Caps First Line Back On the Ice

The Capitals will give their trusted first line - Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson - an opportunity to recapture its playoff chemistry before the start of the new season.

The trio, which combined for 74 points during the Stanley Cup run, will all see their first exhibition action Thursday as the Capitals travel to Quebec City to take on the Montreal Canadiens.
"It might take us a couple of games [to gel] but that's what preseason's for," Wilson said. "We're expecting to pick up where we left off [by October], and continue to drive forward and make a difference on every shift."
As for the decision to keep the continuity on the first line, Wilson added: "At the end of the day, it worked. You don't mess with success."

During the regular season, the three forwards played together for 230 minutes of five-on-five time. They recorded 15 goals as a unit and generated 233 shot attempts.
That success continued during the playoffs. The three were virtually inseparable, playing together for another 226 minutes at five-on-five while producing another 15 goals en route to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship.
Kuznetsov led the playoffs with 32 points (12g, 20a), a new franchise record and the highest playoff point total over the last five seasons, while Ovechkin set a franchise record for goals in a postseason (15). Wilson adds physicality to complete one of the league's most dangerous fronts.
"With those guys, I mean they're so good with the puck you try to get it to them and 'Kuzy' and 'Ovi' will make things happen," Wilson said. "They're two of the best players in the world, so it's a huge privilege to play with them, any night."

Fast forward to September, Washington's first line has a chance to find its success even earlier. And from a communication standpoint, preseason provides the ideal challenge. As Kuznetsov noted, this is the time of year when players aren't yet in their top physical condition, and as such, can't rely on speed and physicality to counterbalance poor timing and position.
"That means you have to help your partner [even more], you have to get close to him and talk a little more than you used to," he said. Building chemistry, Kuznetsov said, is all about communication.
Ovechkin is confident they'll return to form sooner than later.
"I think we're going to play the same way," he said. "We know how to play. We know how the system works and this will give us a chance for a fast start to the year."