured reserve. He had knee surgery on November 22nd and was initially expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Haydn Fleury has been cleared to play but is not expected to be in the lineup.

Injury Updates

• Washington Capitals: Ryan Leonard is out with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss three to four weeks. Pierre-Luc Dubois is also out with a lower-body injury.
• Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck recently recovered from a knee injury. Haydn Fleury has been cleared to play after recovering from a concussion and illness.

Storylines to Watch

• Ovechkin's Pursuit of History: Alex Ovechkin continues his chase of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, and every game is an opportunity to add to his legacy.
• Jets' Goaltending: With Hellebuyck returning from injury, the Jets are hoping to solidify their goaltending situation and regain consistency in net.
• Special Teams Battle: The Capitals have a power play percentage of 15.9%, while the Jets are at 20.2%. The penalty kill is 75.3% for Washington and 80% for Winnipeg. Special teams could play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the game.

Goalie Matchup

The starting goalies are not yet confirmed, but potential matchups could be Logan Thompson (13-6-2, 1.96 GAA, .925 SV%) for the Capitals against Eric Comrie (6-8-1, 3.30 GAA, .885 SV%) or the returning Connor Hellebuyck (8-6-0, 2.51 GAA, .913 SV%) for the Jets.

One to Watch

Connor McMichael scored the game-winning goal in the previous game between these two teams. Tom Wilson leads the Capitals in points with 32. For the Jets, Morgan Barron is a player to watch as he looks to contribute to the team's depth scoring.