The Washington Capitals jetted their way up to Toronto on Wednesday before their matchup with the Maple Leafs on Thursday night. Before they did so, a handful of the team got in some work with skills coach Kenny McCudden despite being given the day off by head coach Spencer Carbery.
Per Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir, the attendees for the skate were Sonny Milano, Tom Wilson, and Darcy Kuemper. Friend of the site, Charlie McManus, got some video of the trio working up a sweat at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
Milano’s participation is the most notable due to his recent spell out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old winger played just 2:37 of ice time against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday and then sat out of Tuesday night’s victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
He did practice and get in some extra work before the Red Wings game, leading to Carbery not ruling him out entirely in his post-skate media availability. Milano has seven goals in the month of March and 20 total points (13g, 7a) on the season in 39 games.
Wilson will serve the fourth game of his six-game, NHL-levied suspension by sitting out against the Leafs. He’ll miss playing in his hometown after participating in the All-Star Game there earlier this season. The big winger can return to the lineup on April 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Capitals recalled Matthew Phillips on Wednesday in case there is a need for an extra forward on their trip across the border. Vincent Iorio joined him after Ethan Bear entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program.
Kuemper has seen the ice in just two games in the month of March and in those two starts gave up 11 goals and was pulled from one. He’ll likely be Charlie Lindgren’s backup until the Capitals have a back-to-back with the Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes on April 4-5.
