Alexeyev has sat for 41 straight games, and Carbery knows that it's been a long time coming for the Capitals defenseman and other extras.

ARLINGTON, V.A — Coach Spencer Carbery knows it hasn't been an ideal year for Alex Alexeyev, Dylan McIlrath and Jakub Vrana with the Washington Capitals.

The three have been regular scratches for some time now, spending the majority of the season practicing and taking the extras skate while watching games from the press box rather than the bench.

With two more games — one on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers and a Sunday matinee with Utah Hockey Club — before the 4 Nations break, Carbery said that the team is looking to get them in at some point, but it's not as easy as it seems.

"There has been (a desire to get them in the mix), it's just been really difficult," Carbery explained. "Knock on wood, with our lack of injuries and the success that we've been having, and Frankie coming in and playing so well, I don't like that these guys have sat for as long as they have, but we just haven't had a situation (to put them in)."

Alexeyev has sat now for 41 consecutive games — the longest stretch of any scratch — and has appeared in just five contests for the Capitals this season. McIlrath has gotten 11 games but has sat since Dec. 23, and Jakub Vrana has not played since Ethen Frank came up from Hershey and effectively secured a full-time spot in the lineup.

"Even though as a coach sometimes you're managing minutes and workload, we still haven't even got to that point where we feel it's important to hold John Carlson — I'm just throwing an example out, right — to give him a 'rest,' and no-one performance-wise deserves to come out of the lineup.

"It's not easy decisions every game, and we'd love to get them in and have them play in games, but just unfortunately, that's the way it's played out with a bunch of different circumstances and it hasn't materialized."

Carbery knows it can take a toll, especially as the games start to pile up, so his message to the players is to stay upbeat and keep putting the work in because eventually, the time will come.                                                                             

"You're trying to be as positive as you possibly can in a tough situation because they all want to be playing in games. Sitting's okay for 1, 2, 3. When it gets to this length, it gets mentally, really, really — it's a battle every day to show up and know that you're probably not going in the lineup.

"... The most hopeful thing I can tell them is, 'You remember last year, Game 1 in Madison Square Garden? Dylan McIlrath was playing in that hockey game, Lucas Johansen, Vinny Iorio was already playing in that hockey game," he added. "Hopefully they're in before that, but that's just staying ready and being ready for the moment whenever that comes, whether it's Game 1 in Madison Square Garden or Game 54 against Utah Hockey Club, just trying to do everything you can to stay ready for when your number's called and take advantage of it."

That said, Carbery has been impressed with how Alexeyev, McIlrath and Vrana have responded to the situation.

"They've been great... these are pros. I could go on for at length (about them) and the work they put in on a daily basis to stay prepared."