The Washington Capitals held a morning skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex prior to their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Capital One Arena tonight. The game will be televised on NBC Sports Washington or NHL Network for those outside the DMV. Here are all of the news from the Capitals’ morning skate:
After their dreadful 6-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Thursday night, Capitals’ head coach Todd Reirden swapped forwards Chandler Stephenson and Brett Connolly in the lineup. Stephenson was skating on the top line with forward Alex Ovechkin and center Evgeny Kuznetsov, where he was when the Capitals eliminated the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the Capitals’ 2-1 Game 6 victory of the second-round series on May 7. Connolly skated in a very familiar spot, next to center Lars Eller and forward Andre Burakovsky on the third line.
Reirden to reporters on moving Stephenson to top line: “Just the depth of [Toronto’s] four lines and the way that they play, I think this lines up better for our four lines matchup-wise for us, and also just looking for someone with a little bit different type of skill set.”
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) October 13, 2018
“Also just looking for someone with a little bit different type of skillset than Brett has. Chandler can get in there on the forecheck & disrupt. They’re a team that you have to force to play defense & make sure you have a really good forecheck if you’re going to shut them down” https://t.co/ad4GOmfFsp
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) October 13, 2018
Capitals’ forward Tom Wilson‘s appeal hearing will be held on Thursday. According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, commissioner Gary Bettman will hear the first appeal before it can go to a neutral arbitrator. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspended Wilson for 20 games on October 3 for an illegal check to the head in the Capitals’ final preseason game.
The appeal hearing on the 20-game suspension to #caps Tom Wilson will be held Thursday. The first appeal is heard by commissioner Gary Bettman. It can go to a neutral arbitrator after that.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 13, 2018
The two best goal-scorers of the past three seasons will go head-to-head tonight.
Most goals since start of 2016-17 NHL season.
1. Alex Ovechkin 86
2. Auston Matthews 83
3. Patrik Laine 81 goals
4. Nikita Kucherov 79— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) October 13, 2018
For those going to the game tonight, keep an eye out on road closures due to the Snallygaster Festival in Washington.
Please be advised of street closures that may affect travel heading to tonight’s #CapsLeafs game.
More info: https://t.co/T7npXMaobL pic.twitter.com/PHj0XnmRWu
— Capital One Arena (@CapitalOneArena) October 13, 2018
Capitals’ Lines vs. Maple Leafs
Expected Caps lineup vs. Leafs:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Stephenson
Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Eller-Connolly
Jaskin-Dowd-DSPOrlov-Niskanen
Kempny-Carlson
Orpik-DjoosHoltby starts.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) October 13, 2018
Maple Leafs’ Lines at Capitals
#MapleLeafs and #Caps tonight at Capital One should be a hell of a fun game. Leafs lines at morning skate in DC.
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Matthews-Kapanen
Lindholm-Kadri-Brown
Johnsson-Gauthier-Leivo
Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Ozhiganov
F. Andersen pic.twitter.com/VSJNAiSupq— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) October 13, 2018
Capitals Today
CAPS TODAY: In 85 career games played on Saturday, Braden Holtby holds a 57-18-9 record with a 2.19 goals against average, a .925 save percentage and nine shutouts. More info on him and the Caps matchup against the Maple Leafs tonight at https://t.co/HecIC0ECg1 pic.twitter.com/Z9riQQhEtH
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 13, 2018
Game Notes
GAME NOTES: The Capitals face the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night at Capital One Arena. The last time they faced Toronto, the Caps won 5-2 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. https://t.co/jnYUkMsXDh pic.twitter.com/G58KoeVcHw
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 12, 2018
By Harrison Brown
