The Washington Capitals are visiting the Carolina Hurricanes for a game tonight at the Lenovo Center. The matchup is the last game scheduled for the Caps to be in Raleigh this season, (barring playoffs).
Why is this significant? Alexander Ovechkin announced that he would be retiring after this season, meaning that this could be his last appearance in this arena, as a player anyway. The building probably holds some importance for the superstar because this is where it all started for him. He was drafted
right here in Raleigh in 2004.
This was back in the good old days when fans and media were allowed in the arena for the draft and there was much more interaction between the draftees and fans. The building was packed and rocking on this day and they really got juiced when Jim Rutherford was able to move up in the draft to pick Andrew Ladd at number four. Good times!!
Everyone knew that Ovechkin was going to be special and of course he was the number one pick, right before the Penguins chose Evgeni Malkin. Did everyone know that “Ovi” would break Gretzky’s goal scoring record? I’m not sure about that.
When is the last time an NHL team tried to cheat and draft a player the year before they were actually eligible? Well it happened with Ovechkin as the Florida Panthers tried to draft him in 2003. They claimed that he was age eligible because leap years should not be subtracted from his age, (or something like that). The NHL shot them down quickly back then. (Yes, the Panthers actually tried to cheat! Shocking!)
Tonight will be a special night and it brings back a lot of memories for this dude.
In the meantime, we have an important hockey game to watch tonight as well with two of the top teams from the Metropolitan Division meeting up.
The Caps were just here a couple of weeks ago for game two of the season for Carolina and they won handily, 5-2. It was not the best night for goalie Brandon Bussi, or the Hurricanes. But since then, the team has been gangbusters.
The Canes have won five games in a row and bring that streak and their 5-1-1 record to the arena tonight. The Capitals are 3-2-0 and are coming off a recent loss to the Seattle Kraken.
It was reported from practice this morning that Carolina Captain, Jordan Staal, has a tear in his calf and he will be out for 1 to 2 months.
The old man apparently injured himself in warmups.
The Canes will most likely move Mark Jankowski to the third line to take Staal’s spot which means Jesperi Kotkaniemi will see time centering the fourth line. Perhaps the front office knew what they were doing when they kept him around.
Brind’Amour said that the team will most likely recall a forward from Chicago. That is another big decision, who will that be? Bradly Nadeau or Felix Unger Sorum?
Pyotr Kochetkov was in the starter’s crease at the morning skate and should start tonight.
The lines will be the same as in Philadelphia Sunday night.
Carrier – Aho – Svechnikov
Hall – Stankoven – Blake
Ehlers – Jankowski – Martinook
Robinson – Kotkaniemi – Deslauriers
Slavin – Chatfield
Miller – Walker
Gostisbehere – Reilly
Matt Roy and Pierre Luc Dubois did not travel with the the Capitals and will miss this one. Alex Tuch traveled but took a maintenance day yesterday. He might not be at 100%.
There is an early start time of 6:45 tonight. The game will be televised by HHN on Prime Video, Spectrum, and Fubo. Radio as always on 99.9 The Fan.
