Gameday: at Winnipeg, Mar. 16

Crash the net.

The Washington Capitals are in Winnipeg, Manitoba, this evening to take on the Jets as they play the second game of their season-long five game road trip.  The Caps, who have won four in a row, are 7-2-1 in their last ten games and 36-28-6 overall for 78 points in 70 games.  They are therefore second in the Southeast Division, three points behind the Panthers, and eighth overall in the East, three points clear of the Sabres for that final playoff spot with one game in hand.  The Jets are 5-3-2 in their last ten 33-29-8 overall for 74 standings points in 70 games.  This is the fifth meeting between these two clubs this season; the Caps are 2-1-1 in those games, with the last contest resulting in a shootout loss.

Ondrej Pavelec will start in goal for Claude Noel's men after stopping 28 of 30 shots in a win over the Stars his last time out.  Pavelec is 26-23-7 on the year with a 2.77 GAA, .911 save percentage, and four shutouts; he made 32 saves in a win the last time he faced the Capitals.  Outside the crease, Winnipeg has two injuries: forward Chris Thorburn, out three weeks with a lower body injury, and defenseman Zach Bogosian, who is questionable with a hand injury.

Tomas Vokoun will get the call in goal this evening after yielding the last two games to Michal Neuvirth.    Vokoun is 25-16-2 on the year with a 2.51 GAA, .917 save percentage, and four shutouts; he stopped 25 of 27 shots in a shootout loss during his last outing against Winnipeg.  The Capitals will welcome back defenseman Mike Green to the lineup this evening, as Green had missed the last three games because of a suspension; his return will bump Roman Hamrlik to the press box.  On the injury front, Nicklas Backstrom is still absent because of his concussion, though he is skating now.  Captain Alex Ovechkin was considered questionable after leaving practice Thursday because of a collision with Mike Knuble, but will play, meaning that Jeff Halpern will remain a healthy scratch with Hamrlik and John Erskine.

Puck drops 8:38-ish.  Check back later.  And, as always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.