News and Notes from Tuesday’s Capitals Morning Skate in Winnipeg: Who Will Be Scratched? And Is Alex Ovechkin Watching This Year’s Olympics?

Posted on February 13, 2018 by

The Washington Capitals hit the road to begin a four-game road trip in which three of those four contests will come against teams in the Central Division. First up is a Tuesday night contest with the second-place Winnipeg Jets. Prior to the game, the Capitals held a morning skate Tuesday morning at Bell MTS Place. Here are the news and notes to get you ready for tonight’s game. 

THE MORNING LINES

Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson
Connolly-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Burakovsky-Eller-Chiasson
Stephenson-Beagle-Smith-Pelly
Defense
Djoos-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Orpik-Bowey
Starter’s net: Braden Holtby

Scratches: Jakub Vrank and Taylor Chorney

NEWS
A few changes to the lineup after Sunday’s overtime loss to the Red Wings. Brett Connolly got promoted to the second line after his early third period goal helped ignite a comeback on Sunday that would force overtime. Alex Chiasson would go back into the lineup and skate on the third line with Lars Eller and Andre Burakovsky. This meant that Jakub Vrana would be scratched from the lineup.

Last week, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz scratched Burakovsky from the lineup for that Friday’s game with the Blue Jackets to give him rest and a chance to get his game back. Vrana played excellent in that Friday contest recording an assist. Trotz told Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post that it has nothing to do with Vrana’s recent play and that it’s more about giving Chiasson some playing time at Bell MTS Place. Chiasson has had success in his career in this building posting four goals and an assist in seven games.

ALEX OVECHKIN AND THE OLYMPICS
Alex Ovechkin also met with the media following the skate and would later be asked by TSN’s Darren Dreger if he was watching the Olympics. With the winter games ongoing in Pyeongchang, South Korea this marks the first time since 1994 that NHL players won’t partake in the Olympics. Ovechkin has publicly made comments in the past about still going to the Olympics anyway to try to win a gold medal for his home country Russia until releasing a statement before the season began.

“You watching the Olympics?,” Dreger asked.

“No,” Ovechkin responded.

Dreger followed up, “not hockey or otherwise?”

Ovechkin answered, “Maybe hockey but you know… Thanks Bettman.”

SHAVINGS

  • Washington holds a 48-26-5-8 record all-time against the Jets and a 20-17-2-5 record all-time at Bell MTS Place
  • Braden Holtby is five minutes shy of 20,000 career minutes.
  • Brett Connolly is one point shy of 100 NHL points.
  • Alex Ovechkin needs nine more goals for his 600th of his career.
  • The Capitals have scored 11 power play goal sin their last 11 games (11 for 37, 29.7 percent).
  • Ovechkin has registered 88 points (45 goals, 43 assists) in 61 career games against Winnipeg, ranking first in NHL history in points against the franchise and marks the most points he has earned against an NHL franchise.
  • Since the Jets moved from Atlanta to Winnipeg (previously known as the Thrashers), Ovechkin has earned a point in 14 of his 19 games against the Jets (15 goals, 10 assists).
  • Nicklas Backstrom has earned 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 42 career games against the Jets, marking the sixth-most points he has earned against an NHL franchise.

GAME NOTES

CAPS TODAY

CAPS RED LINE

INTERVIEWS
Rinkside Update: Andre Burakovsky

Braden Holtby

Alex Ovechkin

Barry Trotz

CAPITALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

By Michael Marzzacco

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1 Response to News and Notes from Tuesday’s Capitals Morning Skate in Winnipeg: Who Will Be Scratched? And Is Alex Ovechkin Watching This Year’s Olympics?

  1. Pingback: Brett Connolly to the Second Line! (Dilly Dilly?) | NoVa Caps

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