Capitals Notebook: Ovechkin Welcomed Back, Lines Get Shakeup, Protas & Thompson Updates

ARLINGTON, V.A. — After two days to reset and take in history, the Washington Capitals got back to work with a busy practice on Wednesday.

Coach Spencer Carbery tweaked the lines as Washington got back in the swing of drills. Taylor Raddysh earned a promotion to the top line, while Ryan Leonard replaced him on the third line. Anthony Beauvillier remains in the lineup, and Ethen Frank is the healthy scratch up front while Dylan McIlrath and Alex Alexeyev sit out on defense.

Here were the combinations, which will likely be played against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

Here are the lines:

                                    Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Taylor Raddysh

                               Connor McMichael-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Tom Wilson

                                    Andrew Mangiapane-Lars Eller-Ryan Leonard

                                 Brandon Duhaime-Nic Dowd-Anthony Beauvillier

                                                        Rasmus Sandin-John Carlson

                                               Jakob Chychrun-Trevor van Riemsdyk

                                                       Martin Fehervary-Matt Roy

                                                                  Charlie Lindgren

                                                                  Hunter Shepard

The Capitals also received a warm reception from the crowd, as 895 students from Arlington County Public Schools attended in honor of Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record back on Sunday.

Ovechkin took a lap and saluted the crowd after practice, then did his iconic belly slide celebration.

Aliaksei Protas and Logan Thompson did not skate as both continue to recover from respective lower and upper-body ailments.

Carbery did not have an update on their status, saying it was too early to tell what their availability would be for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, both are progressing.

Washington returns to action on Thursday.