Photo: @Capitals
The Washington Capitals play a very crucial Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday at PNC Arena (7 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington locally or NBCSN nationally). Among the major line changes by head coach Todd Reirden included forward T.J. Oshie being promoted to the first-line while forward Carl Hagelin was demoted to the fourth. Defenseman Jonas Seigenthaler will likely make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut while de. The Capitals are looking to go 3-1 tonight before they head back to the nation’s capital for Game 5 on Saturday. Here is news from today’s morning skate:
Hot Lap
Left wing Andre Burakovksy did his first ever “hot lap” before practice. Started last season by former center Jay Beagle, the Capitals’ tradition happens at the start of the morning skate on gameday for road games. Another player would take over if the Capitals lost a game. Beagle, captain Alex Ovechkin, former head coach Barry Trotz, and center Lars Eller were the only ones to take the hot lap last postseason, when Washington went 10-3 on the road.
#Caps morning skate here at PNC Arena before Game 4. The hot lap falls to….Andre Burakovsky pic.twitter.com/sZqos3UizV
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) April 18, 2019
Capitals’ Game 4 Projected Lineup
Capitals’ projected Game 4 lineup:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Burakovsky-Eller-Connolly
Hagelin-Dowd-BoydCarlson-Jensen
Orlov-Niskanen
Orpik-SiegenthalerHoltby
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 18, 2019
Reirden told media that defensemen will continue to be moved around in the game. Defenseman Christian Djoos and forward Chandler Stephenson are healthy scratches.
Watch Party + Capitals Today
The playoff watch parties are back! Capital One Arena will be hosting a Game 4 Viewing Party Thursday night as the Capitals clash with the Canes. Admission is free, but you must RSVP ahead of time. Doors open at 6:30 PM at the F Street entrance.
Capitals Today
CAPS TODAY: In 49 career games following a loss during the playoffs, Alex Ovechkin leads the team with 52 career points (22g, 30a). More info on the Caps at https://t.co/HecIC0ECg1 pic.twitter.com/TYUEhfWMgk
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 18, 2019
Hurricanes’ Svechnikov and de Haan
After a fight with Ovechkin during Monday’s Game 3, right wing and rookie Andrei Svechnikov was injured during the Canes’ 5-0 win. Svechnikov returned to the ice this morning wearing a full cage. Although he was on the ice and did some light skating, Svechnikov will not play in Game 4 on Thursday night according to Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Svechnikov remains on concussion protocol and it is unclear whether he will play again in Round 1.
Andrei Svechnikov on the ice this morning is a very good sign. He is wearing a full cage, which would seem to indicate he needs extra facial protection. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he won’t play tonight. Doesn’t know about rest of series pic.twitter.com/CsufSvOHlA
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 18, 2019
Defenseman Calvin de Haan could possibly participate in the pre-game warmup tonight. Yesterday, he was cleared after an upper-body injury that he has been recovering from following suffering it on March 31, but de Haan did not participate in the Hurricanes’ morning skate today. Brind’Amour said, “We’ll put him in warmup maybe if he wants and hopefully he can play here at some point.”
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said it’s possible D Calvin de Haan takes pre-game warmup tonight. “We’ll put him in warmup maybe if he wants and hopefully he can play here at some point.”
Brind’Amour said he didn’t know if tonight was a possibility because he hadn’t spoken to him
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 18, 2019
Hurricanes’ Game 4 Projected Lineup
Niederreiter-Aho-Teravainen
Foegele-Staal-Williams
McGinn-Wallmark-Martinook
Maenalanen-McKegg-Brown
Slavin-Hamilton
Pesce-Faulk
Fleury-van Riemsdyk
Mrazek
Left wing Micheal Ferland is out with an upper-body injury from Game 3. Defenseman Jake Bean is a healthy scratch.
By Della Young
