Kuznetsov game-time decision for Capitals in Game 3 of Final

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Evgeny Kuznetsov will be a game-time decision for the Washington Capitals for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS), coach Barry Trotz said.
The 26-year-old forward, who took part in the morning skate, left a 3-2 win in Game 2 in Las Vegas on Wednesday with an upper-body injury sustained on a hit from Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb with 5:18 remaining in the first period.

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Kuznetsov took line rushes Saturday in his regular spot at center on the top line between Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. He also worked with the first power-play unit.
"We'll see. We'll see," Kuznetsov said when asked if he'll play. "It feels better every day."
The best-of-7 series is tied 1-1.
Although Kuznetsov was a full participant in an optional practice Friday, Trotz said he had yet to be medically cleared to play.
Kuznetsov leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists), a Capitals postseason record and one more than Ovechkin (13 goals, 11 assists). Kuznetsov also set a Capitals record with an 11-game postseason point streak (six goals, 10 assists) that ended Wednesday.

Kuznetsov skated off the ice holding his left wrist Wednesday but did not appear to have any trouble shooting, passing or receiving passes Friday or Saturday. Asked if he feared something was broken, Kuznetsov said, "If something was broken, I would not sit here. I would be in the ambulance. But no. … It's a hockey play and sometimes they hit us and sometimes we're going to hit them."
Center Jay Beagle said Friday that Kuznetsov wanted to return later in Game 2, but the Capitals decided to hold him out as a precaution.
"In these type of games, you always want to play, but you have to do better for your team and you have to understand it doesn't matter who you are, what kind of player," Kuznetsov said. "You have to understand, 'Can you help the team or no?' That's the biggest part. You have to understand it and you have to communicate with the coaches, doctors and everybody, can you help the team?
"It doesn't mean what you want. Sometimes it's just emotional. You want to play every game, but you have to do what's best for the team."
Kuznetsov refrained from saying he feels good enough to help the team in Game 3.
"I don't know," he said. "We'll see if I'm in. I definitely can help in the morning skate, no?"
Kuznetsov is third among Capitals forwards in average ice time at 20:36 per game (behind Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin, each averaging 20:57) and a key part of their power play, which is scoring at 29.0 percent in the playoffs (second in the NHL behind the Boston Bruins at 36.4 percent), particularly on breakouts and offensive-zone entries.
"He's a big part of our team," forward T.J. Oshie said. "Numbers aside, I think he brings so much momentum and puck control to our team that even if he doesn't score that shift, a lot of times he can skate out of pressure in our end and get some [offensive] zone time to where when he's changing, maybe the other team's line get stuck out there and we score on the next shift or on the power play, Lars [Eller] did a great job last game, but [Kuznetsov] can sometimes just skate into the zone by himself and get us set up."