Tuesday morning, the Washington Capitals announced that Nicklas Backstrom will miss the team’s morning skate. The Swedish center will be a game-time decision against the Flyers due to illness.
The Capitals and Flyers faceoff at Capital One Arena at 7:30 pm.
#Caps Nicklas Backstrom (illness) will not skate this morning and is a game time decision for tonight vs. Philadelphia.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) January 8, 2019
Backstrom, point-less in his last three games, has spent a majority of the season centering the Capitals’ second line. He is the team’s second-leading point-getter with 44 points (10g, 34a) in 41 games, one of three Caps players averaging more than a point per game.
During practice Monday, Nicky centered Jakub Vrana and TJ Oshie. Lars Eller took his spot on the second line and first-unit powerplay during the morning skate.
Capitals this morning without Backstrom (ill):
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Vrana-Eller-Oshie
Burakovsky-Boyd-Connolly
Stephenson-Dowd-DSPOrlov-Niskanen
Kempny-Carlson
Orpik-SiegenthalerHoltby
CopleyBowey and Jaskin are the extras.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) January 8, 2019
Capitals PP units with Backstrom (ill/game-time decision) not skating this morning:
PP1: Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Eller, Oshie, Carlson.
PP2: Vrana, Boyd, Wilson, Orlov, Niskanen.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) January 8, 2019
Backstrom is one of seven Caps players to play every game of the season so far.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong
