Following a much-deserved day off on Wednesday, the Capitals returned to MedStar Capitals Iceplex Thursday morning to begin preparations for the New York Rangers. 

The Capitals and Rangers play their first game of a back-to-back set Friday night at Capital One Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM. Here’s the latest from “Club Med”:

PRACTICE
Lars Eller returned to practice with the team this morning. Eller left in the first period of Saturday’s game against the Flyers with a right leg injury.

Lars Eller (lower body) is on the ice ahead of practice. He’s been talking to trainers and flexing his right knee. #Caps pic.twitter.com/uumAKraNhd

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) March 18, 2021

Head coach Peter Laviolette said in his post-practice media availability that he thought Eller looked o.k., but he wasn’t sure of his status for the game tomorrow against the Rangers.

Laviolette: re: Eller skating in practice today: “I thought he looked o.k. I don’t know his status for tomorrow”#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/bKcfcWMujG

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) March 18, 2021

Lines
The lines at practice remained the same. Tom Wilson has one more game to serve in his seven-game suspension and should be able to return to the lineup on Saturday.

Capitals lines at Thursday practice:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Sprong
Sheary-Eller-Panik
Hagelin-Dowd-Hathaway

Dillon-Carlson
Orlov-Schultz
Chara-Jensen
Siegenthaler-TvR

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) March 18, 2021

Happy 44th birthday to Zdeno Chara.

LARS ELLER
Eller said in a post-practice media session this afternoon that he is ok, but not ready to commit to playing tomorrow night. He said he will know more tomorrow morning.

Lars Eller: re: status: “Today was a step in the right direction. .. We’ll see how tomorrow morning goes.”#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/pD1p2qUD4Z

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) March 18, 2021

ALEX OVECHKIN

At age 35, Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) is still putting up monster numbers.

How does his pace stack up against the legends of the NHL? pic.twitter.com/IoDUsxPm7i

— NHL (@NHL) March 18, 2021

EAST GOALTENDERS
Here are the latest save percentages (Sv%) and goals against averages (GAA) for all East goaltenders with a minimum of five starts.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Daniel Sprong

Lars Eller

Peter Laviolette 

SHAVINGS

• The Capitals are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games and have won six straight.
• Washington Capitals forward Daniel Sprong is entering tomorrow’s game with the New York Rangers tied for sixth on the teams with six goals in 18 games.
  
• Sprong’s 2.07 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play this season leads the Capitals and ranks first in the NHL among players with at least five games played. Sprong has scored three goals in his last five games.
  
• The Amsterdam, Netherlands, native, was selected 46th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015 andranks third among players from his draft class with at least 100 career games in goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play (1.07).
  
• The Capitals acquired Sprong, 24, from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Christian Djoos on Feb. 25, 2020.

By Jon Sorensen
Follow @nova_caps

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