Preview: Blues at Capitals

When: Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. CT
Where: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App

QUICK HITS

BLUES After a dominating 7-2 performance over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, the St. Louis Blues (27-26-6) are heading to the nation’s capital to face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

The Blues have earned points in their last four games, posting a 3-0-1 record and collecting seven of a possible eight points in that span.

Tuesday’s game showcased a full team effort, with 13 skaters picking up points and six different goal scorers. The third line - consisting of Oskar Sundqvist, Zack Bolduc and Mathieu Joseph - had a strong performance to combine for six points (three goals, three assists) on the night. Sundqvist had a three-point game (one goal, two assists) - the first in his 10-year NHL career.

“I think what we did tonight, we can’t be fooled by this game, by scoring seven goals,” Sundqvist said. “It’s a lot of hard work that comes through it, and you see that in all four lines today. It’s everyone. As soon as you lose the puck, it’s hard strides to get the puck back and winning battles and everyone worked their [butts] off tonight and that’s why we were able to score seven goals.”

The Blues will hit the road on Thursday on a one-game trip to face the Capitals for the final time this season.

CAPITALS The Washington Capitals (38-12-8) are coming into Thursday’s game as the winningest team in the Eastern Conference and one of the top teams in the NHL this season. Despite their success, the team is coming off a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

The Capitals’ lone goal in the game belonged to none other than Alex Ovechkin, his 883rd career goal. In his last five games, the captain has eight points (five goals, three assists) as he chases Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record (894).

The Capitals are a high-powered offense, leading the league with 212 goals and boasting the highest goals-per-game average at 3.66.

Since the last time the two teams met on Nov. 9, the Capitals have posted a 28-8-8 record.

In November, the team received former Blue Lars Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade for two-draft picks. Eller, a veteran forward, had been with the Capitals for seven seasons prior, including on the Stanley Cup championship team in 2018. In 1,092 career games, he has earned 421 points (188 goals, 233 assists).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Captain Brayden Schenn is expected to skate in his 1,000th NHL game on Thursday, becoming the 403rd player in history to reach the milestone. Schenn was selected fifth overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL Draft but spent most of his career prior to the Blues with the Philadelphia Flyers' organization. He was acquired by St. Louis ahead of the 2017-18 season via trade. In 999 career games, he has earned 669 points (272 goals, 397 assists), including 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) this season.

CAPITALS Alex Ovechkin is on the brink of history, with only 12 goals to go to beat Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894. In 1,468 career games, the captain has 1,597 points (883 goals, 714 assists) - 47 of which (30 goals, 17 assists) have come this season. Ovechkin was drafted first overall in 2004 by the Capitals and has won a Stanley Cup and three Hart Memorial Trophies as the regular season MVP.

BLUE NOTES

• The Blues are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games against Washington.
• Jordan Binnington stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced on Tuesday vs. Seattle to earn his 17th victory of the season and his third straight win. Binnington is 4-0-1 in his last five starts (since Feb. 2) with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
• Cam Fowler recorded three points (one goal, two assists) on Tuesday, his second three-point game as a Blue. He has five points in his last four games (two goals, three assists).
• Robert Thomas has a seven-game point streak (four goals, seven assists), recording an assist in all seven games. His seven-game assist streak has matched his career-long, which he achieved earlier this season from Dec. 3-15 (four goals, nine assists).
• With the Blues’ next win, General Manager Doug Armstrong will match Emile Francis for ninth all-time with 839 wins.