The Capitals held their usual game day morning skate at 10:30 this morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The Capitals (3-2-1) will host the Toronto Maple Leafs (4-1-0) tonight at Capital One Arena. Puck drop is 7:00 p.m.

The Morning Line
Lars Eller, who missed practice on Monday due to illness, participated in today’s morning skate, and it looks like he will be a “go” for tonight.

Lars Eller, after being absent yesterday, was marked present today. He tells Trotz he’s felling better pic.twitter.com/vFwFIPS09P

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) October 17, 2017

As for the ever evolving defensive pairs, it looks like the Capitals will stick with practice pairs from Monday: Orpik-Bowey, Djoos-Carlson and Orlov-Chorney.

Christian Djoos and John Carlson working together at beginning of #Caps morning skate prior to #CapLeafs pic.twitter.com/as8F67KSXJ

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) October 17, 2017

It looks like the forward lines will be the same as yesterday, with the exception of Lars Eller, who will likely resume his third line Center position, should he be healthy enough to go tonight. If Eller can’t go, Tyler Graovac will replace him.

In addition, it looks like Nathan Walker will return to the lineup on the 4th line. Your projected lines for tonight:

Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Vrana
Connolly-Eller-Wilson
Walker-Beagle-Smith-Pelly

Braden Holtby will get the start in net for the Capitals.

G’day Nate! The Australian sensation is likely going to be playing tonight pic.twitter.com/elJGaQ8GHD

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) October 17, 2017

From the other side:

The Maple Leafs held morning skate at Capital One arena this morning.

At Maple Leafs’ morning skate at Capital One Arena. Did you guys know Tom Wilson is from Toronto? pic.twitter.com/IHTbsL3qTM

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) October 17, 2017

The Maple Leafs look to be going with the same lines that used at practice on Monday.

Leafs lines this morning:
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Komarov
JVR-Bozak-Brown
Martin-Moore-Marner

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) October 17, 2017

Shavings:

The Capitals face the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first of three meetings this season. Washington posted a 2-1-0 record against Toronto last season and won the first-round playoff matchup 4-2.

The Capitals have a 22-9-4 record against the Maple Leafs since the 2007-08 season. Last season, Evgeny Kuznetsov led the team with four points (1g, 3a) against the Maple Leafs. Washington has won eight of their last 10 games against Toronto.

Through six games, Evgeny Kuznetsov has 11 assists, the highest mark in the NHL and tied with Nicklas Backstrom for the points lead in the NHL.

Through the first six games of the season, Alex Ovechkin has a league-leading nine goals, his highest total in the first six games of the season in his career.

Jakub Vrana recorded his second goal of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 14. The goal marked Vrana’s second-career goal at five on five, and marked his first two-game goal scoring streak of his career.