by FOXSports.com

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Leading off the week, the Washington Capitals and their prolific offense take on the New Jersey Devils in a battle of two teams that should be playoff bound again this year. The Caps have started off the way they finished last year with tenacious play and an offense led by MVP, Alexander Ovechkin. The Devils, who compete in arguably the toughest division in hockey, have made some changes to their roster but still are led by Zach Parise on offense and the stellar play of goalie Martin Brodeur.

Next up, the San Jose Sharks travel to Detroit to take on the Red Wings in a matchup that many anticipated would be the pairing for last year's Western Conference finals. But the Sharks, winners of the President's Trophy for most wins, exited the playoffs early thanks to the Ducks, and Detroit went on to the Stanley Cup finals to face Pittsburgh. The question for Detroit is, how much did their loss to Pittsburgh take out of their team?

Last year, Pittsburgh seemed to be in a funk a good part of the season after losing to Detroit in the finals the previous year. The Red Wings seem to be experiencing that same type of funk and will need to get things going in order to have the type of season that is expected in Detroit. A win against the Sharks could be just the ticket.