Spencer Carbery completely changes Capitals’ lines again ahead of Wild game

Spencer Carbery, the head coach of the Washington Capitals, is shaking up his forward lines once again following the team’s first regulation victory of the season. The Capitals defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-4 in a shootout on Wednesday. Carbery revealed the new forward groupings during the team’s morning skate before their game against the Minnesota Wild later that night.

One notable change is the comeback of the Capitals’ top line, consisting of Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and Tom Wilson, resembling the end of last season. Matthew Phillips, who was previously on the top line as an experiment, has been moved down to the bottom line.

The full lines and pairings from the morning skate can be found on Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir’s post on X.

The Ovechkin-Strome-Wilson line has performed exceptionally well together, spending 23:04 minutes of ice time at five-on-five this season. They have dominated the game, earning 73.7 percent of expected goals, with positive differentials in shot attempts (21-11) and scoring chances (7-4). At five-on-five, they have outscored their opponents 2 to 1.

Carbery believes that Strome’s playing style complements Ovechkin perfectly.

“[Strome] is an extremely intelligent playmaker, always aware of where other players are on the ice. Whether in the offensive zone or off the rush, he has already evaluated the positions of defenders and his line mates. His vision of the ice is elite-level,” Carbery stated in a press conference.

Carbery added, “His ability to find [Ovechkin] in different areas and anticipate his movements before he even reaches the puck is truly remarkable.”

The second line will showcase three dynamic playmakers: Sonny Milano, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and TJ Oshie. The third line will consist of Connor McMichael, Nicklas Backstrom, and Anthony Mantha. This game will mark the first time McMichael will not start on the Caps’ second line and skate with Evgeny Kuznetsov. Mantha earned a promotion after recording his first multi-point game of the season, scoring the Caps’ first goal against the Devils and assisting on the game-winner scored by McMichael.

Aliaksei Protas and Beck Malenstyn will continue their roles as a checking line, compensating for the injured Nic Dowd. Now, they have Matthew Phillips, a finisher on the flank.

The Capitals’ defense pairings remain the same, although Carbery noted that Rasmus Sandin’s playing time against the Wild is uncertain due to an injury suffered against the Devils.

Hunter Shepard, who secured his first career win in his debut NHL start, remains in DC as Charlie Lindgren continues his injury rehab. Lindgren will not dress for tonight’s game according to Carbery.

The Washington Capitals, currently at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with a 2-3-1 record, will aim to achieve their first winning streak of the season against the Minnesota Wild, who have struggled with a 3-3-1 record. The puck will drop at 7 pm.