Game 61: Washington Capitals @ Ottawa Senators

Huge game tonight as the Eastern Conference's two hottest teams face off. There were no good scenarios for the Senators coming into this game, but we should all extend a special "eff you" to the Montreal Canadiens for kicking the hornet's nest and then running away - the Habs snapped Washington's win streak with a 6-5 OT victory last night. You think they might be looking to redeem themselves a little in their next game?

It's not as if this Senators team is going to get steamrolled, however -- they save those performances for high-emotion games against Toronto.  As many of you know, Ottawa has won 12 of its last 13 games.  In that span they have beaten some quality opponents including Chicago, New Jersey, Vancouver, and Buffalo.  There's no reason Washington can't be added to that list.

Besides the obvious names, here are some guys to watch tonight:

Brooks Laich: Hey, remember this guy? He has 20 goals and 23 assists in 60 games, including a hat trick last night. Laich is the threat on Washington's formidable second line.

Semyon Varlamov: Starting tonight for the first time since December 7th ( a 3-0 win over Tampa Bay). Hopefully Chris Kelly doesn't knock all the rust off of him by hitting him in the pads.

Brian Elliott - Quite simply, if he isn't good tonight, Ottawa won't win.

As always, you are invited to join us in the comments thread