Capitals Insider

Open thread: Capitals vs. Islanders

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The Caps went 2-0-0 without Alex Ovechkin in the lineup. The Caps are better without Ovechkin!

Kidding. But this is an interesting stretch for which the captain to return from his right shoulder injury. Not only is tonight’s game against the Islanders now a divisional game — and New York is in second in the Metropolitan division, a point ahead of the Capitals — but it begins a four-game stretch against teams that currently have more points than Washington.

Braden Holtby (5-5-0, 2.74 GAA, .921 save percentage) returns to goal for the first time since Ray Emery decided to fight him Friday night in Philadelphia. And Coach Adam Oates does some juggling of the lineup to work Ovechkin back in, scratching Eric Fehr and keeping Martin Erat on the top line.

Erat-Backstrom-Ovechkin

Laich-Johansson-Brouwer

Chimera-Grabovski-Ward

Volpatti-Latta-Wilson

 

Alzner-Carlson

Schmidt-Green

Urbom-Oleksy

 

Holtby

 

Scratches: Fehr, Orlov, Beagle

Enjoy!

Faceoff: 7 p.m., Verizon Center
TV: CSN | Radio: 106.7 FM

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