After winning the first two games of the series, the Washington Capitals are in Raleigh for Game Three against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Capitals debuted one change to their lines after Alex Ovechkin brought back the hot lap.
Jakub Vrana has been bumped up to the second line while Carl Hagelin will skate on the team’s third.
Via the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan:
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Wilson
Vrana – Kuznetsov – Oshie
Hagelin – Eller – Connolly
Burakovsky – Dowd – Stephenson
Carlson – Jensen
Orlov – Niskanen
Orpik – Djoos
Holtby
Vrana started the series on the third line, but has no points and only two shots through two games while Hagelin is point-less and has three shots.
The Capitals can’t match up lines as the visiting team tonight with the Hurricanes getting the last change before faceoffs, so that might be playing into head coach Todd Reirden’s thinking as well.
Here’s how the Hurricanes will likely lineup.
Hurricanes at morning skate:
Niederreiter-Aho-Teravainen
Svechnikov-Staal-Williams
Ferland-Wallmark-Martinook
Foegele-McKegg-McGinnSlavin-Hamilton
Pesce-Faulk
Fleury-van RiemsdykMrazek (starter's net)
McElhinneyExtras: Bean, de Haan, Maenalanen
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 15, 2019
Hurricanes head coach has changed up his top six. Teuvo Teravainen is skating with Nino Niederreiter and Sebastian Aho while Andrei Svechnikov is skating on the second line with Jordan Staal and Justin Williams.
Teravainen skating on line with Niederreiter and Aho at Hurricanes morning skate.
They did that in warmup Saturday too, but did not follow through in game.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 15, 2019
Defenseman Calvin de Haan also joined the Hurricanes for the morning skate after returning to practice on Friday.
Calvin de Haan (upper body) joining Hurricanes for their morning skate.
Also practiced with team on Friday.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 15, 2019