November 21 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Center    
Time: 7:00 pm
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: 820AM, 1500AM and XM

Washington Capitals (13-5-4)
Toronto Maple Leafs (3-11-6)

The Maple Leafs supplied the opposition for Washington’s home opener to the 2009-10 season back on Oct. 6. The Caps roared out to a 6-1 lead after the first 40 minutes of that one, and then held on for a 6-4 win. On Saturday the Caps make their first trip north of the border this season when they open a two-game road trip with a visit to Toronto.

For the Capitals, Saturday night’s game with the Leafs is the second of back-to-back contests. Washington absorbed just its second regulation loss in a dozen games on home ice (7-2-3) Friday when it fell 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens.

Washington scored first on Friday, getting a first-period strike from Eric Fehr and owning a 1-0 advantage despite getting outshot 14-7 in the initial frame.

Montreal had only eight shots the rest of the way, but three of them found their way past 21-year-old rookie netminder Michal Neuvirth, making his first NHL start of the season.

Neuvirth played well and deserved a better fate. Travis Moen scored the first Montreal goal on a deflection of Roman Hamrlik’s shot from the blueline. Less than three minutes later, the Caps were unable to clear their zone and the Habs were able to apply some sustained pressure. Caps captain Chris Clark lost his stick, and Washington was unable to gain control and clear the puck. Tomas Plekanec’s shot glanced off the gloved hand of Capitals center Brendan Morrison and squirted past Neuvirth.

The Habs took advantage of a third-period power play when Mike Cammalleri rifled a one-timer high into the far corner for what proved to be the game-winning goal.

The Caps had many glorious chances, but misfired on some odd-man breaks and rang a few shots off the iron. Washington outshot Montreal by a whopping 27-8 in the final 40 minutes but never led after the fourth minute of the middle frame.

Washington’s Friday night loss was its first regulation setback in games in which it recorded 30 or more shots on goal this season (8-1-4).

Defenseman Tom Poti left the game early in the second period of Friday’s game and did not return. Poti is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. With 739 career games played, he is easily the team’s most experienced defenseman. Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said after Friday night’s game that Washington would need to recall a player from Hershey for Saturday’s contest against the Maple Leafs.

In addition to Poti, six Caps who were on Washington’s opening night roster were sidelined for Friday’s game. The Capitals played without defensemen Shaone Morrisonn (upper body) and Milan Jurcina (lower body) and were also without forwards Boyd Gordon (back), Alexander Semin (upper body), Mike Knuble (broken finger) and Quintin Laing (broken jaw and nose).

Washington has not suffered consecutive regulation losses since Oct. 8-10 when it fell to the Rangers and the Red Wings in successive contests. It will attempt to avoid that fate again with Saturday’s visit to Toronto.

With just three wins in their first 20 games, the Leafs are off to a dismal start. Toronto is 1-6-2 in its nine home games this season. The Maple Leafs’ lone home win to date is a 5-1 win over Detroit on Nov. 7.

Toronto has scored the game’s first goal just three times in its 20 games this season, going 1-0-2 in those three contests. With just 12 points in their first 20 games, the Maple Leafs are off to the fifth-worst start in the franchise’s long history.

Most recently, the Leafs opened up a 3-0 lead after the first period in Thursday’s visit to Carolina. But prosperity did not agree with the Leafs; the Hurricanes came back to tie it up at 4-4 before Ian White gave the Leafs a lead at 19:30 of the third. Toronto was unable to hold that advantage, surrendering the tying goal to Carolina’s Erik Cole at 19:57. Toronto succumbed in a shootout.

Saturday’s game pits the league’s top two scoring defensemen. Washington’s Mike Green and Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle are tied for the league lead among all NHL blueliners with 22 points each.

With 455 points in a Maple Leafs sweater, Kaberle ranks third all-time among Toronto defensemen. He trails all-time great Tim Horton (458) by just three points. Borje Salming (768) sits atop the list.

One bright spot for the Leafs this season has been the team’s power play. Toronto has clicked on 25% of its extra-man chances to date, the fourth-best rate in the league.

At the other end of the special teams spectrum is the Maple Leafs’ penalty killing corps. For the second straight season, Toronto ranks dead last in the league in that department.

Notes: The Capitals have outscored opponents by a combined 26-11 in the first period of games this season. Washington has scored at least one goal in the first period of 18 of its 22 games this season. The Leafs have been outscored 24-13 in the first frame of their games in 2009-10 … All three of Toronto’s wins this season have come with rookie Jonas Gustavsson in goal.