Washington @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2019 ) Toronto 3, Washington 4

The Washington Capitals began their six-game point streak (5-0-1) with a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 16. The Capitals aim to continue their good fortune and increase his NHL-best road win total (six) on Tuesday when they conclude their season-long five-game road trip in Toronto.

Defenseman John Carlson scored a goal and set up two others in the first meeting with the Maple Leafs before seeing his nine-game point streak come to a halt in Washington's 6-5 shootout victory versus Vancouver on Friday. The Capitals will set a pair of franchise records if they are victorious on Tuesday, as their win total would eclipse the nine set by the 1991-92 club while their point total in October would be better than the sum total in the month of the 2009-10 season (19). Toronto's setback in Washington set off a spate of losses for coach Mike Babcock's club, which fell for the fourth time in six outings with a 5-2 defeat against Montreal on Saturday. Defenseman Jake Muzzin scored in his second straight game in that contest and set up captain John Tavares' third-period tally in the previous encounter with the Capitals.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, TSN4 (Toronto)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (8-2-3): Captain Alex Ovechkin, who saw his nine-game point streak halted in Vancouver, set up Carlson's power-play goal in the second period on Oct. 16 to boost his point total against Toronto to 69 (39 goals, 30 assists) in 49 career encounters. Fellow Russian Evgeny Kuznetsov tallied in that contest and scored twice versus the Canucks to give him nine points in 10 games. Tom Wilson was kept the off the scoresheet in his first meeting with the Maple Leafs, but the Toronto native made himself at home by scoring and setting up a goal in Washington's 3-2 win at Scotiabank Place on Feb. 21.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (6-5-2): Offensive-minded defenseman Tyson Barrie began the season with four assists in his first three games before going without a point in 10 straight games, marking his longest drought since 2013. "It's hard not to get a bit frustrated," the 28-year-old Barrie said Monday, per TSN. "I haven't had a start to a season like this any time that I can remember so it’s important to stay positive and just try to keep adjusting and find where I fit in here. I got to do a better job finding some holes and creating a little more offense, but I'm a defenseman and I got to focus on that first." Fellow defenseman Travis Dermott, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery, is expected to make his season debut against the Capitals after being paired with former Marlies teammate Justin Holl during Monday's practice.

OVERTIME

1. Toronto C Auston Matthews has five points (two goals, three assists) in his last five games while LW Andreas Johnson has four (one goal, three assists) in that same stretch.

2. Washington has scored the first goal in nine of its 13 games this season.

3. The Maple Leafs are just 1-for-13 on the power play in the last six games.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 4, Capitals 3