The Washington Capitals are set to host the rival Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. This matchup will conclude the team’s two-game homestand at Capital One Arena.
The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Both teams are fighting for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, as they are only separated by one point.
The Capitals are coming off a 2-0 win over Columbus on Sunday night. The team then took the day off on Monday and Tuesday before returning to practice on Wednesday.
The Capitals’ victory over Columbus came in the team’s sixth game in the span of 10 nights, as they went an impressive 5-0-1.
In terms of injuries, John Carlson is expected to return to the lineup after missing the last three games with an upper-body ailment. His participation in Wednesday’s practice was a clear sign.
Meanwhile, Carolina just concluded a seven-game homestand where they also beat Columbus 4-1 on Tuesday. They finished their two-week homestand at 4-3-0, and will now play five of their next six games on the road.
The Capitals took the previous meeting against Carolina back on Nov. 11, as they left Raleigh with a 4-1 victory.
Expected Capitals Lines
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Connor McMichael
Aliaksei Protas – Justin Sourdif – Tom Wilson
Anthony Beauvillier – Nic Dowd – Ethen Frank
Brandon Duhaime – Hendrix Lapierre – Sonny Milano
Defensemen
Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun – Matt Roy
Rasmus Sandin – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Goalie
Logan Thompson
Expected Hurricanes Lines
Forwards
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Nikolaj Ehlers – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
William Carrier – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
Taylor Hall – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson
Defensemen
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Jalen Chatfield
Alexander Nikishin – Joel Nystrom
Goalie
Brandon Bussi
How to Watch
TV: Monumental Sports Network
Radio: 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio Network
