CUP FINAL DIAGNOSIS
Playoff scoring leader Evgeny Kuznetsov, knocked out of Game 2 with a seismic hit, will play when the Cup final resumes tonight in Washington. Doctor Ovi has spoken,
> TONIGHT KNIGHTS at CAPITALS FACEOFF: 8 p.m. (CBC) Cup final tied 1-1
WASHINGTON— Alex Ovechkin predicted Evgeny Kuznetsov would be fine after taking a big hit in the Capitals’ 3-2 road victory against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final.
While his linemate hasn’t yet been cleared to play, Washington’s captain was onto something.
Kuznetsov took part in an optional practice Friday morning, two days after getting rocked by Vegas defenceman Brayden McNabb.
The Russian centre, who leads the overall NHL playoff scoring race with 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists), skated off Wednesday night and went straight to the locker room favouring his left arm after the crushing first-period collision that saw him tumble to the ice along the boards.
The team said at the time he suffered an upper-body injury.
Washington head coach Barry Trotz said Friday that Kuznetsov, who was not made available to the media, will “probably” be a game-time decision when the series shifts to Capital One Arena on Saturday night.
But Ovechkin, one point behind Kuznetsov in the scoring race, reiterated he was confident his regular linemate would be good to go.
“He’s one of our top guys,” Ovechkin said at Washington’s practice facility. “Of course it’s very important to see him skating and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be OK (for Game 3).”
The best-of-seven series is tied at one game apiece.
Ovechkin, along with defencemen Brooks Orpik, John Carlson and a few other teammates, didn’t take part in Friday’s onice session. But the focus was squarely on Kuznetsov, who didn’t seem to be favouring anything as he went through a series of drills with teammates.
“You need everyone at this time of year,” said Tom Wilson, Kuznetsov’s other usual winger. “He’s a big piece of our team. It’s good to see him get out there and feel the puck. “He looked pretty good.” Kuznetsov has been fairly durable throughout his career, something that Trotz has seen first-hand in his four years behind Washington’s bench.
“He’s an athlete who takes care of himself,” said the coach. “His background coming over from Russia … they’re a tough group.
“He’s got some toughness to his game and he bounces back.”
The Capitals will host their first Stanley Cup final game in 20 years on Saturday. Washing- ton was swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings in the club’s only other final appearance in 1998.
“I’m excited,” said Ovechkin, who waited 13 seasons to make the third round, let alone play at home in the final. “Everybody’s excited in Washington. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be interesting, it’s going to be hard.
“That’s why we worked so hard to be in this spot and be in this moment.”
Washington picked up that big road win against the expansion Knights in Game 2 — accented by Braden Holtby’s incredible stick save on Alex Tuch with two minutes left in regulation — following a sloppy 6-4 loss in the opener.
But the Capitals are just 4-5 at home in these playoffs, and apart from a 3-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final that staved off elimination, have yet to really get going in front of their own fans. “We’ve had some games on the road where we’ve had no choice but to win,” Washington winger Brett Connolly said. “There’s been a lot more desperation in a few of those road games. It’s just the way it works out sometimes. We’re preparing the same way, it just sometimes doesn’t work out.”
The Knights, meanwhile, are 6-2 on the road in the playoffs and have yet to lose two in a row in any fashion this spring.