Following the Caps’ 6-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on New Year’s Eve, Todd Reirden is going back to the top nine that won the Capitals the Stanley Cup in June.
Alex Ovechkin has been reunited with Evgeny Kuznetsov, TJ Oshie has been bumped down to the second line with Nicklas Backstrom, and Andre Burakovsky will skate with Lars Eller and Brett Connolly.
Reirden deployed these lines roughly halfway through the Caps loss to Nashville and will start with them during the team’s three-game road trip that begins this week.
Caps in practice:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Eller-Connolly
Stephenson-Boyd-DSPD pairs are rotating, so not sure. We’ve seen Orlov with Bowey once and then Bowey with Orpik and Orlov with Niskanen. 🤷🏻♀️
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 2, 2019
Despite all of the success the team had with these lines in the playoffs, they have not skated together much during the 2018-19 season due to Tom Wilson’s suspension and scuffling play from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky.
In nearly 21 minutes of five-on-five play together — a very small sample size — this season, the Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson line has a shot-attempt percentage of 65 percent and has been on the ice for three Caps goals and one opponent goal. The second line of Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie and third line comprised of Burakovsky-Eller-Connolly both have a shot-attempt percentage hovering around 49 percent in just over 100 minutes played together.
“We’re going through a number of different scenarios, we looked at some different looks today with all of our lines and just what gives us the best chance to win on back-to-back (games),” Reirden said in a post-practice press conference.
The Capitals defense is also trying to find its new normal due to several recent injuries.
With Brooks Orpik’s return to the lineup against Nashville and Christian Djoos absence due to a lower-body injury, the defensive pairs have also been jumbled, and Madison Bowey skated with Orpik and Dmitry Orlov during practice.
Part of that jumbling is due to the status of Matt Niskanen, who took a vicious hit into the boards against the Carolina Hurricanes. Reirden said he hopes Niskanen can play Thursday evening.
Reirden said he's hopeful Niskanen will play tomorrow. Indicated that's the direction he's headed.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) January 2, 2019
The Capitals take on the cellar-dwelling St. Louis Blues Thursday night.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong
