Washington Capitals center Lars Eller, who left the second period during Game 2 of the team’s first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Boston Bruins with a lower-body injury, participated in the team’s morning skate prior to Game 3 at TD Garden (6:30 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington locally, NBCSN nationally).
Forward T.J. Oshie did not skate with the Capitals before Game 3. It is unknown whether he will be able to play tonight. Laviolette said he traveled with the Capitals.
Goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who left the first period of Game 1 on Saturday due to a lower-body injury, did not skate on Wednesday morning.
Head coach Peter Laviolette told the media following morning skate that the team has some decisions to go through prior to puck drop.
Laviolette did not provide a specific status update regarding tonight’s game for Lars Eller, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov and TJ Oshie. “We’ve got some decisions to make, lineup decisions, that we’ll work through here.” #ALLCAPS
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) May 19, 2021
Goaltender Ilya Samsonov and center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who both came off of COVID-19 protocol over the weekend after entering it in early May, participated in the team’s morning skate. Laviolette believes Kuznetsov is available but wants him to get his conditioning back.
Laviolette says Kuznetsov is clear of NHL protocols. It’s a matter of conditioning at this point. #ALLCAPS
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) May 19, 2021
Forward Daniel Sprong skated with the extras after the morning skate, something that players in the lineup do not typically do.
Daniel Sprong, Connor McMichael, Martin Fehervary and TvR are running drills for quite some time after Caps AM skate today.
— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) May 19, 2021
Sprong saw greatly reduced minutes for poor defense in the second and third periods of Games 1 and 2.
Game 1 Shifts:
Game 2 Shifts:
Forward Daniel Carr was not among those who skated with the group.
Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller, who missed a large part of the first period on Monday, will play.
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By Harrrison Brown
