Alex Ovechkin And T.J. Oshie Return To Practice; Lars Eller Doesn’t Practice: Notes From Wednesday’s Capitals Practice

The Capitals held practice for a second consecutive day on Wednesday as they wrap-up their four-day break from games. The Capitals will next host the New Jersey Devils for a two-game, back-to-back set beginning Thursday night at Capital One Arena. Here’s the latest from Wednesday’s practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.

PRACTICE

The story lines for Wednesday included the status of Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie, who missed practice yesterday, and Lars Elller, who has missed the last four games due to a lower body injury. Both Ovechkin and Oshie returned to practice.

Alex Ovechkin (lower body) and T.J. Oshie (personal reasons) both on the ice for the Capitals practice today after not practicing yesterday

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) March 24, 2021

Lars Eller did not practice this morning.

Eller has missed the last four games due to a lower body injury suffered early in the Caps’ game vs PHI on March 13. He has been practicing with the team up to this point, did so yesterday.

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) March 24, 2021

The Capitals announced Wednesday morning that they have re-assigned forwards Brian Pinho and Philippe Maillet from the Capitals taxi squad to the AHL Hershey Bears.

Lines

Capitals lines at practice:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Vrana-Backstrom-Wilson
Sheary-Sgarbossa*-Panik/Sprong
Hagelin-Dowd-Hathaway

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

*Sgarbossa is in Eller’s place as 3C with Eller (lower body) not at practice

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) March 24, 2021

Power Play Units

Capitals PP1: Carlson, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Vrana, Oshie.
Capitals PP2: Orlov, Schultz, Kuznetsov, Sheary, Wilson.

Ever wonder what @TJOshie77 is saying during warmies?

So did we. And now we know.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/V6C8LLLIR0

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 24, 2021

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Nicklas Backstrom

Vitek Vanecek

Peter Laviolette
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JOHN CARLSON

With a goal on Saturday against the New York Rangers, John Carlson is now two goals shy from passing Mike Green and Calle Johansson (113g) for the third-most goals in franchise history by a defenseman.
Since the 2019-20 season, Carlson leads all defenseman with 102 points and ranks second among defensemen in goals (22). Carlson’s 1.02 points per game during that span not only ranks first among defensemen but tied with Aleksander Barkov for the 21st-highest rate in the NHL.
Last season, Carlson became the first Capitals defenseman to lead the team in points (75p) since Kevin Hatcher in the 1990-91 season (70p). Carlson was on pace for 89 points last year before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
An 89-point season would have been the highest single season mark for a defenseman in franchise history, and the first time a defenseman recorded 89 points since 1993-94, when both Ray Bourque (91p) and Sergei Zubov (89p) reached the mark.
This year, with 27 points (7g, 20a) in 31 games, Carlson is on pace to record 71 points in an 82-game season and could have become the first defenseman in franchise history to record three 70-point seasons (2019-20, 2018-19).

By Jon Sorensen
Follow @nova_caps