Sunburned and rested, the Capitals returned to work Thursday afternoon at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for their first practice since the All-Star Game and bye-week break. The Capitals will host the Calgary Flames Friday night at Capital One Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM.
PRACTICE
Christian Djoos continued practicing with the Capitals on Thursday. However, today was the first day he participated without a non-contact (light blue) jersey. Djoos has been out of the lineup since December 11, when he suffered a leg injury against Detroit.
The #ALLCAPS are back on the ice following their bye week. And Dman Christian Djoos, out since mid-December with a thigh injury, is wearing a normal jersey. pic.twitter.com/UKjj4j2isd
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) January 31, 2019
Djoos’ return gives the Capitals eight defensemen on the roster, so there will likely be a move coming when Djoos is ready to return to the lineup.
N’Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin will miss Friday night’s tilt as a result of his mandatory one-game suspension for missing this years All-Star game. Ovechkin’s career-best streak of playing in 214 consecutive regular season games will end. Last time he didn’t play was the final game of 2015-16, when he sat out vs. Anaheim (rescheduled game due to snowstorm) to rest for playoffs.
Alex Ovechkin will serve his one-game suspension for skipping the All-Star Game when the Capitals host the Calgary Flames tomorrow night. He’s missed just 29 games in his career.
Washington’s record in those games: 13-14-2
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 31, 2019
Lines
Ovechkin participated in line rushes during the early part of practice today, but his spot at 1LW was eventually filled by Chandler Stephenson. So, this is likely what the forward lines will look like for tomorrow nights game against the Flames:
So, these are Capitals lines now:
Stephenson-Backstrom-Oshie
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Connolly-Eller-DSP
Jaskin-Boyd-Burakovsky— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) January 31, 2019
With Christian Djoos returning to full-contact practice, the Capitals practiced with four defensive pairs on Thursday:
Orlov-Niskanen
Kempny-Carlson
Orpik-Bowey
Siegenthaler-Djoos
Power Play
With Ovechkin out tomorrow night, the Capitals power play also required a few tweaks:
Caps’ power play without Ovechkin: Tom Wilson in the “diamond” (the slot) and Oshie is in the left faceoff circle, where Ovechkin would usually be.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 31, 2019
FROM THE OTHER SIDE
The first-place Calgary Flames arrived in town early Wednesday afternoon. Their last game was a 3-2 overtime win over the Hurricanes in Raleigh on Tuesday, January 22. The Capitals have not played since Wednesday, January 23.
📍: Washington pic.twitter.com/QyIBvJG0aD
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 31, 2019
The Flames reported directly to MedStar for practice following the conclusion of the Capitals practice. (Capital One Arena has a Georgetown Hoyas basketball games tonight.)
Calgary just walks in here and breaks the glass like the own the place. Heathens. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/F1uLORNJX3
— Drunk Braden Holtby (@DrunkHoltby) January 31, 2019
POST-PRACTICE INTERVIEWS
Alex Ovechkin on having to miss tomorrow for skipping All-Star: “ask Gary about it” because it’s NHL rule.
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) January 31, 2019
Djoos stayed here and skated during the bye week. He said he’s taking it “day by day” and is “feeling good.” Today was his first full (with contact) practice.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 31, 2019
Alex Ovechkin: “I think we was tired. Maybe it was too much hockey. And today I look at the guys and I can see everybody is missing the hockey and everybody flying, everybody laughing, everybody don’t think about what happened a week ago or how many games we lose in a row.”
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 31, 2019
SHAVINGS
- Nicklas Backstrom is entering tomorrow’s game versus the Calgary Flames after recording his 50thpoint (13g, 38a) of the season on Jan. 23 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, joining Alex Ovechkin (37g, 20a) as the only Capitals with at least 50 points.
- That marked the 10th time Backstrom and Ovechkin have recorded 50 points in the same season, joining Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby (2006-07 through 2018-19) and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane (2007-08 through 2017-18) as the only active teammates to accomplish the feat.
- Since entering the NHL in 2005-06, Ovechkin’s 644 goals lead the NHL, 211 more than Crosby, who ranks second in the NHL in goals since 2005-06, while Backstrom’s 628 assists rank second in the NHL since 2007-08, 28 more than Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin, who ranks second in the NHL during that time frame.
By Jon Sorensen