The Washington Capitals returned home late Thursday night following their 6-2 win over the Blue Jackets in Columbus. As a result of their late arrival, the team did not hold its typical game day morning skate on Friday morning.
Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette did meet with the media at 4:45 PM on Friday afternoon as the team arrived at Capital One Arena in advance of their tilt with the Nashville Predators tonight. He announced that Charlie Lindgren will get the start in goal. He also said that Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, who are both very close to returning to the lineup, will not play tonight.
No Nicklas Backstrom (hip) or Tom Wilson (ACL) for Capitals yet tonight
Charlie Lindgren will start in net for Capitals vs. Predators.
Nic Dowd, who missed game in Columbus last night following birth of his daughter, will be back.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) January 6, 2023
Laviolette wasn’t ready to say if Sunday vs. Blue Jackets is an option for Backstrom or Wilson, but said they don’t necessarily need another full practice before they play.
Capitals have scheduled day off tomorrow and only an optional morning skate Sunday before 5 p.m. start.
Nashvile Predators
The Capitals host the Nashville Predators tonight at Capital One Arena for the second of two meetings between the teams this season. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET.
The Capitals enter tonight’s game on a season long nine-game point streak (7-0-2). Washington is 16-15-1-2 all-time vs. Nashville and 3-0-0 in their last three games against the Predators.
The Capitals have a record of 22-13-6 (50 points) through 41 games played. At the halfway mark of their season, the Capitals sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and in the East’s first Wild Card position. With 50 points through 41 games, the Capitals are once again on pace to record 100 points this season.
The Capitals have recorded 100 or more points in six of the last eight seasons. The only seasons in which the Capitals have not finished with at least 100 standings points in that span were the shortened 2019-20 (90 points in 69 games – a 106-point pace) and the 2020-21 (77 points in 56 games – a 112-point pace) seasons. Washington currently ranks 10th in the NHL in goals for per game (3.34) and tied for ninth in goals against per game (2.76). Through their first 41 games, Washington incurred a League-high 259 man games lost.
By Jon Sorensen
I’d guess they’ll be back for Sunday’s game. Then they’ll have two full days of rest before Wednesday’s game, then another two full days before the next game on Saturday. It would make sense.
Certainly a good possibility. The days off in between are ideal.
My question is, who’s going to Hershey to make cap space for them?
Snively, and NAK will probably get claimed.
Protas is waivers-exempt, so I think that’s a no-browner, right now. Then is gets sticky.
Why is that a no-brainer? Protas can play center and he and Milano are the two most useful extra forwards.
Because he’s waivers exempt and Milano and NAK are outperforming him by a mile. And Caps have too many centers when NB19 returns.