Isles Day to Day: Isles to Play Capitals in First Round

Barry Trotz told the Washington Capitals they'd have to

"It'll be a hell of a series," Trotz said. "Both teams are well-equipped to go at each other."
The obvious intrigue is Trotz coaching against his former team, two years after leading Washington to the franchise's first Stanley Cup. Trotz tried to downplay the personal storyline during Sunday's media availability, but he'll look to use his personal and institutional knowledge of the Capitals to the Islanders advantage when the series starts. Eleven Capitals - including Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and Braden Holtby - played under Trotz in the 2018 Final.

"You spend some time with a lot of the players, but there are a lot of new players," Trotz said. "It just gives me a little insight into some of their tendencies, that's all."
The Islanders are 4-4-0 vs the Capitals under Trotz, winning all four games on the road. The Isles went 2-2-0 against Washington this season. Washington went 41-20-8 this season and was leading the Metropolitan Division in both points (90) and points percentage (.652) at the time of the NHL's pause. The Capitals were the NHL's second-highest scoring team (3.42 goals-per-game) during the regular season - trailing only Tampa Bay. Carlson, who missed all three round-robin games, led the team in assists (60) and points (75), while Ovechkin led the team with 48 goals.
"That group has a lot of pedigree, a lot of star power, and they've won championships, they are well-equipped in a lot of areas," Trotz said. "The biggest challenge is to play them even and play them hard. They'll do the same because I know a lot about that group."
This also marks the eighth postseason meeting between the clubs. The Islanders hold a 5-2 series advantage, winning in 1983, 84, 85, 87 and 93, while the Capitals won in 1986 and 2015. Trotz coached the Capitals to their 2015 win over the Islanders.

BOYCHUK PRACTICES WITH ISLES

Johnny Boychuk practiced with the Islanders on Sunday, taking the ice with the team for the first time since leaving Game 1 after taking a high hit from Panthers' defenseman Mike Matheson. Andy Greene played Games 2, 3 and 4 in place of Boychuk.
"We had everybody (at practice) today," Trotz said. "We're good to go."

MEDIA AVAILABILITY:

Video: Barry Trotz Availability: 8/9