Buffalo @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2018 ) Buffalo 1, Washington 5

Alex Ovechkin will attempt to become the third player in NHL history to record three straight hat tricks when the Washington Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Ovechkin registered his second consecutive three-goal performance and extended his point streak to a career high-tying 13 contests in Washington's 6-5 shootout victory at Carolina on Friday, increasing his league-leading goal total to 28 as he bids for his sixth Maurice Richard Trophy in seven seasons.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals have won four straight and 11 of their last 13 contests to open a five-point lead in the Metropolitan Division. Buffalo, meanwhile, will try to snap a five-game losing streak in Washington and hand the Capitals their fourth loss in the back end of five back-to-back sets this season. The Sabres are coming off a 3-1 victory over Arizona on Thursday and have won two straight following a five-game slide (0-3-2), which came on the heels of a franchise record-tying 10-game winning streak. This is the first of three meetings this season, with the second occurring Friday in Washington, as the Capitals have won five of the last six encounters. Ovechkin has registered 30 goals and 46 points in 45 games versus the Sabres after scoring four times in three meetings last season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (Buffalo), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE SABRES (19-9-4): Jeff Skinner has recorded a team-high 22 goals after scoring in his second straight contest on Thursday, giving him five game-winning tallies this season after recording six in 2013-14 and a career-high seven in 2015-16. Sam Reinhart (eight goals, 27 points) recorded an assist Thursday to extend his career-best point streak to eight games (five goals, six assists). Captain Jack Eichel (10 goals, club-high 39 points) has notched five goals and two assists during his four-game point streak and 11 points in his last seven contests.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (19-9-3): Ovechkin (team-high 42 points) has collected 16 goals and six assists during his point streak, which matches Colorado's Mikko Rantanen (NHL-most 53 points) for the longest active run in the league. Tom Wilson scored on Friday after missing the previous three games with a concussion, giving him eight goals in 12 contests this season. The fourth line consisting of Nic Dowd, Travis Boyd and Dmitrij Jaskin continues to produce, with Boyd's three career goals coming in each of the last three games and Dowd registering a career-high three assists on Friday - giving the unit three goals and 10 assists in the last three contests.

OVERTIME

1. Buffalo has successfully killed 12 consecutive penalties, including 11 in its last four games, and will brace for the league's No. 4 power-play unit, which has scored three times in its last four man-advantage opportunities over the past two contests.

2. Ovechkin's first back-to-back hat tricks occurred when he scored a total of seven goals against Ottawa and Montreal (four) to open the 2017-18 season. Joe Malone (twice in 1917-18) and Mike Bossy (1980-81) own the only three-game hat trick streaks in NHL history.

3. Thursday marked the Sabres' first win in regulation since Nov. 21, when they beat Philadelphia for their seventh victory during the 10-game winning streak.

PREDICTION: Sabres 3, Capitals 2