The Washington Capitals are set to take on Metropolitan Division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, on Friday night. After an 8-3 shellacking at the hand of the Detroit Red Wings in their last game, head coach Spencer Carbery changed up his lines at Thursday’s practice.
Carbery’s biggest change was placing rookie center Hendrix Lapierre on the team’s top line with team captain Alex Ovechkin and fellow rookie Ivan Miroshnichenko.
Lapierre and Ovechkin have shared the ice for just over seven minutes at five-on-five this season. But the two connected against the Red Wings on Tuesday night as Ovechkin brilliantly set up Lapierre for his third goal in two games. The goal was Lapierre’s fourth point (3g, 1a) in his last three NHL games.
“They score last game,” Carbery said. “They didn’t play much after that together. I think it might be a good option for us [tomorrow]. Lappy has strung together two of the best games that he’s played this year in the NHL. Tons of speed, feels like he’s got a little bit of confidence and swagger, making real good decisions with the puck, going to the hard areas, won some puck battles on the forecheck.”
Playing with Ovechkin would be a dream come true for the 22-year-old center. Back when he was drafted by the Capitals in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Lapierre revealed that he grew up with an Ovechkin poster on his wall and an Ovechkin jersey in his closet.
When your Fathead becomes your teammate.#Gr8 success, Hendrix!
(📷: lapierreh/IG) pic.twitter.com/v3jMPToTml
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 8, 2020
Lapierre added on Thursday that he wore yellow laces in his skates up until he was 12 years old, his first year of peewee. The young center has commented on his appreciation for playing on the same team as Ovechkin before but he’s rarely had the chance to actually share the ice with The Great Eight.
“That’d be unreal, obviously,” Lapierre said Thursday. “He’s a great, great player. I’m excited to see what we can do if we play together. I feel like if he gets open I’ll try to find him. I don’t know what it’s going to look like tomorrow but it’d be a pretty special opportunity to play with him. I feel like we can do really good things.”
The third piece of that line is currently undetermined as Tom Wilson missed practice due to what the team called personal reasons. The 19-year-old Miroshnichenko filled in on the line rushes likely as just a placeholder for Wilson.
With the recent rash of injuries, the Capitals have had to lean on some of their younger players to carry the load in games. Lapierre has joined names like Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael in leading that charge.
That group of three forwards combined for eight points (4g, 4a) in the Capitals’ back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators and Red Wings.
“We have a really good veteran group so as young guys we’re trying to push them and they’re trying to push us,” Lapierre said. “I think it’s normal that as you play more games you feel more comfortable. I’ve only had three shots but I feel like I’ve created a lot whether it’s passes or using my speed. Just keep doing what I’m doing and good things will happen.”
Lapierre’s move up to the first line pushed Dylan Strome down to the line featuring Max Pacioretty and Sonny Milano, once occupied by Mike Sgarbossa down the middle. Sgarbossa has now taken the fourth-line responsibility between Beck Malenstyn and Nicolas Aube-Kubel which Lapierre left.
On defense, Nick Jensen filtered back into his usual duties after missing two games with an injury. Jensen’s return forced Trevor van Riemsdyk back down to the third defense pairing.
