SKATE SHAVINGS - News and Notes From Caps' Morning Skate

Bright Side Of The Road - The Caps open up a five-game road trip on Thursday night in Toronto, their first regular season visit to the Big Smoke since October of 2019. Among the eight Eastern Conference teams destined for the playoffs, the Leafs are the only one the Caps have yet to defeat this season.

Washington carries a season high four-game winning streak into tonight's game, and it will also be seeking its sixth straight road victory, which would match the franchise's all-time record. The Caps won six straight road games in 1983-84, and they matched that mark in 2010-11. Since winning six straight road games in '10-11, the Caps have strung together five straight road wins on five separate occasions, including once earlier this season.
When they arrived at Scotiabank Arena this morning, the Caps were without center Evgeny Kuznetsov (illness) and defenseman Dmitry Orlov (lower body). Orlov will miss a second straight game tonight while Kuznetsov is expected to be a game-time decision. At Thursday's morning skate, Connor McMichael manned the middle of Washington's top line in Kuznetsov's absence, skating between Alex Ovechkin and Connor Sheary.
Kuznetsov has been one of Washington's most consistent and hottest offensive performers in recent weeks. He has collected at least a point in 17 of his last 18 games, totaling 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) over that span.
"It's obviously unexpected; Kuzy was with us [Wednesday] and then he wasn't with us this morning," says Sheary. "But I think he's still a game time decision, so we'll just have to be prepared for anything. The lines won't change too much whether he's in or out; obviously we'll be missing a really good player if he can't play. But it's just next man up, keep playing the same way we are, and someone is going to have to fill that role."
As he did so ably and capably on Tuesday against Philadelphia, Matt Irwin is expected to fill in during Orlov's absence on the blueline tonight.
Toronto is also coming in hot, the Leafs are 7-1-1 in their last nine games and the Leafs figure to be a bit surly in the wake of a 5-2 home ice loss to the Sabres here on Tuesday.
"There's lots of challenges," says Caps coach Peter Laviolette of facing the Leafs. "They play with speed, they have skill. They're dangerous. We talk about that, we talk about being sharp defensively, making sure we're doing the right things defensively."
Chemistry Class -It's been three and a half weeks now since the NHL trade deadline passed, and only about two and a half weeks remain in the 2021-22 regular season. For Caps forward Johan Larsson, who came to Washington from Arizona hours ahead of the March 21 deadline, it's the first time in his career he has been dealt at the deadline.
Throw in the fact that he spent his first 10 days or so in Washington in the final stages of rehab from sports hernia surgery in January, and that he is now trying to adjust to a new home and surroundings, new linemates and a new system, and it's been a bit of a whirlwind for the hard-working Swedish winger.
"It's been a lot of things, obviously," says Larsson. "I've just been trying to get into it and talking and communicating with everyone so I know what to do out there. The last couple of games have felt much better; I kind of know where to go and where to be a little bit. So that's better, and you get into better game shape with every game you play, and that's good."
As for developing chemistry with new linemates Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway, Larsson believes it comes down to reps, whether they come in practice or in on-ice shifts during games.
"For me, it's just being out there with them on the ice," says Larsson, "even in practice or whatever. Just learning their tendencies, where they go and how they like to play. I know what kind pf players they are from before, but it's always good to get out there and communicate and know where to go. It takes a little time, but I think the last couple of games have been good for us."
With Carl Hagelin lost for the season because of an eye injury, Washington picked up Larsson at the deadline. A center by trade, Larsson is capable of playing any of the forward positions, and with each game he seems to be a better fit alongside his new linemates.
"I think he brings a skill element to the line," says Dowd. "Don't get me wrong, we do miss Haggy a lot; we had a really good thing going on, nothing against Larry. But obviously me, Hath and Hags were playing really well together and we found our niche there for a couple of years.
"But with Larry jumping in, he makes a lot of plays and is not afraid to hold onto the puck down low and the [offensive] zone, which kind of brings another wrinkle to our line. But I also think you're also A), seeing a guy that's getting used to new systems, and B), he hadn't played a game in a while because he came off of injury surgery. And he's a centerman, a natural center and he is playing left wing.
"When you combine the three of those things, I think it's a tough way to start with a new organization. But I think you're going to see him get better and better, and more comfortable. He's really starting to understand what Hath and I and Hags did as a line for so long, and I think he's going to take pride in that, and like I said, he's just going to get better and better."
In The Nets - Both Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek have started one of Washington's last two games, and both goaltenders yielded just two goals against. It's the first time in more than a month (since March 3-5), that the Caps have yielded two or fewer goals in consecutive contests. With the Caps playing every other day for their next eight games, it will be interesting to see how Washington handles its goaltending assignments leading up to the final weekend of the season, when it will next play a set of back-to-back games.
Tonight, it will be Samsonov between the pipes for the Caps against the Maple Leafs. Samsonov started Washington's previous game against the Leafs this season, back on Feb. 28 in D.C. He was reached for three goals on 10 shots in 20 minutes of work in that game before yielding to Vanecek at the outset of the second period, with two of the three goals against coming in the final 71 seconds of the first frame.
Samsonov carries a personal five game winning streak into tonight's game, and he has helped the Caps to at least a point in each of his last six starts. Over that span, he is 5-0-1 in seven appearances, with a 2.93 GAA and an .888 save pct.
On the road this season, Samsonov is 13-4-2 with a pair of shutouts, a 2.87 GAA, and a .908 save pct. in 20 appearances. In his two career appearances against Toronto, he is 1-0-0 with a 4.50 GAA and an .857 save pct.
Jack Campbell will be in goal tonight for Toronto. An Atlantic Division All-Star this season, Campbell is 27-9-5 on the season with four shutouts, a 2.72 GAA and a .912 save pct. Campbell endured some struggles after the All-Star appearance in early February, but that slippage may be at least in part attributable to a rib injury that kept him out of the lineup for much of March.
Since returning to action, Campbell is 3-0-1 in his last four starts with a 3.48 GAA and an .891 save pct. Lifetime against the Capitals, he is 0-1-0 with a 3.11 GAA and an .857 save pct. in a single appearance.
All Lined Up -Here's how the Caps and the Maple Leafs might look on Thursday night in Toronto:
WASHINGTON
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 24-McMichael, 73-Sheary
90-Johansson, 19-Backstrom, 77-Oshie
39-Mantha, 20-Eller, 43-Wilson
22-Larsson, 26-Dowd, 21-Hathaway
Defensemen
42-Fehervary, 74-Carlson
57-van Riemsdyk, 3-Jensen
52-Irwin, 2-Schultz
Goaltenders
30-Samsonov
41-Vanecek
Extras
6-Kempny
45-Jonsson-Fjallby
Injured/Out
9-Orlov (lower body)
62-Hagelin (upper body)
91-Snively (upper body)
92-Kuznetsov (illness)
TORONTO
Forwards
58-Bunting, 34-Matthews, 16-Marner
65-Mikheyev, 91-Tavares, 15-Kerfoot
88-Nylander, 64-Kampf, 47-Engvall
43-Clifford, 11-Blackwell, 24-Simmonds
Defensemen
44-Rielly, 46-Lyubushkin
8-Muzzon, 78-Brodie
55-Giordano, 37-Liljegren
Goaltenders
36-Campbell
50-Kallgren
Extras
3-Holl
19-Spezza
26-Abruzzese
Injured/Out
25-Kase (concussion)
35-Mrazek (groin)
38-Sandin (knee)