This exhibition game in Toronto is a matchup of the Eastern Conference First Round in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Hurricanes upset the Capitals in seven games. There are questions to be answered. Who will be the backup goalie for the Capitals behind Braden Holtby now that Ilya Samsonov has been ruled out for the postseason? Will it be Pheonix Copley or Vitek Vanecek? Each spent the entire season with Hershey in the AHL. Also, will we get extended looks at forward Connor McMichael and defenseman Alexander Alexeyev? Each is a recent first-round pick who was included on the 31-man roster. Carolina needs to sort out its plan in case defenseman Dougie Hamilton isn't ready for the Qualifiers. Trade-acquisition defensemen Sami Vatanen and Brady Skjei each should get a long look in this game.
