Tonight at 7 p.m. ET, the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals take the ice at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference best-of-seven Round 1 Stanley Cup playoff series.
After dropping a heartbreaker in Game 4, New York looks to steal a game on the road while Washington hopes to take advantage of home ice to send the series back to Long Island with them on top 3-2.
These teams have alternated wins and losses in each other's buildings.
The Islanders took Game 1 in the nation's capital with a 4-1 win while the Capitals bounced back with a 3-2 Game 2 triumph. When things shifted to Long Island, New York took Game 3 in overtime by a 2-1 final and Washington nodded things up with a 2-1 win of their own in the extra frame in Game 4.
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Nicklas Backstrom has been a major factor in this series for the Capitals as he assisted on Alex Ovechkin's game-tying goal in Game 4 and then scored the winning tally in overtime to nod the series at 2-2.
Backstrom has found the twine in three straight games and his six points lead the Eastern Conference this postseason.
Ovechkin has also had some success when he has been able to thwart off Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk. Ovechkin has two goals and three points in the set.
"You knew those two guys were going to be factors," Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey said per NHL.com. "I think we've done a really good job of staying in the right spots and not giving them too many Grade-A chances. Look at the goals they get. They're shots in the high slot, screens, seeing-eye goals ... when you get some of the best guys in the world you expect them to get those chances and produce a little bit, but just limit it to that."
Another key to success for Washington is its penalty kill as it has held New York scoreless in 10 chances throughout the series.
Tom Wilson, who is a controversial figure after his hit in Game 3 injured Lubomir Visnovsky, who now joins fellow defenseman Travis (undisclosed) on the sidelines with an expected concussion, lamented the strong penalty kill. Wilson was given a minor penalty on the hit.
"A power-play goal can be the changing of the series," Wilson told Monumental Network. "They stood tall and [goalie Braden Holtby] back there, that's huge. At no point I want to take a penalty, but you play hard in the playoffs, and when you do it's nice to have a penalty kill that's going to back you up."
Holtby has had a strong series, though he missed the team's Game 2 win due to illness. Holtby has stopped six of the 105 shots he faced.
Jaroslav Halak has been mostly solid in the crease for the Islanders, getting beaten by eight of the 115 shots he's been up against.
On offense, Josh Bailey has a team-best four points for New York while Kyle Okposo (two goals, one assist) and captain John Tavares (one marker, two helpers) each have three.
It's a pivotal Game 5 when the lights come up on the Islanders and Capitals live tonight from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. as part of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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