The Capitals will have a different look on Tuesday against the Canadiens.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals will have a lot on their mind going into Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens, as they will play in their first game after the All-Star Break and first game without Evgeny Kuznetsov as he enters the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Their lineup will also get a different look with No. 92 out of the mix, as Michael Sgarbossa has come up from the AHL's Hershey Bears to slot in as the third-line center while Kuznetsov is away.
Charlie Lindgren will get the start in the first post-All-Star break outing, further confirming that he is the bonafide starter going forward.
Here are the projected lines against Montreal:
Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Tom Wilson
Max Pacioretty-Connor McMichael-T.J. Oshie
Anthony Mantha-Michael Sgarbossa-Aliaksei Protas
Beck Malenstyn-Nic Dowd-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary-John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin-Trevor van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson-Nick Jensen
Charlie Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Matthew Phillips, Alex Alexeyev and Ethan Bear all stayed on for extra work and will be the healthy scratches. Bear has been through a recent string of scratches as Spencer Carbery and Mitch Love try to find the right balance on the blue line.
Meanwhile, Sonny Milano upgraded to a contact jersey, marking the first time in nearly two months that he has taken full contact. He last played on Dec. 10 against the Chicago Blackhawks and has missed the last 22 games, but the belief is that he was injured on Dec. 9 against the New York Rangers after being spun on a hit by Jacob Trouba.
Carbery said that Milano is "right there" and on the right track to returning, but will require a few more full-contact practices before getting the green light to play.