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The first three games of the Washington Capitals' four-game road trip have not gone exactly how they probably wanted them to, but despite that, they can still end it on a high note Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators in yet another game with Eastern Conference postseason implications.
Washington is 1-2-0 so far with a 2-1 win against the Florida Panthers Friday, a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday and a 5-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes Monday. Yet, while the Caps might be in 10th place in the East, they are only two points behind the eighth place Toronto Maple Leafs. A win over the Senators Wednesday would allow the Caps to overtake the Leafs for the final playoff spot.
That, however, will not be easy against the surging Senators, who have won three straight. Ottawa currently resides in seventh place with 70 points, seven ahead of Washington, but they have played two more games. The Caps have won the first three games against the Senators this season; the two teams last met in early December.