Pregame, Peter Laviolette said the Capitals were once again “working through things” in the room. Now we know what that is.
TJ Oshie, who left Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower-body injury, will not play against the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes tonight.
The Capitals’ Mike Vogel first reported the news on Twitter. Mike Vecchione, who was called up earlier in the week from Hershey, will replace Oshie in the lineup. It’ll be Vecchione’s first game as a Capital and his first in the NHL since April 9, 2017.
Samsonov leads #Caps out for warm-ups in Raleigh, and T.J. Oshie is not among the Caps on the ice. Appears as though Mike Vecchione (No. 36) will get his first NHL game in just under five years, since 4/9/17. #CapsCanes
— Mike Vogel (@VogsCaps) March 18, 2022
According to the Capitals PR, Oshie’s “day-to-day.”
INJURY UPDATE: #Caps TJ Oshie will not play tonight vs Carolina and is listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) March 18, 2022
Vecchione will slide into Oshie’s right wing spot on the second line and skate with Anthony Mantha and Nicklas Backstrom. Ilya Samsonov will start for the Capitals after Vitek Vanecek suited up the night before.
8-Ovechkin, 92-Kuznetsov, 73-Sheary
39-Mantha, 19-Backstrom, 36-Vecchione
10-Sprong, 24-McMichael, 43-Wilson
45-Jonsson-Fjallby, 26-Dowd, 21-Hathaway
42-Fehervary, 74-Carlson
9-Orlov, 3-Jensen
57-van Riemsdyk, 2-Schultz
Samsonov
The game will mark the 35th Oshie has missed during the 2021-22 season. Oshie previously had lower-body (foot) and upper-body (shoulder) injuries. He also missed time due to COVID and the flu.
