Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette stated in his morning media session that goaltender Ilya Samsonov and forward Connor McMichael will get their first starts of the season tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. Here are the projected lines for tonight’s game, courtesy of the Capitals Mike Vogel.

WASHINGTON

Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 92-Kuznetsov, 43-Wilson
39-Mantha, 20-Eller, 10-Sprong
73-Sheary, 24-McMichael, 77-Oshie
62-Hagelin, 26-Dowd, 21-Hathaway

Defensemen
42-Fehervary, 74-Carlson
9-Orlov, 3-Jensen
57-van Riemsdyk, 2-Schultz

Goaltenders
30-Samsonov
41-Vanecek

Extras
29-Lapierre
38-Cholowski
52-Irwin

Injured
19-Backstrom (hip, week-to-week)

COLORADO

Forwards
95-Burakovsky, 29-MacKinnon, 96-Rantanen
75-Ranta, 91-Kadri, 37-Compher
43-Helm, 17-Yost, 25-O’Connor
11-Maltsev, 61-Kaut

Defensemen
49-Girard, 8-Makar
4-Byram, 6-E. Johnson
28-Murray, 3-J. Johnson
56-MacDermid

Goaltenders
35-Kuemper
31-Johansson

Extras
12-Megna

Injured
7-Toews (shoulder)
13-Nichushkin (upper body)
22-Matteau (lower body)
39-Francouz (ankle)
92-Landeskog (suspension)

Notes: 

COL: Landeskog will serve the final game of a two-game suspension. MacKinnon will make his 2021-22 regular-season debut after testing negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday. He tested positive for the virus on October 12.

WSH: McMichael will replace Lapierre in the lineup. Samsonov will play his first game of the season after Vanecek started the first two games.