CAPITALS (17-10-5) at ISLANDERS (16-9-9)
7:30 p.m. ET; MNMT2, MSGSN
Capitals projected lineup
Alex Ovechkin -- Connor McMichael -- Tom Wilson
Aliaskei Protas -- Dylan Strome -- Anthony Mantha
Hendrix Lapierre -- Evgeni Kuznetsov -- Matthew Phillips
Beck Malenstyn -- Nic Dowd -- Nicholas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary -- John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin -- Trevo Van Reimsdyk
Joel Edmundson -- Nick Jensen
Charlie Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: Alex Alexeyev, Ivan Miroshnichenko
Injured: Niklas Backstrom (lower body), Sonny Milano (upper body), T.J. Oshie (lower body), Ethan Bear (shoulder surgery), Max Pacioretty (torn Achilles tendon)
Islanders projected lineup
Anders Lee -- Bo Horvat -- Mathew Barzal
Pierre Engvall -- Brock Nelson – Kyle Palmieri
Simon Holmstrom -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Julien Gauthier
Hudson Fasching -- Casey Cizikas -- Cal Clutterbuck
Alexander Romanov -- Noah Dobson
Samuel Bolduc -- Robert Bortuzzo
Mike Reilly -- Sebastian Aho
Ilya Sorokin
Ken Appleby
Scratched: Oliver Wahlstrom
Injured: Matt Martin (upper body), Adam Pelech (upper body), Ryan Pulock (lower body), Scott Mayfield (upper body), Semyon Varlamov (undisclosed)
Status report
Pacioretty, a forward, and Bear, a defenseman, each could make his season debut against the Nashville Predators on Saturday; Bear signed a two-year contract with the Capitals on Thursday after having surgery in June. ... Lindgren will make his third start in four games. ... Sorokin will start after allowing six goals on 25 shots through two periods in a 7-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. ... Varlamov is day to day after Islanders coach Lane Lambert said the goalie "tweaked something" in relief of Sorokin on Wednesday. ... Appleby was recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Thursday and will back up Sorokin. ... Cizikas is a game-time decision because of illness, but took part in New York's morning skate Friday.
