The Washington Capitals will wrap up their season series with the New York Islanders on Friday night. The Capitals, 2-1 against the Isles so far during the 2023-24 campaign, held an optional morning skate to get ready for the action.
Despite a whole slew of lineup changes at practice on Thursday, head coach Spencer Carbery revealed that the only change among skaters from Wednesday’s loss to the Rangers will be Matthew Phillips coming in for Ivan Miroshnichenko. Miroshnichenko will sit as a healthy scratch after skating a career-high 12:52 of ice time against the Rangers.
Miroshnichenko sits just as it appears veteran forward Max Pacioretty will soon come off of long-term injured reserve and be in need of a roster spot. Both Pacioretty and Ethan Bear were participants in Friday morning’s skate but neither will factor in against the Islanders.
“They both will not be in the lineup,” Carbery said post practice. “Getting closer by the day, we’ll see about tomorrow just based on how practice goes today. We’ll see for tomorrow at home against Nashville.”
Miroshnichenko has played in four games with the Capitals and has yet to record his first NHL point. In 41:30 of total ice time, Miro has recorded six shots on goal on 10 shot attempts, five individual scoring chances, four individual high-danger chances, six hits, one blocked shot, and one minor penalty.
The 19-year-old skated briefly in an All-Russian trio with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov on Wednesday. While they posted good process results in their few shifts together, they were on the ice for a New York goal which Carbery made sure to note postgame.
Phillips will jump back into the fray for the first time since before the holiday break. In his last outing, he skated 12:11 of ice time in the Capitals’ 3-2 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 21.
On the season, the rookie Phillips has five points (1g, 4a) in 22 games. His last point came against the Dallas Stars on December 7.
The only other difference from the loss to the Rangers will be Charlie Lindgren getting back into the net. Lindgren started the Capitals’ last game before Christmas, stopping 19 of 20 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Friday night’s game against the Islanders is the first half of a back-to-back, so Darcy Kuemper will likely be back in the Caps’ cage against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Kuemper took the rough 5-1 loss to the Rangers, stopping just 26 of 31 shots he faced.
The Islanders will come into the game after getting destroyed by the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-0 on Wednesday. The Capitals are currently two points back of them for the first wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and have two games in hand.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
