Yahoo Sports Capitals vs. Hurricanes Preview: Line Combinations, Stats, Storylines To Watch In Caps' Biggest Test Yet
The Washington Capitals are off to their hottest start in years, but they're in for a true test on Sunday as they head to Raleigh for a meeting with the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes.
It'll be a true test for the Metropolitan Division-leading Capitals, as Carolina is the other top dog in the East and is enjoying its own great surge to start the year.
Here's everything to know before puck drop at 5 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center.
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Washington Capitals Line Combinations
The Capitals are sticking with what worked against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, as the team managed a five-goal first period and eventual 7-2 victory just 24 hours ago, but they're making one more slight tweak.
Sonny Milano will come in for Jakub Vrana as Milano gets a game in following eight consecutive healthy scratches. Vrana and Mike Sgarbossa will sit out up front. On defense, the pairings will remain the same, with call-up Vincent Iorio serving as the extra and Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy still sidelined with injury.
The only other change for Washington will come in net, as Charlie Lindgren will start following Logan Thompson's busy 34-save win over Columbus.
Here are the lines:
Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Aliaksei Protas
Connor McMichael-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Tom Wilson
Andrew Mangiapane-Hendrix Lapierre-Sonny Milano
Brandon Duhaime-Nic Dowd-Taylor Raddysh
Martin Fehervary-John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin-Dylan McIlrath
Alex Alexeyev-Trevor van Riemsdyk
Charlie Lindgren
Logan Thompson
Washington Capitals Stats
- The offense continues to click for Washington; all four lines got on the scoresheet Saturday, and the Capitals have managed five or more goals in five of their last seven outings. D.C. has scored at least three goals in all but one outing this season, and its average of 4.40 goals per game is the third-best in the league.
That'll again be key against the Hurricanes, who average 3.89 goals per game and are one of the league's more dangerous teams on offense.
- Dylan Strome has points in nine of 10 appearances this season. His 16 points lead the Capitals, and he's on pace for a 131-point season.
Washington Capitals Players & Storylines To Watch
- Alex Ovechkin is on a roll with four goals in his last three games. All of those tallies have come at 5-on-5, and he's on pace for 49 goals this season, which would set him up to pass Wayne Gretzky in the spring.
Look for him to be vital against the high-flying Hurricanes as he looks to keep his hot streak alive. In 90 career outings against Carolina, the 39-year-old has 50 goals.
- Connor McMichael can't be stopped and remains on a hot streak to open the season. He has goals and points in three straight games and 10 points in his last eight games. He continues to produce at over a point-per-game pace, and his shooting percentage, speed and consistency have taken center stage as he, Tom Wilson and Pierre-Luc Dubois manage to be a threat shift after shift.
- Aliaksei Protas is on a tear of his own, with goals and points in three straight games, with six points total over that span. The 23-year-old is living up to expectations set for him, and he's also thriving on that top line with Ovechkin and Strome.
- Hendrix Lapierre had an extra jump in his step on Saturday and looked refreshed and rejuvenated after getting the chance to reset with two games out of the lineup. Watch for him to be more of a threat going forward as he looks to get back to the level of play he was performing at at the end of last season.
- Speaking of healthy scratches, Sonny Milano will play his first game since the season opener as he draws in for Jakub Vrana. Nothing Vrana did; just gets him a game in.
- The power play continues to see its struggles, and it will have to come up big against the Hurricanes, who have the seventh-best penalty kill in the league and fifth-best PP.
