The Capitals held their first game day morning skate of the 2022-23 season Wednesday morning at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. They will pop the top to their 48th NHL campaign tonight when they host the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena. Puck drop is set for 7PM on TNT.
The Capitals forward lines and defensive pairs at morning skate were the same as yesterday:
Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Connor Brown
Aliaksei Protas – Dylan Strome – Anthony Mantha
Marcus Johansson – Lars Eller – T.J. Oshie
Connor Sheary – Nic Dowd – Garnet Hathaway
Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Dmitry Orlov – Nick Jensen
Erik Gustafsson – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Darcy Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren
Extras: Connor McMichael, Joe Snively, Matt Irwin
Darcy Kuemper is expected to make his regular season debut in goal for the Capitals. Kuemper was 37-12-4, with a .921 save percentage, a 2.54 goals-against average and five shutouts in 57 games last season.
T.J. Oshie and Dmitry Orlov are both good to go for tonight, per Caps head coach Peter Laviolette. Darcy Kuemper, as expected, will be in net.
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) October 12, 2022
Worth noting, Kuemper is 1-6-0 with a .894 save percentage and a 3.03 goals-against average in seven career games vs. BOS (including 1-1-0, .896 save percentage, 3.97 goals-against average last season). For those wondering, Kuemper has a better career record against the Toronto Maple Leafs, tomorrow night’s opponent (3-2, .909 sv%, 2.50 GAA, 1 SO).
Aliaksei Protas is expected to get the start tonight. Protas is a 6’6”, 235 lb left-handed forward, drafted by the Washington Capitals in the third round (#91 overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old Belarusian spent the last two seasons playing for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL, the Hershey Bears in the AHL and 33 games with the Capitals last season. He also played for the Belarus national team last spring in the World Championship.
Alex Ovechkin on Aliaksei Protas earning a spot in the Capitals’ top six: “I think he’s mature enough to have that kind of role. He worked hard all summer, good for him. He’s getting a huge opportunity to be in the team and that’s good.”
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) October 12, 2022
Protas signed a three-year entry-level contract for $825,833 AAV on July 10, 2019 and had two entry-level “slide” seasons. He will a restricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season.
RELATED: Aliaksei Protas: 2022 Annual Review And Forecast
From The Other Side
The Bruins won two out of three meetings last season, with the Capitals taking the final one by a score of 4-2 in Washington on April 10.
The Bruins have yet to officially announce who will get the start in goal:
Linus Ullmark, 29: 26-10-2, .917 save percentage, 2.45 goals-against average, one shutout in 41 games last season and 4-5-1, .892 save percentage, 2.96 goals-against average in 10 career games vs. WSH (2-1-0, .886 save percentage, 3.03 goals-against average in 2021-22)
Jeremy Swayman, 23: 23-14-3, .914 save percentage, 2.41 goals-against average, three shutouts in 41 games and 1-1-0, .938 save percentage, 2.00 goals-against average in two games vs. WSH in 2020-21.
The Bruins expected lineup:
Taylor Hall — Patrice Bergeron — Jake DeBrusk
Pavel Zacha — David Krejci — David Pastrnak
A.J. Greer — Charlie Coyle — Craig Smith
Nick Foligno — Tomas Nosek — Jakub Lauko
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Zboril
Reilly-Clifton
Ullmark
Swayman
Extras: LW Trent Frederic, C Jack Studnicka, D Anton Stralman
Head coach Jim Montgomery will make his Bruins debut behind the bench on Wednesday after the team fired former Capitals head coach Bruce Cassidy over the offseason.
Zacha will also wear the spoked B for the first time since the Bruins acquired him from the New Jersey Devils for center Erik Haula on July 13. Krejci played last season in the Czech league.
Linus Ullmark first goalie off, expected to start for Bruins at Capitals. pic.twitter.com/6lk19jl7pv
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) October 12, 2022
Brad Marchand (hip, out indefinitely), Charlie McAvoy (shoulder, out indefinitely) and Matt Grzelcyk (shoulder, out indefinitely) will all be out of the lineup tonight for the Bruins.
Openers
Washington is 24-19-2-2 (.553 point percentage) all time in season-opening games and 15-5-0-1 (.738 point percentage) in season-opening games at home. The Capitals’ .738 point percentage in season openers at home all-time is the fifth highest in the NHL.
By Jon Sorensen
“Aliaksei Protas is expected to get the start tonight. Protas is a 6’6”, 210 lb left-handed forward, ”
I believe he said he’s up to 235 lbs. now. The kid is gigantic, and uses his size and wingspan very well for a youngster. If he ever develops a hitting game…..ouch! Make him room with Fehervary on the road.
Go get ‘em Viper!
Are you sure he’s old enough?
I sense sarcasm! 😂
Yeah, I promised you I wouldn’t get snarky, but darn it, I just couldn’t help myself.
Who gets the other “A” with Backy out? Oshie?
Do we have to have another A? Some teams have gone a full season without a C.
Haven’t heard anything official. If they do give it to another, gotta think Oshie’s gets it.
But when he plays the only way he knows how to play and gets injured, then who gets it? I love the guy, but he needs to adapt his style of play to age and health.
I know, let’s give it to McM! Darn it, there I go getting snarky again.
Seriously, Osh would be the only candidate. But if teams can go the year without a captain, do you really want to take the honor of an A from an injured player? Wouldn’t that be dissing Backy?
Give it to Mojo. (Obvious sarcasm)
My eyes bugged for a split second.
In Mojo’s case A for…..?
Ah, skip it
Good luck tonight, Viper!