Lines 2023-24 Season

Spencer Carbery adjusts forward lines ahead of games without TJ Oshie

The Washington Capitals have made the long trip out west for their annual California road trip and the first stop is in San Jose. The team got on the ice inside SAP Center on Sunday for a practice before they’re set to do battle with the Sharks on Monday night.

Injured forward TJ Oshie did not make the plane for the trip after he suffered a scary injury against the Edmonton Oilers. Oshie’s absence has forced head coach Spencer Carbery to tweak his forward lines and we got our first look at those changes at practice.

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By Chris Cerullo 2 days ago

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Connor McMichael sticks as Capitals’ second-line center at practice even with return of Evgeny Kuznetsov

The Washington Capitals got in a full practice on Monday after taking Sunday off post their victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Russian centerman Evgeny Kuznetsov missed that game against Columbus but returned from his illness for Monday’s skate.

Connor McMichael, who had been deputized to fill Kuznetsov’s absence in the lineup, stayed as the team’s second-line center during practice despite Kuzy’s return. McMichael has played the last two games in the Capitals’ top-six and scored a goal in Tuesday’s shutout win over the Vegas Golden Knights.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 week ago

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Capitals debut first set of forward lines after news of Nicklas Backstrom’s leave of absence

The Washington Capitals took the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday for the first time without Nicklas Backstrom this season. Backstrom, one of the team’s alternate captains, announced earlier in the day that he would be taking a leave of absence from the team due to his ongoing hip injury issues.

Given that sad news, a lineup spot down the middle of the ice has opened up and the NHL schedule does not stop so it needs to be filled.

Head coach Spencer Carbery gave the first indication of who could take that spot at practice on Monday, Connor McMichael, and followed that up with a full set of lines on Wednesday that left no further questions about the young forward’s involvement.

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By Chris Cerullo 4 weeks ago

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Spencer Carbery completely changes Capitals’ lines again ahead of Wild game

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is taking a hammer to his forward lines once again after the team’s first regulation victory of the season, a 6-4 shootout against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. Carbery introduced the new forward groupings during the team’s morning skate ahead of its game against the Minnesota Wild later in the night. Many of the lines first came together against the Devils.

Most notably, the Capitals’ top line looks more similar to the end of last season, putting together Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and Tom Wilson. The Matthew Phillips top-line experiment is over as the prospect has been bumped down to the bottom line.

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By Ian Oland 1 month ago

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Spencer Carbery changes all the Capitals’ defense pairings ahead of Leafs game

Two days after suffering their third loss in four games, the Washington Capitals are making more big changes to their lineup.

Head coach Spencer Carbery tinkered with all of the team’s defense pairings during Monday’s practice to try and find some much-needed chemistry on the backend.

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By Ian Oland 1 month ago

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Matthew Phillips earns promotion to top line, Hardy Haman Aktell skates on third pairing as Capitals prepare for Canadiens

The Washington Capitals got back onto the ice on Friday after having a day off post their humbling defeat to the Ottawa Senators. Through three games to start the season, the Capitals have been out-scored by their opponents 12 to 4 and have trailed 122:42 of 185 possible minutes.

“We’re really struggling from a standpoint of we’ve got a lot of guys looking to find their games early in the season and aren’t there,” head coach Spencer Carbery said Wednesday. “So, okay. That’s fine. Usually it’s a few (guys), but we have more than you would call normal. So trying to find our game.”

Carbery is doing his part by mixed up the line combinations and defense pairings at practice before Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 month ago

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Spencer Carbery switches up all of Capitals’ forward lines after two uneven games

The Washington Capitals jumped onto the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Tuesday after picking up their first standings points of the season the night prior. The team wasn’t in love with their overall performance in their 3-2 shootout win over the Calgary Flames which came off the back of a very disappointing 4-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Opening Night.

“It wasn’t comfortable for 65 minutes plus the shootout,” head coach Spencer Carbery said postgame. “We’re trying to find it. We’re just off a little bit.”

Given his team’s uneven start to the season, Carbery put his forward lines into a blender and came up with four new units before the Capitals get right back to game action on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 month ago

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Anthony Mantha appears set to be healthy scratch against Flames

The Washington Capitals jumped on the ice for practice on Sunday for the first time since getting shut out in their Home Opener by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Capitals are preparing to put that disappointment behind them as they’ll host the Calgary Flames at Capital One Arena on Monday night.

While Friday’s season-opening matchup featured a couple of last minute roster tweaks due to the absence of starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper, those moves have now been reset. The biggest news is that Aliaksei Protas is back from his paper move to the Hershey Bears and has been immediately has been placed in his normal right wing spot on the team’s fourth line.

Protas’ arrival back into the fray turned Anthony Mantha into the extra forward at Sunday’s skate. That suggests Mantha will be healthy-scratched against the Flames.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 month ago

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Anthony Mantha skates on fourth line after Capitals’ Opening Night roster reveal

The Washington Capitals took the ice for practice on Wednesday, but not at their usual digs. Alex Ovechkin and crew skated at the Talbot County Ice Skating Rink in Easton, Maryland. The team made the trip out to the Eastern Shore for team bonding on Monday afternoon.

The Capitals golfed during their day off on Tuesday, but got back to business today as they prepare to open their season at home on Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The team officially announced their Opening Night roster hours before the practice, and made updates to their lines in what could be a preview of the lineup Spencer Carbery could deploy in his first official NHL game as bench boss.

The most notable change was the addition of Anthony Mantha back into the fray on the right wing of the fourth line.

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By Chris Cerullo 2 months ago

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Spencer Carbery puts together first forward lines and defense pairings with Capitals’ 23-man roster

The NHL preseason is officially over as teams have just a handful of hours before they need to finalize their 23-man rosters. While puck drop on the new season begins Tuesday, the Washington Capitals must wait until Friday to get their campaign underway.

During his first regular-season practice with the team’s 23-man roster, new head coach Spencer Carbery debuted his new forward lines and defense pairings.

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By Chris Cerullo 2 months ago

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