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NHL on NBCSN: Caps look to add to wild card lead

Winnipeg Jets v Washington Capitals

Winnipeg Jets v Washington Capitals

NHLI via Getty Images

NBCSN will continue its coverage of the 2014-15 campaign when the Buffalo Sabres host the Waahington Capitals at First Niagara Center at 7:00 p.m. ET tonight. In addition to NBCSN, you can also watch the game and pre-show online.

The Washington Capitals regained the top wild card seed in the Eastern Conference with a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday night and will look to open a three-game road trip on a winning note tonight in Buffalo.

The Caps lead the Bruins by two points in the race for the first wild card spot, but Boston has a game in hand entering Monday’s action.

The Sabres have lost six straight (0-5-1) including a 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on March 7. The Sabres won the other meeting between the two clubs 2-1 in Washington on Nov. 22.

Buffalo has only eight non-shootout wins since beating the Capitals in November.

Tonight marks the third and final meeting between the two clubs this season.

Washington went 3-6-0 from Feb. 22-March 13, but following a players-only meeting after Friday night’s 4-2 loss to Dallas, saw an immediate result last night.

Nicklas Backstrom picked up a pair of assists in Sunday’s win and now leads the league with 53.

Alex Ovechkin, who has four goals in his last four trips to Buffalo, has failed to score in two straight games matching his longest drought since late December.

Braden Holtby has made 13 consecutive starts for the Capitals.

Washington recalled goaltender Philipp Grubauer from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Sunday. Grubauer has made one appearance for the Caps this season making 23 saves in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 6.

Buffalo’s Matt Hackett has a 5.19 G.A.A. in two starts this season and allowed four goals against Washington on March 7.

Anders Lindback has a career-worst 3.36 G.A.A. this season, but has a .925 save percentage in five games since joining the Sabres.

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