Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov skated Friday for the first time since being ousted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
The three Capitals players will suit up for Team Russia during their Euro Hockey Tour game Saturday against Finland.
Ovechkin will play on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Evgenii Dadonov while Orlov was paired with Nikita Zaitsev on defense.
Team Russia lines at today's practice:
Gusev-Malkin-Kucherov
Ovi-Kuzy-Dadonov
Kaprizov-Anisimov-Grigorenko
Kovalchuk-Andronov-Plotnikov
Telegin
Sergachev-Nesterov
Orlov-Zaitsev
Khafizullin-Zub
Kiselevich-Yelesin
Vasilevskiy, Georgiev, Sorokin— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) May 3, 2019
The team is currently training in the Czech Republic.
After practice, Ovechkin was asked by the media about the Capitals’ upset loss in the playoffs and used a great Slideshow Bob metaphor to describe the series.
Alexander Ovechkin: ‘We were hungry. But we lost the games we had to win. The 7th game, the 4th, even the 3rd one. We just gave the #Canes a chance to win. Stepped on a bad rake’ #ALLCAPS
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) May 3, 2019
Ovechkin had no clue if the Hurricanes would win the Stanley Cup because “the NHL is too unpredictable.”
Alexander Ovechkin on the #Canes’ chances to win the Cup: ‘The NHL is too unpredictable. All the teams that were considered as contenders or finalists lost in the first round. It’s too difficult to predict something' #Caps
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) May 3, 2019
He also was asked about his fight with Andrei Svechnikov where Ovechkin knocked out the rookie with three punches. Ovechkin put the blame on the former first-round pick for wanting to fight him in the first place.
Alexander Ovechkin: ‘Why should I regret I fought Svechnikov? But I think if I’m 19 I wouldn’t fight [such an opponent if I were him]’ #ALLCAPS #Canes
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) May 3, 2019
The Caps Russians have also been spotted taking photos with fans as they joined the Russian team earlier this week.
Headline photo: Russian Hockey Federation
