After the Capitals lost the opening two games of their first-round series against the New York Rangers last week, head coach Spencer Carbery appears to be considering a lineup change as the series shifts to Washington.
Rookie forward Ivan Miroshnichenko took rushes on the team’s fourth line at practice on Thursday, replacing Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the right wing. Aube-Kubel took the scratches’ skate after practice, indicating that Miroshnichenko is in line to get a sweater for Game Three.
Carbery declined to change his forward corps in Game Two after losing in Game One but now seems ready for a shake-up. He spoke Thursday on what he hoped to see from Miroshnichenko’s potential playoff debut.
“[I’m looking for] speed and competitiveness, hard on the puck, physicality, which he’s shown, especially early when he was called up,” Carbery said. “His speed was on display and he was tenacious all over the ice on the puck.”
Here’s how the full team looked at Thursday’s skate.
Miroshnichenko’s inclusion was the only clear change as Mike Sgarbossa filled in for an absent Sonny Milano, who the Capitals say took a maintenance day. The young Russian has not played for the Caps since an April 7 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators.
“I don’t know [if I’m in],” Miroshnichenko told the AP’s Stephen Whyno. “But I am ready.”
The 20-year-old winger would be the eighth different Capitals skater to make their NHL playoff debut in the series. He’d join Charlie Lindgren, Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen, Alex Alexeyev, Beck Malenstyn, Hendrix Lapierre, and Aliaksei Protas.
Miroshnichenko also got reps in with the team’s second power-play unit. He lined up in Alex Ovechkin’s normal spot in the left faceoff circle.
Ready for some home cookin'#ALLCAPS | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/YdaZCGDNt1
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 25, 2024
The rest of the lineup is unchanged, including on defense. Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen skated again on Thursday but remained in their light blue non-contact jerseys. Jensen has missed the team’s last four games while Sandin has been out slightly longer, missing seven in a row.
Despite calling both a possibility for the two games in New York, Carbery didn’t have a substantial update on either player days later.
“They’re just working their way back,” Carbery said after practice. “I can’t really give you any update other than that. Still in non-contact, skated today, so we’ll see how they are tomorrow.”
Per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, the Rangers’ lineup was also unchanged on Thursday except for Alex Wennberg taking a maintenance day. Additionally, Baugh reports that Filip Chytil will make the trip down to DC after missing almost the entirety of the 2023-24 regular season with a head injury.
Puck drop for Game Three is scheduled for 7 pm on Friday at Capital One Arena.
