Capitals center Kuznetsov is day-to-day GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT CAPITALS

The sight of Evgeny Kuznetsov clutching his left arm and leaving the ice after a hit from Brayden McNabb isn’t as big a threat to the Washington Capitals’ title hopes as it might seem.

Not after the Capitals withstood three games without Nicklas Backstrom. Not after they missed Kuznetsov for most of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and still beat the Vegas Golden Knights to tie the series.

They’d love to have their leading scorer in the lineup June 2 in Washington, but with superstar captain Alex Ovechkin and several top What: Stanley Cup Final, Game 3; series tied, 1-1 When: 8 p.m., June 2 Where: Capital One Arena TV: NBC Sports Network

players producing and filling the void, the Capitals are built to handle life without Kuznetsov if it comes to that.

“We’ve had some guys been out here and there these playoffs,” Backstrom said. “It’s hard to replace Kuznetsov the way he’s been playing, but if that’s the case it is what it is and we just have to have other guys step up.”

Coach Barry Trotz provided no update on Kuznetsov on May 31 other than to say the Russian center is day to day. The team practices again June 1.

It didn’t look very good for Kuznetsov when he went down the tunnel in the first period Wednesday night and didn’t return. But Ovechkin scored his first career Stanley Cup Final goal on the power play, and Lars Eller, bumped up the lineup to fill in for Kuznetsov, had a goal and two assists.

No one player can make up for the potential loss of Kuznetsov, who has 11 goals and 14 assists in 21 playoff games, though Washington’s depth down the middle looks solid with Backstrom, Eller, Jay Beagle and, if need be, Chandler Stephenson. Eller played a key role in two big victories against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference final without Backstrom, and will once again be one of the most important players on the ice if Kuznetsov isn’t healthy.

“Nick has gone out or Kuzy has been out, Lars has elevated his game and comes up in a more prominent role,” Trotz said. “I think he embraces the challenge. He takes the moments very seriously that he has to step up and try to find a way to produce, and he has. He’s a veteran player who has good hockey sense, and he’s strong on the puck, and I think his game translates well in the playoffs.”