Capitals @ Leafs - Apr. 17th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[CarltonTheBear]

@

55-19-8, 118 points | 40-27-15, 95 points


Projected Lines

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie Johansson-Kuznetsov-Williams Connolly-Eller-Burakovsky Winnik-Beagle-Wilson Alzner-Carlson Orlov-Niskanen Orpik-Shattenkirk Holtby ​

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander Komarov-Kadri-Brown JVR-Bozak-Marner Martin-Boyle-Kapanen Gardiner-Marincin Rielly-Carrick Hunwick-Marchenko Andersen​

Scratches

Paul Carey Nate Schmidt Taylor Chorney ​

Ben Smith Nikita Soshnikov Josh Leivo Roman Polak Nikita Zaitsev​

Game Notes

WSH
?Braden Holtby will start for the Capitals
?Trotz has talked about maybe tinkering his lines and d-pairings for this game after only getting a split in Washington

TOR
?Frederik Andersen will start for the Leafs
?Obviously, the big thing to watch out for this morning will be the status of Nikita Zaitsev. He skated yesterday and announced to the twitter world in a since-deleted tweet that he would be returning soon
?If Zaitsev can't go, the Leafs would need to use Alexei Marchenko. Please god be well Zaitsev
Injuries

​

?Nathan Horton - Back - Out indefinitely ?Joffrey Lupul - ?\_(?)_/? - Out indefinitely ?Stephane Robidas - Old - Out indefinitely ?Eric Fehr - Hand - Out indefinitely ?Roman Polak - Knee - Out indefinitely ?Nikita Soshnikov - Undisclosed - Day to day ?Josh Leivo - Undisclosed - Day to day ?Nikita Zaitsev - Upper Body - Possible Monday​

Stream Options

https://www.reddit.com/r/NHLstreams
​

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

RED ALERT:

https://twitter.com/Real_ESPNLeBrun/status/853977794870751232

I approve of his use of all caps.

 

[Kin]

Getting Zaitsev back would be a big boost but I hope for his sake and ours, assuming he was concussed, that he's not trying to rush back. If he's still going to sign for 7 years I'd rather have him take it easy and return 100%.

 

[Kaberle15]

Lets go for the W. Please, no Triple OT.

Go Leafs Go!!!

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Getting Zaitsev back would be a big boost but I hope for his sake and ours, assuming he was concussed, that he's not trying to rush back. If he's still going to sign for 7 years I'd rather have him take it easy and return 100%.

It's happening.

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/853990332282933248

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Gardiner-Zaitsev
Hunwick-Rielly
Marincin-Carrick

That certainly looks a heck of a lot better than above. Although like Nik says hopefully he isn't being rushed back. I know it's easy to say "well he wouldn't be playing if he wasn't cleared" but there's just way too many examples of concussions being mishandled to not have some scepticism when this type of situation arises.

Also, I hope they keep Rielly on the powerplay.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

Getting Zaitsev back would be a big boost but I hope for his sake and ours, assuming he was concussed, that he's not trying to rush back. If he's still going to sign for 7 years I'd rather have him take it easy and return 100%.

Perhaps it has all been lip service but Babcock has gone out of his way on multiple occasions to say injury stuff is out of his hands completely.  They've definitely been projecting a kind of separation from church and state on this issue. 

 

[Kin]

Perhaps it has all been lip service but Babcock has gone out of his way on multiple occasions to say injury stuff is out of his hands completely.  They've definitely been projecting a kind of separation from church and state on this issue.

Sure but I didn't say "I hope he isn't being rushed back" but rather "I hope...he's not trying to rush back". A lot of times when guys come back too soon, to their credit, it's because they're trying to get back and they really want to be out there.

 

[ZBBM]

Polak was battling Ovechkin pretty hard whenever he got the chance before he went down. Nobody else on D has the mutton to do that so we'll have to outwit the fiend using our superior intelligence.

 

[Frank E]

Polak was battling Ovechkin pretty hard whenever he got the chance before he went down. Nobody else on D has the mutton to do that so we'll have to outwit the fiend using our superior intelligence.

I think maybe Hunwick is the only other guy that can effectively play that grinding game...maybe he gets the Ovechkin assignment now.

 

[herman]

Ovechkin is left wing, so likely it'll be Zaitsev that draws that match (national team familiarity too). Zaitsev is no slouch in the toughness department; he's just more subtle about it.

 

[Frank E]

Ovechkin is left wing, so likely it'll be Zaitsev that draws that match (national team familiarity too). Zaitsev is no slouch in the toughness department; he's just more subtle about it.

I agree, except Zaitsev's coming off a head injury.  And I know OV plays Polak's side, I just think maybe they move Hunwick over given the circumstances.

 

[herman]

Ovechkin is left wing, so likely it'll be Zaitsev that draws that match (national team familiarity too). Zaitsev is no slouch in the toughness department; he's just more subtle about it.

I agree, except Zaitsev's coming off a head injury.  And I know OV plays Polak's side, I just think maybe they move Hunwick over given the circumstances.

Rielly or Marincin still strike me as better right side options than Hunwick (mobility). 

 

[nutman]

Ovechkin is left wing, so likely it'll be Zaitsev that draws that match (national team familiarity too). Zaitsev is no slouch in the toughness department; he's just more subtle about it.

I agree, except Zaitsev's coming off a head injury.  And I know OV plays Polak's side, I just think maybe they move Hunwick over given the circumstances.

Rielly or Marincin still strike me as better right side options than Hunwick (mobility).

pick pick pick..... It just don't matter..... We are hot and going to get hotter. The coach will do whats right, thats why he is the best in the game. I am just soooo hyped we got Zaltsev back. Lets kick some caps butt. Go Leafs Go.

 

[Frank E]

Ovechkin is left wing, so likely it'll be Zaitsev that draws that match (national team familiarity too). Zaitsev is no slouch in the toughness department; he's just more subtle about it.

I agree, except Zaitsev's coming off a head injury.  And I know OV plays Polak's side, I just think maybe they move Hunwick over given the circumstances.

Rielly or Marincin still strike me as better right side options than Hunwick (mobility).

pick pick pick..... It just don't matter we are hot and going to get hotter. The coach will do whats right, thats why he is the best in the game. I am just soooo hyped we got Zaltsev back. Lets kick so caps butt. Go Leafs Go.

^Has already started drinking.

 

[nutman]

Ovechkin is left wing, so likely it'll be Zaitsev that draws that match (national team familiarity too). Zaitsev is no slouch in the toughness department; he's just more subtle about it.

I agree, except Zaitsev's coming off a head injury.  And I know OV plays Polak's side, I just think maybe they move Hunwick over given the circumstances.

Rielly or Marincin still strike me as better right side options than Hunwick (mobility).

pick pick pick..... It just don't matter we are hot and going to get hotter. The coach will do whats right, thats why he is the best in the game. I am just soooo hyped we got Zaltsev back. Lets kick so caps butt. Go Leafs Go.

^Has already started drinking.

I wish......

 

[Highlander]

I picked the wrong week to give up drinking (not kidding its true) :'(

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I picked the wrong week to give up drinking (not kidding its true) :'(

You okay sir?

Off the booze and moving to god knows where?

 

[Zee]

Should be an electric atmosphere tonight, hope the Leafs respond with a huge effort.

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/JohnDerringer/status/853894149195653120
https://twitter.com/LeafsMaz20/status/853926245217832960

Dart Guy confirmed.