Photo: @SamanthaPell

Forward Richard Panik will skate in captain Alex Ovechkin‘s normal spot in the lineup on Monday night when the Washington Capitals take on the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre (7 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington). Ovechkin will serve his one-game suspension for skipping the 2020 NHL All-Star festivities in St. Louis this past weekend.

The Capitals shook up their first power-play unit with Ovechkin out against the Canadiens.

First unit PP, which Reirden said yesterday that he would shake up with Ovechkin not playing vs Montreal:

T.J. Oshie (in the Ovi spot), Tom Wilson, Nicklas Backstrom, Jakub Vrana, John Carlson

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) January 27, 2020

Forward T.J. Oshie will take his spot while forward Tom Wilson will skate in the bumper spot, where Oshie normally plays on the man advantage. Center Evgeny Kuznetsov will remain on the second unit.

Oshie will be in The Ovechkin Office on the power play tonight. “There’s a lot of space back there,” cracked Oshie, who’s used to being surrounded by opponents in the middle. #Caps

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) January 27, 2020

With Ovechkin suspended, center Travis Boyd will draw into the lineup for the first time since December 31 and take Panik’s spot on the third-line.

Canadiens defenseman Marco Scandella (lower-body) did not participate in the team’s morning skate, took a therapy day, and is “questionable” to suit up against the Capitals, according to head coach Claude Julien.

Forwards Brendan Gallagher, who has missed the Canadiens’ last 10 games with a concussion, and Jonathan Drouin, who has missed the past 31 after undergoing wrist surgery, skated with the team this morning but neither took contact or will play tonight.

Price Last 4 Starts
Rec4-0-0
GAA1.45
SV%.959
SO1

— Kevin Gibson (@GibShow) January 27, 2020

Capitals’ Lines at Canadiens

Capitals expected lines vs Montreal tonight:

Panik-Backstrom-Wilson
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Boyd
Leipsic-Dowd-Hathaway

Kempny-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
Siegenthaler-Gudas

Holtby

*Ovechkin not playing today due to suspension for skipping ASG

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) January 27, 2020

Canadiens’ Lines vs. Capitals

Canadiens lines this morning:

Tatar-Danault-Kovalchuk
Domi-Suzuki-Armia
Poehling-Kotkaniemi-Lehkonen
Cousins-Thompson-Weise

Chiarot-Weber
Kulak-Petry
Mete-Fleury

Marco Scandella is not skating. He skated yesterday. So his status is TBD pending Claude Julien’s media avail.

— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) January 27, 2020

Capitals Today

CAPS TODAY: John Carlson required the fewest games by a defenseman in franchise history to collect 60 points in a season (49 games), besting the previous mark set by Mike Green (57 games in 2008-09 and 2009-10). More info on Carlson and the Caps at https://t.co/HecIC0ECg1 pic.twitter.com/LFQI0XHJEa

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) January 27, 2020

By Harrison Brown