Eller may be healthy scratch with Washington facing elimination in 2nd round
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Washington Capitals are considering at least one major lineup change with them down 3-1 and facing elimination in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Connor McMichael, usually the left wing on Washington’s second line, was at center on the third line between Andrew Mangiapane and Ryan Leonard during practice Wednesday. It’s likely he plays there with Lars Eller, usually the third line center, being a healthy scratch for Game 5 at Capital One Arena in Washington on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).
“Unexpected,” McMichael said of the switch. “I think anytime you're losing games, especially in the playoffs, you kind of expect a few changes, but it wasn't really in the back of my mind.”
Despite starting strong in Games 3 and 4 in Raleigh, the Capitals did not capitalize and lost by scores of 4-0 and 5-2, respectively. They have been outscored 12-6 in the series and outshot 126-77. Carolina has 329 total shot attempts in the first four games while the Capitals have 187.
McMichael, who has played 237 regular-season games for Washington, began his career as a center.
“Really comfortable, I think,” McMichael said of moving back to center. “I played a couple games there this year and there's been shifts where I've been plugged in just with guys in the box or whatever it may be. I played that position my whole life, so I think it's going to be pretty seamless for me. It's something even in practice a few times this year I jumped in line rushes up the middle just to stay fresh.”
The 24-year-old enjoyed a breakout regular season, with an NHL career-high 57 points (26 goals, 31 assists), which was sixth best on the Capitals, and a plus-19 rating in 82 games, nearly doubling his 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 80 games last season.
McMichael is fourth on the Capitals with six points and second in goals with four (one behind Alex Ovechkin) in nine games this postseason.
“No different than putting him at left wing or right wing,” coach Spencer Carbery said without confirming the lineup change. “He’s a good hockey player. He helps us in a lot of different areas: penalty kill, power play, his pace of play. When he’s using his feet, his quickness to evade big, long defenders, he’s a good player for us. He has been all year.”
In addition to Eller possibly being a healthy scratch, the move of McMichael would result in other corresponding changes.
Aliaksei Protas took McMichael’s place on the second line with Tom Wilson and center Pierre-Luc Dubois, while Anthony Beauvillier moved from the fourth line to the first in place of Protas. Taylor Raddysh, a healthy scratch in Game 4, replaced Beauvillier on the fourth line.
Eller, who scored the winning goal for Washington in the Stanley Cup-clinching Game 5 in 2018, was reacquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 12. The 36-year-old finished the regular season with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 63 games for the Capitals.
He has one assist in nine games this postseason (in Game 3 of the first round against the Montreal Canadiens) and is minus-1. Mangiapane (four games), Raddysh and Leonard (two games each) also do not have a point in the series against Carolina.
With the Capitals hoping to add offense without sacrificing defense in Game 5, McMichael has one day to prepare for his new role.
“I'll go back today and just look at tendencies and how we want to play against Carolina, especially as a centerman,” he said. “Started the series off as a winger, it'll be a little bit different playing up the middle. Just making sure I'm good with my closes and the way we want to break up pucks. Make sure I’m there supporting it. I'll have a little studying to do today, so should be good.”
