With four points in four games, Washington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois has had a brilliant start to the season. But the team will be without him in Sunday’s match against the Seattle Kraken. Dubois, the team reports, is out with an illness.
As reported by RMNB’s Katie Adler, Dubois missed practice on Saturday. For Sunday evening’s game, Ethen Frank will suit up for his first game of the season.
Frank has big shoes to fill. Dubois’ line with Alex Tuch and Tom Wilson has been, far and away, Washington’s best so far, controlling 58 percent of expected goals and outscored opponents 3 to 0. It’s been a return to form for Dubois, who missed 53 games following an abdomen surgery last season.
Dubois earned two assists in the season opener, on each of Tuch’s goals, then Dubois and Wilson assisted on one another’s goals in the win over Pittsburgh.
“I thought they were outstanding tonight right from their first shift,” Spencer Carbery said after the Pittsburgh. “Just did such a good job of creating turnovers on the forecheck, putting their D under pressure, holding onto pucks, had multiple long O-Zone shifts.”
There are no other reported illnesses on the team right now, but it’s something to watch. There’s something going around. This humble sportswriter can disclose his household has been impacted as well.
