The San Jose Sharks (15-12-1, 4th in the Pacific) have to be pretty happy with how they’ve played lately. They won 11 games in November and clawed their way back into the playoff picture. Now, they face a true test against the Washington Captials (19-4-5, 1st in the Metropolitan).
When you think of the Capitals, your initial thought is Alexander Ovechkin. The Russian forward leads the team with 20 goals this season, on pace for another 50-goal season. Trouble is, it’s not just Ovechkin leading the charge. In fact, the highest scorer on the team is defenseman John Carlson, who is putting together a Norris Trophy type year with 37 points (8 goals, 29 assists) and a plus-16 rating.