The Washington Capitals were back at work Friday morning at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The team held one final workout before departing for New York Friday afternoon in advance of their tilt with the Islanders on Saturday.
After sitting out the two previous day, Alex Ovechkin returned to practice on Friday. His status for Saturday’s game against the Islanders will be determined tomorrow. He met with the media following practice.
Carl Hagelin and Dmitry Orlov (COVID protocols) will not travel with the team for Saturday’s game against the Islanders, per Laviolette.
The lines at Capitals practice on Friday:
Capitals lines at practice:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Sprong-Backstrom-Wilson
Sheary-Dowd-Hathaway
McMichael-Eller-LeasonFehervary-Carlson
TvR-Jensen
Irwin-Schultz— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) January 14, 2022
Ranking Rooks
This season, the Capitals’ 149 games played by rookies are the second-most in the NHL, only trailing the San Jose Sharks (196 games). The 11 rookies to appear in a game this season are the most by the Capitals since 2013-14, and the 149 appearances are more than each of the last two seasons combined (82 games).
Additionally, the Capitals’ 35 combined points by rookies (16g, 19a) rank sixth in the NHL this season, while their 16 goals rank third, only trailing the Nashville Predators (20g) and San Jose (17g). Rookies have accounted for 13% of Capitals goals this season (16 of 123 goals).
Mac And Marty
Forward Connor McMichael (5g, 5a) and defenseman Martin Fehervary (3g, 3a) each lead the team with 34 games this season. McMichael, who turns 21 tomorrow, ranks sixth among Capitals with 1.65 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play and seventh among all rookies this season (minimum 30 games played). Additionally, McMichael’s 63 individual scoring chances at five-on-five rank third on the Capitals, only behind Alex Ovechkin (103) and Daniel Sprong (73).
Fehervary, 22, ranks first among rookie defensemen in the NHL in hits (90) and fourth in blocked shots (49). Fehervary is just 10 hits shy of passing Dmitry Orlov (99) for the most by a Capitals’ rookie defenseman since 2005-06, when the NHL first began tracking this data.
