Washington @ Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 26, 2019 ) Carolina 1, Washington 4

Captain Alex Ovechkin was quick with a response to the home crowd after it chanted for the three-time Hart Trophy recipient to reach the 50-goal plateau for the eighth time in his career. Ovechkin will look to make good on his "next game" promise on Thursday as the visiting Washington Capitals bid to secure a postseason berth in the second half of a home-and-home series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

"That's why we play 82 games, to clinch the playoffs," Ovechkin said after Metropolitan Division-leading Washington inched closer to its 11th playoff appearance in 12 seasons following Tuesday's 4-1 victory versus Carolina. The 33-year-old Russian's 656 goals are tied with Brendan Shanahan for 13th place on the NHL's all-time list while another tally would make him the third player in league history (Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky) with at least eight 50-goal seasons. While the Capitals sport an 11-3-1 mark in their last 15 contests to move within two points of 100 for the fifth consecutive season, the Hurricanes find themselves clinging to the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with one- and three-point leads over Montreal and Columbus, respectively. "Nothing is going to be handed to anybody," captain Justin Williams said. "We've got to go out, take care of business and win our games."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (45-24-8): Evgeny Kuznetsov celebrated his bobblehead night by setting up three goals on Tuesday to give him four of his 48 assists this season against Carolina. "He was looking good. He's playing really well, and we need him to play well in order to have success," goaltender Braden Holtby said of the 26-year-old Russian. Holtby, who was named the 2016 Vezina Trophy recipient, boasts a 15-6-0 mark with two shutouts in 21 career encounters with the Hurricanes.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (42-27-7): Sebastian Aho collected three goals and two assists in the first two meetings this season before seeing his run of five straight games with a tally in the series halted on Tuesday. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton scored in the second period on Tuesday to boost his point total to 24 (12 goals, 12 assists) in his past 38 games after mustering just 10 (three goals, seven assists) in his first 38. "We have to be better the next game," the 25-year-old Hamilton said. "We know the situation we're in and the teams around us. We have to try to win every game."

OVERTIME

1. Carolina RW Nino Niederreiter has 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 30 games with his new team after recording 23 (nine goals, 14 assists) in 46 contests with Minnesota.

2. Capitals D John Carlson, who leads the team with 54 assists, has scored two goals and set up five others in the season series against the Hurricanes.

3. Carolina, which did not go on the power play on Tuesday, is 0-for-14 with the man advantage in its last eight games.

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Hurricanes 2