The still-super-dinged-up and COVID-protocol-ridden Washington Capitals took the ice at Medstar Capitals Iceplex before their matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Friday.

On the ice was Evgeny Kuznetsov who left Thursday’s practice early with a lower-body injury. Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette assured the media Kuzy’s absence was just precautionary and Kuznetsov took full line rushes at Friday’s morning skate.

“I just didn’t want to practice,” Kuzy joked.

The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reports that Laviolette expects everyone on the ice at the morning skate (bar Nicklas Backstrom) to be available against the Pens. That includes Carl Hagelin who missed Thursday’s practice with a non-COVID illness. The team remains without Nic Dowd, Garnet Hathaway, and Trevor van Riemsdyk due to COVID-19 protocol.

Per Pell, the team was rolling with these lines at the skate.

Per The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, Ilya Samsonov was the first goaltender to leave the ice. He will make his third start in a row.

The Capitals take on the Pens inside Capital One Arena at 7 PM.

Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk/RMNB