The Capitals head into Tuesday night in Raleigh with plenty still unsettled, and even the lineup itself won’t be locked in until the last possible moment.
Spencer Carbery said Washington’s full group for the matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes will be a “game-time” decision. That uncertainty reaches both ends of the roster, with the coach saying, “Lineup-wise, there's just too many things going on,” and adding, “It'll be game-time for our lineup for our back end and up front.”
There is one certainty: Logan Thompson gets the start in net. It will be his fourth straight game. Charlie Lindgren is lined up to start Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Washington is also working around several absences. Pierre-Luc Dubois is still out because of illness, while Matt Roy will miss a fourth straight game with a day-to-day lower-body injury.
Alex Tuch skated Tuesday after taking a maintenance day Monday, but he remains a game-time decision as well. If he can’t go, Ivan Miroshnichenko is expected to come into the lineup.
The blue line remains an area of attention too. Dylan McIlrath has been drawing in, and the Capitals added another layer of insurance Monday by recalling Justin Holl. Carbery said Holl’s transition would be straightforward if he’s needed for one of the back-to-back games.
“So fresh coming off training camp, he's basically seen and gone through every single meeting, played exhibition games with us, played a few games in Hershey, but it's pretty seamless (if he draws in),” Carbery added.
Tuesday also carries extra weight for Alex Ovechkin, who is set to begin his farewell tour at the building where his NHL story started. This is expected to be his final game at Lenovo Center, where he was drafted first overall in 2004.
“I have such great memories here... It's a special, special place for me,” Ovechkin said Tuesday.
He said he expects tributes along the way as he plays out his final NHL season, and he’s eager to see how the night unfolds.
“Last year we did it with (Anze) Kopitar, two years ago it was (Marc-Andre) Fleury. We have battles, we have some rivalries, but respect for each other, it's very important thing,” Ovechkin said. “I don't know how emotional I'm gonna be, but we'll see.”
Puck drop is set for 6:45 p.m. in Raleigh.
In Other News...
Capitals Let A Winnable Road Game Slip Away For One Frustrating Reason
The Capitals had a road game in Carolina that was there to be taken, and for a while it looked like they might drag it into a tighter finish. Justin Holl gave them a lift in his Washington debut, finishing off a play from Dylan Strome, while Logan Thompson turned aside 31 shots to keep the margin manageable. Boone Jenner also kept rolling with his third goal in as many games, but the Capitals still had enough chances to stay right there.
Instead, the game kept tilting away from them in the kind of sequence that leaves a bench irritated for the rest of the night. Washington had one goal wiped out on a goaltender interference call, then lost a similar challenge on a Carolina score a few minutes later, and the penalties and momentum swings kept piling up from there. By the end, the 4-2 loss felt less like a runaway and more like one that slipped through their hands for a very specific reason. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Blue Line Suddenly Has A New Name Fans Need To Watch
The Capitals blue line got a quick new look when the club brought up defenseman Justin Holl from Hershey, adding him into the mix as head coach Spencer Carbery shuffled the lineup. Washington has been balancing veterans and prospects on defense, so Holls arrival gave the group a different feel right away and offered another option at a spot that has been in flux.
Holl wasted little time making an impression in his first game as a Capital, jumping into the offense in the 4-2 loss to Carolina and showing why the staff wanted to see what he could bring. With the defense still adjusting around him, his early impact is giving Washington at least one new name to watch as the group settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Just Ran Into A Carolina Team Finding Another Gear
The Capitals ran into a Carolina team that has clearly found another level, with the Hurricanes stretching their winning streak to six games in a 4-2 victory. Washington had to deal with a fast, confident group that kept rolling through key contributors, including Sebastian Aho, who set up two goals, and Pyotr Kochetkov, who continued his sharp run in net by picking up his fourth win in four starts.
Carolina also kept getting secondary scoring at the right moments, which has been a big part of why this stretch has looked so convincing. Mark Jankowski added to that momentum by extending his goal streak, a late touch that fit the tone of a night when the Hurricanes looked deeper and more dangerous than the team Washington saw earlier this season. [Read more 🡒]