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Breaking: Top-Line Beagle at Practice

By Peter Hassett

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March 14, 2016 11:54 am

The Capitals have returned from a problematic trip through California, and now they’re doing some soul-searching. Slow starts, close games, and a faltering top line have prompted a dramatic shake-up to the forward lines.

Katie Brown of NHL.com told us the news.

For the number-impaired:

Ovechkin – Backstrom – Beagle
Burakovsky – Kuznetsov – Oshie
Chimera – Johansson – Williams
Winnik – Richards – Wilson

The 8-19-83 trio started six games together last season – mostly in mid November and late January/early February. By way of Corsica.Hockey, they earned 49 percent of shot attempts over 97 minutes in 2014-15.

In the season prior, the then-coach suffered much criticism for pairing Ovechkin and Beagle, though it’s worth noting that Beagle served as the top line’s center in that case. This morning he’s on the wing.

Beagle missed 24 games this season to a hand injury. He has not started in the top six at all before or after the time off.

It’s important to note that morning lines might not mean anything. A Monday morning’s practice lines don’t necessarily mean the Caps will take warm-ups like this on Tuesday night. And considering the Caps have all but locked up a playoff spot and might be interested in resting players in the final month, there might be incentive to distribute workloads and spread the attack among all four lines.

That’s my way of saying there’s no point in panicking over the Caps forward lines on an off-day when the playoffs are all but assured. This is not an Adam Oates situation. (Excuse to embed the video.)

So please don’t freak. Alex Ovechkin has the right idea:

A parting note, again from Katie Brown: John Carlson is skating again.