The Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals held morning skates ahead of tonight’s game between the two teams (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit/NBC Sports Washington Plus/ESPN+/97.1 FM).
It appears that Thomas Greiss will start opposite Vitek Vanecek in goal this evening. The Capitals’ lineup may be in flux as well, and the Wings’ morning skate lines weren’t revealed until after the teams held their media availabilities:
Here were the Red Wings’ lines and D at their morning skate today:
Bertuzzi-Larkin-Raymond
Fabbri-Suter-Zadina
Namestnikov-Rasmussen-Erne
Gagner-Stephens-Rowney
DeKeyser-Seider
Leddy-Hronek
M. Staal-Stecher
Greiss
Nedeljkovic— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) October 27, 2021
The Capitals iced the following lines during their morning skate, but then Daniel Sprong skated with the Caps’ black aces:
#Caps a.m. skate lines ahead of tonight’s game vs. DET:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Mantha-McMichael-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Hathaway
Sheary-Lapierre-Sprong
Fehervary-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
TvR-Schultz
Vanecek
Samsonov
*Vanecek starts
*Dowd (LBI) looks to be out again— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 27, 2021
Here’s Washington Capitals coach Peter Laviolette’s morning skate commentary:
Head Coach Laviolette meets with the media ahead of #CapsWings tonight.#ALLCAPS | @Socios pic.twitter.com/rWKW03bAfP— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 27, 2021
Anthony Mantha also spoke with the media today…
Tonight, Anthony Mantha will be playing his former team (DET) for the first time since getting traded. He got dinner with some of his former teammates last night (Larkin, Fabbri, Rasmussen).— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) October 27, 2021
Mantha, who faces his former team tonight, said he had dinner last night with Larkin, Fabbri and Rasmussen. “It’s going to be fun; I’m excited. It’s going to be an experience, that’s for sure.” #Caps— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 27, 2021
And here are his remarks:
Anthony Mantha talks playing his former team for the first time since being traded to Washington. #ALLCAPS | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/Ce7Iewwsns— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 27, 2021
Also:
Coach Blashill in D.C., recalling the last time the team was there in 2020 when the season was called off due to Covid-19. He ate at the same spot he was going to eat at last March, that was boarded up then.— Carley Johnston (@carleykjohnston) October 27, 2021
Robby Fabbri on the team— “We’re a fiery and competitive group. We have shown a lot, but we still have a long ways to go.” #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Carley Johnston (@carleykjohnston) October 27, 2021
Coach Blashill on trusting a young Moritz Seider— saying he’s played in professional leagues, has experience and has earned coach’s trust #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Carley Johnston (@carleykjohnston) October 27, 2021
Catching up on todays media availability, Coach Blashill remembered the last time he was in WSH on the day the sports world stopped. He said he looks forward to putting years behind us where we recall it, but its been a while. #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) October 27, 2021
Here’s Robby Fabbri’s media availability…
And here’s coach Blashill’s:
Update: Here’s the YouTube version of Blashill’s remarks:
Update #2: Fabbri, YouTube version:
Raymond better keep his head on a swivel tonight when Wilson is on the ice.