Caps Return to Action vs. Preds

December 29 vs. Nashville Predators at Capital One Arena
Time:7:00 p.m.
TV:NBCSW
Radio: Capitals Radio 24/7, 106.7 FAN
Nashville Predators (19-10-1)
Washington Capitals (18-6-7)

Ten days after their most recent game, the Capitals are back in action on Wednesday night when they host the Nashville Predators at Capital One Arena. The game against the Preds is Washington's final home game of calendar 2021.
The Caps dropped a 3-2 decision to the Los Angeles Kings here on Dec. 19, and since then they've had an eventful and restful stretch of days with no games and - until Monday - no practices. The day after the loss to L.A., the Caps departed for a two-game road trip that was to begin in Philadelphia on Dec. 21. Hours after arrival, the Caps learned their two-game trip would be just one game; the Dec. 23 finale against the Islanders was postponed.
On the morning of Dec. 21, the Caps took the ice for their morning skate at Wells Fargo Center, but after Washington placed two more players - defenseman Justin Schultz and winger Daniel Sprong - into the COVID-19 protocol that morning, the Philly game was also postponed. Less than 24 hours after embarking upon what was to be a two-game trip, the Caps were sent home without playing either of those games. After a three-and-a-half-hour bus ride home from Philadelphia, the Caps went their separate ways for six days before recovening for a Monday practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. Their holiday break behind them, the still-depleted Caps resume their 2021-22 slate.

Practices on Monday and Tuesday have the Caps ready to plunge back into the schedule, which took another hit on Tuesday when the League announced the postponement of the Caps' Jan. 4 game against the Canadiens in Montreal. With two practices - plus an optional morning skate on Wednesday - following the equivalent of a "bye week," the Caps will face the Predators.
"When you look at our return," says Caps defenseman John Carlson, "I think it sets up a little bit easier for us the way that it is now with two full practice days and then a game day. Three days is plenty. But after five, six days, you need more than one skate to really feel like the engine is totally on and everything is clicking.
"I've always said with these things, it's just mentally wrapping your head around it. You may not feel like you did when we last laced up our skates, but the power of positive thinking can carry you a long way."
Washington has had four of its games postponed - one at home and three on the road - and the complexion of its roster is quite different than even its most recent game against the Kings.
Washington's forward group was decimated for its game against Los Angeles, as it has been for much of the season. Thirty-one games into the 2021-22 slate, the Caps have yet to ice their full complement of healthy forwards. But with the return of Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov from protocol, and with Tom Wilson on the verge of returning from an upper body injury, the Caps' forward crew should get a big boost for Wednesday's game, and they'll also have all four centers in the lineup for the first time this season.
Conversely, the Caps' blueline corps - which has been a foundational part of the team's success over the first third of the campaign - has taken a hit, and now has four members in COVID-19 protocol: Dennis Cholowski, Martin Fehervary, Nick Jensen and Schultz. Fehervary and Jensen have suited up for each of the team's first 31 games, but they won't be available against Nashville.
"The onus is now on the rest of us guys," says Carlson. "We feel like we've built a good foundation, and we've got a collection of really smart and talented players. And just with that foundation, we're comfortable with everyone else that's been coming up as well, and we have good relationships with all of them. Those guys know the system and I think we're going to be fine in the interim here with what we're going through."
Ahead of Monday's practice, the Caps recalled defenseman Michal Kempny from AHL Hershey, and he is likely to suit up for his first regular season NHL duty since March 9, 2020, days before the League first shut down because of the ongoing pandemic. Washington also recalled blueliner Alex Alexeyev, its first-round choice (31st overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft. After 94 games worth of AHL seasoning spread over parts of three seasons, the 22-year-old Alexeyev is poised to make his NHL debut against the Preds on Wednesday.
Nashville has been out of action even longer than the Caps; the Preds last played on Dec. 17 when they skated to a 3-2 overtime win over the Blackhawks in Chicago. With that victory, the Preds ran their winning streak to a season-high seven games. As the League emerges from its lengthened holiday break, Nashville and Pittsburgh share the longest current winning streaks in the circuit.
The Preds were one of the teams that was shut down days ahead of the holiday break; Nashville had most of its coaching staff and several players in COVID-19 protocol when it was placed into holiday break mode earlier than expected. The Preds have had five games postponed to date, and although their coaching staff and several players have come out of protocol, they're currently missing three players - including 2019-20 Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Roman Josi - who are now in the protocol.

"In the last month, they're the No. 1 team in the National Hockey League, and so we're going to have to be ready to play," says Caps coach Peter Laviolette, who was Nashville's bench boss at this time two years ago and will face the Preds for the first time since on Wednesday. "They're 7-0 in their last seven, and their winning percentage in the last month is better than anybody's. It's going to be a good challenge for our guys to be ready."