The Washington Capitals are quickly falling out of playoff contention after losing for the sixth straight time on Thursday night. The struggling Caps have just two five-on-five goals in their first two games in February, so head coach Spencer Carbery is switching things up again with his lineup.
At practice on Friday, the rookie bench boss made changes to all four of the forward lines that played together in the 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. The Capitals have three daunting games ahead of them against some of the league’s top teams and will start that run against the East-leading Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
Here are those lines, via the Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson.
The Capitals’ new top line is a relatively untested connection, but Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and TJ Oshie have had success in the limited five-on-five ice time they’ve shared since Strome arrived in DC before the 2022-23 campaign. In just over 65 minutes with them on the ice, the Capitals have seen 52.5 percent of the shot attempts, 55.6 percent of the high-danger chances, and 55.5 percent of the expected goals.
After a rocky start to the season, Ovechkin has goals in his last three games and is a point-per-game player in 2024, with 12 points (4g, 8a) in 12 games. Oshie has cooled off a bit since his hot return to the lineup, so the hope will be that skating with the team’s two leading scorers could jolt his offensive game back to life.
The “new” second line is a reunion for Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Anthony Mantha. The trio–featuring two of the team’s youngest contributors–paced the Capitals in scoring for about a month earlier in the season but were eventually separated and Protas and McMichael have struggled to find a groove since.
Carbery hopes that the hot-shooting Mantha, who has four goals in his last five games, will help them return to their past form. McMichael’s assist on Thursday was his first point in eight games and Protas’ assist was his first point in 14 games.
“Mikey and Pro, their play has sorta dipped a little bit, so we’re trying to find ways for those two, young guys [to raise their level],” Carbery said Friday. “The teams now know that this is home stretch and everybody raises it to just another level. That’s where it gets difficult for young players. Putting that line back together trying to add a bit of jolt of energy and chemistry.”
Mike Sgarbossa, a recent recall from the AHL, sticks on the third line but now he has two new wingers in Max Pacioretty and Tom Wilson. In Thursday’s loss, Sgarbossa grabbed his first NHL point since January 2, 2022.
“I’ve thought both of his games have been real strong,” Carbery said. “Coming into our lineup and providing a good amount of speed through the middle of the ice. He’s got poise off of entries, you can see some of the plays he can make. You saw it on the goal last night. Been responsible as well at the defensive end for the most part. The challenge now will be for him to sustain that.”
After a night in the press box, Nicolas Aube-Kubel looks to rejoin his normal fourth-line linemates, Nic Dowd and Beck Malenstyn. Matthew Phillips appears set to head back out of the lineup.
The only other note from the skate is that Ethan Bear has kept his spot on the third defense pair. With Trevor van Riemsdyk out with an illness Thursday night, Bear had stepped back into the fray.
