The Washington Capitals are in Nashville a day before they’ll take the ice at Bridgestone Arena to play the Predators. Head coach Spencer Carbery had some of his team on the ice at the Predators’ practice facility for an optional skate.
According to The Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson, veteran center Evgeny Kuznetsov was one of the players who laced up his skates. Kuznetsov did not play against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night as he was a late scratch due to illness.
waiting to be picked up after practice like… pic.twitter.com/8IUdibucnS
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 15, 2023
Kuznetsov has now missed games due to an illness three separate times this season. All of this time out of action comes after a 2022-23 campaign that saw him play in more than 80 games–a feat only three Capitals accomplished that season.
The Russian pivot has recorded 11 points (5g, 6a) in 22 games this season and is tied for seventh on the team in scoring. Before missing out in Philly, he had been in the Capitals’ lineup for the past three games after head coach Spencer Carbery healthy-scratched him against the Arizona Coyotes. Since the scratch, he has recorded two points (1g, 1a) while centering a line between Sonny Milano and TJ Oshie.
That line was entirely broken up on Thursday night as Kuznetsov sat out ill and Milano missed the game an upper-body injury. Matthew Phillips and Joe Snively jumped into their spots, but Carbery rarely put them on the ice: Phillips finished with just 2:43 of ice time in the entire game and Snively played just 6:31.
“Matty goes in, tough scenario for him,” Carbery said postgame. “I know he didn’t play a ton but was there as essentially a utility player for us and we rotated three centermen.”
The Capitals will take on the Predators on Saturday at 8 pm. Nashville currently sits in the first Western Conference wild card playoff spot and have gone on a hot streak recently, winning two in a row and seven of their last ten.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
