Jakub Vrana, the Capitals’ second-leading goal scorer at even-strength (10 goals), will sit again against the New Jersey Devils per head coach Peter Laviolette.
Laviolette announced the lineup decision during his press conference with reporters two hours before puck drop.
Samsonov will be in net today in NJ. Same lineup otherwise, so that means Vrana will be a scratch again. #Caps
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) April 4, 2021
In his decision to shelve one of the team’s leading goal and point-getters, Laviolette hinted on Friday that it was due to Vrana’s system play and defense. “We’ve had many conversations just about his play with regard to the competitiveness of it and the speed of it. He is a very skilled player but there are other aspects of the game that are very important… We’re looking for a higher level of play.”
Laviolette hoped the public embarrassment of his top-six player “will reignite a fire inside of his game and start to push him in the right direction.”
While Vrana has consistently shown up in the scoresheet, he’s seen 13 minutes of ice time or less in 7 of his last 13 games before being sent to the press box. According to Natural Stat Trick, Laviolette has given Vrana more offensive zone starts (66.1%) than nearly any other Capitals player at 5v5 (Evgeny Kuznetsov, 74.9%; Alex Ovechkin, 70.9%).
The Capitals won their first game without Vrana, eeking out a 2-1 overtime win.
If Washington is able to defeat the Devils on Sunday, they will achieve a new franchise record for wins against a team during a single season.
The #Caps are 7-0-0 vs. the NJD. W/ a win in Newark today, they'll record 8 wins against a single opponent for the first time in franchise history, and become the first team w/ 8 or more wins vs. one opponent in a single regular season since MTL went 8-0-0 against BOS in 2007-08.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) April 4, 2021
Ilya Samsonov will start in net.
RMNB Coverage of Caps at Devils
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
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