If the Washington Capitals are motivated to win the 2011 Stanley Cup, they should look no further than their opponent on Sunday. The Capitals will welcome the Chicago Blackhawks, the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions, for their only visit to the Verizon Center. The game will begin at 12:30 p.m. on NBC.
The Blackhawks are not the same juggernaut they were last season, but they are still a solid team that currently sits in fifth place in the West. The hard salary cap caused them to lose many key contributors, but the big guns still remain. The Capitals, meanwhile, have won seven games in a row and are now second in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind first-place Philadelphia.
Braden Holtby will get his third straight start in goal after stoning 83 of his past 84 shots. In news that is hardly surprising, coach Bruce Boudreau has decided to ride the hot hand even though Michal Neuvirth is healthy. However, we probably won't see Nicklas Backstrom or Mike Green suit up for the Capitals.