Washington will be without Pierre-Luc Dubois tonight against Seattle, and that leaves a notable hole right down the middle. The Capitals said Dubois is out because of illness, while Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reported that Matt Roy skated today even though he remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Dubois, 28, has opened the season well with four points in four games, and his 17:04 of ice time ranks third among Washington forwards behind only Tom Wilson and Alex Tuch. That workload makes the absence easier to notice, especially after he was limited to 29 games last season following abdominal surgery.
On a more optimistic note for the Capitals, this should be a short-term issue. Dubois had been considered a game-time decision, so the expectation is that tonight may be his only miss before Washington’s back-to-back begins Tuesday in Carolina and then returns home Wednesday to face Montreal.
With Dubois sidelined, Ilya Protas slides up to the top line. For the 20-year-old, who is only eight games into his NHL career, it will be a night to remember: he’ll center his brother Aliaksei and Alex Ovechkin.
Roy’s situation also continues to shape Washington’s blue line. The 31-year-old left late in the second period on October 2 against Tampa Bay, and the Capitals have had to adjust without a steady shutdown defender who regularly throws hits and blocks shots. Vincent Desharnais has filled a bigger role from the second pair, logging more than 21 minutes in each of the last two games, while Dylan McIlrath - a three-time Calder Cup champion - has been paired with Cole Hutson.
Around the league, Joseph Woll gets the start for Philadelphia against the defending champion Hurricanes. The Flyers have stumbled badly through October, sitting at 0-4-2 and ahead of only Calgary in the standings, with the Flames still sitting on no points in five games. Philadelphia played last night and lost 5-1, so the decision to go with Woll isn’t exactly a surprise, but it does put a spotlight on how the club responds tonight.
The Flyers’ rough start has been tied in large part to Dan Vladar, who has not yet stolen a game for them and has allowed 15 goals in three appearances. That said, Philadelphia’s problems run deeper than goaltending.
The team is dead last in the league with seven goals, and only two of those came while Vladar was in net. Woll, meanwhile, has looked far sharper early in his Flyers tenure, posting a .927 save percentage and turning aside 37 and 41 shots in a pair of overtime losses.
It’s still a small sample, but if that continues, the goaltending conversation in Philadelphia could get loud, especially after the club gave Vladar a five-year, $5.5MM extension in July.
Elsewhere, Devils forward Evan Rodrigues was fined $5,000, the maximum amount, for his actions in yesterday’s game against Vancouver. The league labeled the play as “high-sticking”, but it came away from the puck after a faceoff scrum.
After a light shove from Marco Rossi, Rodrigues answered by driving his stick blade into Rossi’s chest just below the neck. He received a double-minor, and Rossi was not seriously hurt.
Rodrigues has generally stayed out of trouble over his career. A dependable defensive forward, he has never had more than 38 penalty minutes in a season and has never been suspended. His only previous discipline came five years ago with Pittsburgh, when he was fined $2,500 for a dangerous trip against former Senator Zach Sanford.
In Other News...
Capitals First Line Is Giving This Team A Different Ceiling
Washingtons fast start has come with an early identity shift, and its showing up most clearly at the top of the lineup. Through a 3-1-0 opening, the Capitals have gotten noticeable pop from a first line built around size, speed and responsibility, with Alex Tuch, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson driving play at both ends. Coach Spencer Carbery has already pointed to the wingers two-way work and Duboiss ability to anchor the middle as reasons the group fits so naturally.
What makes it so intriguing is how quickly the line has looked like more than a hot start. The Capitals are finding offense from a unit that can also handle the heavier defensive assignments, which gives them a different kind of ceiling than a team leaning on pure scoring talent alone. If this trio keeps tilting the ice the way it has early, Washingtons early-season momentum could become something much more meaningful than a nice opening week. [Read more 🡒]