With nothing but pride left to play for (…if that) for either team, here’s a stab in the dark at what tonight’s forward lines and defensive pairings could look like for the Caps as they take on the ‘Canes (with Braden Holtby in net):
Mikhail Grabovski – Nicklas Backstrom – Alex Ovechkin
Evgeny Kuznetsov – Marcus Johansson – Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera – Eric Fehr – Joel Ward
Dustin Penner – Jay Beagle – Tom Wilson
That leaves Green, Wey, Hillen, Brooks Laich out with injuries, Aaron Volpatti and John Erskine as healthy scratches, and Jaroslav Halak serving as Holtby’s backup for the evening.