The Washington Capitals were back at MedStar Capitals Iceplex Monday, a day after losing for the fifth time in a row on home ice. They are preparing to head out on a two-game road trip to Nashville and Philadelphia.

According to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, the team could get some help in the goaltending department as Vitek Vanecek will make the trip despite not practicing. Unfortunately, TJ Oshie will not.

Vanecek has been missing since February 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins where he was pulled after only 6:43 of the game due to injury. The Capitals have given up an average of four per goals game since then as the team continues its season-long journey to find consistency in net.

Oshie has been absent for even longer as his upper-body injury occurred against the New York Islanders on January 15. He has been on injured reserve since January 20 and recently has been doing off-ice workouts and rehab. He’s considered out week-to-week.

Via The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, here is how the Caps lined up at practice before they set off to take on the Predators and Flyers.

As you can see, not a whole is different other than the top-six moving back to a more regular look from earlier this season. The Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom reunion again lasts only one game and Backstrom will now have two speedy, crafty wingers in Joe Snively and Conor Sheary flanking him. The top line that had a ton of success early in the reason is back together. Over the last twenty games for the Caps, that trio has skated 82:25 together at five-on-five and only recorded two goals for while being on the ice for three against.

The Caps are 6-9-2 in 2022 and their first destination on the trip is Nashville, a building that they haven’t won since the 2015-16 season. In their last four games on the road against the Preds, they have allowed an average of six goals per game.

Peter Laviolette will be going for career win no. 700.