Photo: NHL.com
Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette did not have an update on captain Alex Ovechkin, center Evgeny Kuznetsov, defenseman Dmitry Orlov, and goaltender Ilya Samsonov after all four entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on January 21. Laviolette ruled all of them out for at least four games, the last of which was the team’s 6-3 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
No update on when Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Orlov and Samsonov will be available, per Laviolette. They are still in covid protocol and looking at them as day to day.
— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) January 29, 2021
The Capitals were fined $100,000 after the four watched television together with no masks in a hotel room during the team’s opening road trip in Buffalo, which is against league protocols. Samsonov tested positive for COVID-19 while Ovechkin and Orlov both have COVID-19 anti-bodies. It is unknown whether Kuznetsov has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19.
Laviolette also said that defenseman Justin Schultz is day-to-day after taking a puck to the face during the third period of Thursday’s win.
Center Brian Pinho, who has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, skated for the first time since Monday when he did so briefly. He wore a gray jersey, which could mean that he was not allowed to take any contact in practice.
The Capitals are 3-0-1 since Ovechkin, Samsonov, Kuznetsov, and Orlov have been out of the lineup and lead the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers for first place in the East Division with a 5-0-3 record. The Capitals host the Bruins on Saturday (7 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington).
By Harrison Brown
