Detroit Red Wings vs Washington Capitals live stream: Watch online free 7:30 ET Friday as these new Eastern Conference rivals start a home-and-home over the weekend.

The Friday matchup of the Red Wings (23-19-11) vs the Capitals (24-22-8) game on Friday will take place in Detroit, where Alex Ovechkin and company won 4-3 in a shootout in November. They will meet again Sunday afternoon in Washington. Watch the free live stream online to see who wins the first one Friday night.

Watch the free live stream online of the Detroit Red Wings vs the Washington Capitals game below:

1) First Row Sports

2) NHL Gamecenter

3) NHL AOSO

Jimmy Howard will be back in net for the Red Wings on Friday. Howard has missed the team's last four games with a left knee sprain while Henrik Zetterberg has been out for two with lower-back issues similar to the injury that forced him out of 11 games in December. Zetterberg will be a game-time decision.

"We just have to see," Zetterberg told the team's official website. "We've done everything we could so it doesn't get worse and now just hopefully stay on this path and it keeps getting better."

Detroit has struggled, allowing 10 goals over the last two games. Tuesday's 5-0 loss at Philadelphia matched their most lopsided defeat of the season as they were shut out for the seventh time. Howard's return could help a team that has allowed 18 goals in five games.

"We want to get our big guys back," forward Drew Miller told ESPN.com. "A lot of the guys that are out right now are big leaders and guys we look to for scoring. But we're not looking at that as an excuse. We've got guys who can step and play."

Washington has gone 2-6-2 in its last 10 games, and lost again last night, allowing five goals. Alex Ovechkin didn't score and was minus-5 in the loss.

"I was today the worst player out there," Ovechkin said. "The blame is on me. I can't play like that and I have to bounce back. I was out there all five goals. I feel bad for my team. I have to lead by example but today I was bad."