With rookie defenseman Martin Fehervary continuing to impress, the Washington Capitals will keep him in the lineup against the New York Islanders on Monday night. He will once again be paired with Dmitry Orlov.
After Nick Jensen was a healthy scratch in the team’s 7-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, he will draw back in and Radko Gudas will take a turn sitting in the press box on Monday.
Head coachTodd Reirden said it was the plan to have Jonas Siegenthaler (sat out of the Capitals’ 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday), Jensen, Gudas each sit out one game as the team looked to get Fehervary into the lineup.
Is tonight the night for GR8NESS?@ovi8 sits two goals away from 700, and his next shot at history comes tonight on NBCSN! pic.twitter.com/0LkdPag7om
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) February 10, 2020
After forwards T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson flipped spots in the Capitals’ 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday and stayed there against the Flyers, the two returned to their normal spots.
The Capitals ran their first power-play unit with forward Jakub Vrana on it but Wilson replaced him. Wilson was in the bumper spot and Oshie was positioned right in front of the net.
Goaltender Ilya Samsonov was in the starters’ net, signaling that he will start against the Islanders.
The Capitals did not make any line changes to their top-six forward group.
Capitals’ Lines vs. Islanders
Capitals expected lines vs Islanders:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Panik
Leipsic-Dowd-HathawayKempny-Carlson
Fehervary-Orlov
Siegenthaler-Jensen*Gudas appears to be the healthy scratch
*Wilson/Oshie flip back— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) February 10, 2020
From The Other Bench
Goaltender Thomas Greiss appears to be the starting goaltender for the Islanders. He recorded a .929 save percentage, a 1.70 goals-against average, and one shutout in three appearances against the Capitals last season but only won one of them.
Former Capitals’ head coach Barry Trotz, now with the Islanders, reiterated that he thinks Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who is two goals away from 700 in his NHL career, is the best goal scorer of all-time. “If I was a betting man, I would bet on [Ovechkin] breaking that goal scoring record. In my mind, there’s no doubt he’s going to do it,” he said.
Barry Trotz reiterates he thinks Alex Ovechkin is the greatest goal-scorer of all-time: pic.twitter.com/pynLZwGMBQ
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 10, 2020
The Islanders will insert forward Ross Johnston in favor of Keiffer Bellows in their lineup to match the Capitals’ heavy game.
From out of town, the Columbus Blue Jackets placed defenseman Seth Jones on injured reserve due to an ankle injury and announced that he will be out indefinitely. Forward Liam Foudy was called up from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on an emergency recall and defenseman Gabriel Carlsson was also recalled.
Islanders’ Lines at Capitals
#Isles morning skate
Lee-Barzal-Eberle
Beauvillier-Nelson-Bailey
Johnston-Brassard-Dal Colle
Martin-Cizikas-Komarov
Extra Fs: Bellows, Kuhnhackl
Toews-Pulock
Leddy-Boychuk
Dobson-Mayfield
Extra D: Aho
Greiss, Varlamov— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) February 10, 2020
Capitals Today
CAPS TODAY: Ilya Samsonov is expected to start tonight against the New York Islanders. The rookie goaltender has a 16-3-1 record through 22 games (2.19 goals against average, .923 save percentage and 1 shutout). More info on Samsonov and the Caps at https://t.co/HecIC0ECg1
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) February 10, 2020
By Harrison Brown
Saturday’s affair against the Philadelphia Flyers was one of the Caps’ most putrid efforts in 25 years. It was a STATEMENT by the players that “Our Coach … We don’t understand what he is doing” or words to that effect. 7-2 loss to PHI on home ice on a weekend is a major disaster.
So we’re sitting Radko and hoping for the best. Did the Caps bag-skate on Sunday morning? They should have. Evidence is mounting that Caps players aren’t buying (at least all of) what Reirden is selling. Evidence is mounting that players have more contempt of the Coaching staff than respect.
27 games to go. Time to improve, or get better leadership.