Photo: NHL

The Capitals preseason officially started on Monday in Newark against the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately for the Caps, they fell 4-1 in their preseason opener despite scoring first. 

The Capitals will continue their seven-game exhibition season leading up to the season opener on October 5 in Ottawa, against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. More prospects will get an opportunity to prove themselves, including 2014 First Round Pick Jakub Vrana.

The puck drops at 7 PM on and you can watch it CSN.

On the power play:

Capitals: Jakub Vrana, 21, will play in his first preseason game of the year and start the first line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Vrana scored all of his three goals last season when Kuznetsov was on the ice and is expected to make the team, yet the Caps will not just give it to him. He will have to play well in the games he does play in starting tomorrow, especially with the night Nathan Walker had in New Jersey last night. In addition to that, Walker is eligible for waivers and Vrana is not. Ovechkin and Kuznetsov will also make their preseason debuts and it was announced earlier that they will start the season on the same line.

Devante Smith-Pelly will also be in the lineup after signing a one-year contract on July 3. He is one of the players who will be battling with Walker, Vrana, as well as Riley Barber. Smith-Pelly scored 4 goals and 9 points and had a -19 rating in 53 games with the Devils last season. Trotz announced that none of the skaters that played on Monday night will be in the lineup tonight.

Rosters:

Shavings:
-The Capitals were 2-1-0 against the Montreal Canadiens last season, both victories came at Bell Centre
-This is the third straight year the Capitals have played in Montreal in the preseason, going 1-1-0 in the first two contests
-The Capitals are 72-80-17 all-time against the Canadiens and have averaged 2.9 goals per game against the Habs

By Harrison Brown