Washington @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2019 ) NY Islanders 4, Washington 3

Alex Ovechkin has ascended up the NHL's scoring ranks at a feverish pace ever since he entered the league, and the three-time Hart Trophy recipient is showing no signs of slowing down. Ovechkin aims to continue his torrid pace on Saturday afternoon when the Washington Capitals visit the New York Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Ovechkin recorded his 25th career hat trick in Washington's 5-2 win over New Jersey on Thursday to boost his goal total to seven in his last five games and 31 on the season, putting him one shy of Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux for 10th place on the NHL's all-time list. "It never gets old, but without my team, without my teammates, I'd never reach that milestone, I'd never reach those numbers," the 34-year-old Ovechkin said. "(Lemieux was) one of my idols when I'm growing up. I get lucky I have a time to play against him, was on the ice with him a couple times. It's huge." While the Capitals have won five of seven to pad their lead atop the Metropolitan Division, the Islanders have dropped three of their last four (1-2-1) after falling to the rival Rangers for the second time in a four-day stretch with a 3-2 setback on Thursday. Anthony Beauvillier, who joined Josh Bailey by scoring a goal in back-to-back games, had an assist in both encounters versus the Capitals this season.

TIME: 1 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Washington, MSG-Plus

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (32-11-5): Coach Todd Reirden credited his team's play over the last two games and stressed the importance of getting a fast start in the matinee tilt versus New York. "That'll be our focus (Saturday). Obviously in a 1 o'clock game, the starts are so important, and especially against a team like the Islanders," Reirden said on Friday. "So we'll focus in for another day here, and then the guys will have a good chance to get away from the game for a bit." Nicklas Backstrom, who signed a five-year contract extension earlier in the week, had a hand in helping Washington get off to a fast start by notching a pair of first-period assists versus the Devils.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (28-14-4): Brock Nelson set up Beauvillier's goal on Thursday to extend his point streak to three games, during which he has scored three goals and set up two others. The 28-year-old Nelson, who leads the team with 18 tallies, scored in the first period of New York's 4-3 win at Washington on New Year's Eve. Casey Cizikas tallied twice in that contest before mustering just one point in January.

OVERTIME

1. The visiting team has won each of the last six games in the series.

2. The Capitals are wrapping up a string of five consecutive contests against Metropolitan Division opponents on Saturday.

3. The Islanders are 1-for-22 on the power play in the last dozen games.

PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Capitals 3