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  6. article_body => "<p>Here\u2019s how Coach Barry Trotz will have his players line up&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;night vs. the Blues...and a few notes about forward combos and D pairings you'll see at Capital One Arena:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Forwards<\/strong><br>Vrana \u2013 Backstrom \u2013 Oshie<br>Burakovsky \u2013 Boyd \u2013 Smith-Pelly<br>Stephenson \u2013 Eller \u2013 Wilson<br>Bau \u2013 Graovac \u2013 Peluso<\/p>\n<p><strong>Defense<\/strong><br>Johansen \u2013 Carlson<br>Djoos \u2013 Chorney<br>Ness \u2013 Lewington<\/p>\n<p><strong>Goalies<\/strong><br>Holtby<br>Copley<\/p>\n<p><em>RELATED: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.csnmidatlantic.com\/washington-capitals\/preseason-game-3-capitals-vs-blues-date-time-tv-channel-live-stream-game-thread\" target=\"_blank\">HOW TO WATCH CAPS-BLUES<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>After scoring a power play goal while skating on a line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov&nbsp;on Wednesday, Jakub Vrana is getting an audition on the&nbsp;<em>other<\/em>&nbsp;top-six line.<\/li>\n<li>Stephenson is the only player to appear in all three preseason games.&nbsp;Tonight, he\u2019s skating on the wing after playing center in the first two contests. He\u2019s a prospect the Caps are hoping makes the opening night roster but the reason he\u2019s played so much is because fourth-line center Jay Beagle is \u201ctrying to manage his body a little bit,\u201d according to Trotz.<\/li>\n<li>Beagle has not played yet this preseason, but Trotz said he\u2019s been practicing and scrimmaging full-go. \u201cHe\u2019s not hurt,\u201d Trotz said. \u201cHe\u2019s got some tightness. We\u2019re going to work through the tightness and he\u2019ll be fine. There\u2019s no reason to rush guys.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Winger Mathias Bau wasn\u2019t originally slated to see any game action, but the Denmark native impressed Trotz so much in a scrimmage earlier this week that the coach found a spot in the lineup for him. Bau, the tallest player in camp at 6-7, is skating on a line with Graovac (6-5) and Peluso (6-3). &nbsp;\u201cHe\u2019s gotten better and better,\u201d Trotz said of Bau, who signed an AHL deal with Hershey this summer. \u201cSo he deserves to get in a game. He\u2019s been standing out. Originally I had another guy in there but Bau has sorta overtaken him.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Peluso is another player who is emerging as a candidate to earn a spot on the fourth line. This will mark his second straight preseason appearance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov will make their preseason debut&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;vs. the Hurricanes, according to Trotz, who has already said they\u2019ll open the regular season as the top pair.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>MORE CAPITALS:&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.csnmidatlantic.com\/washington-capitals\/capitals-trim-11-players-training-camp-roster-first-round-cuts\" target=\"_blank\">CAPS MAKE THEIR FIRST CUTS<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n"
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Capitals

Capitals

Here’s how Coach Barry Trotz will have his players line up Friday night vs. the Blues...and a few notes about forward combos and D pairings you'll see at Capital One Arena:

Forwards
Vrana – Backstrom – Oshie
Burakovsky – Boyd – Smith-Pelly
Stephenson – Eller – Wilson
Bau – Graovac – Peluso

Defense
Johansen – Carlson
Djoos – Chorney
Ness – Lewington

Goalies
Holtby
Copley

RELATED: HOW TO WATCH CAPS-BLUES

  • After scoring a power play goal while skating on a line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov on Wednesday, Jakub Vrana is getting an audition on the other top-six line.
  • Stephenson is the only player to appear in all three preseason games. Tonight, he’s skating on the wing after playing center in the first two contests. He’s a prospect the Caps are hoping makes the opening night roster but the reason he’s played so much is because fourth-line center Jay Beagle is “trying to manage his body a little bit,” according to Trotz.
  • Beagle has not played yet this preseason, but Trotz said he’s been practicing and scrimmaging full-go. “He’s not hurt,” Trotz said. “He’s got some tightness. We’re going to work through the tightness and he’ll be fine. There’s no reason to rush guys.”
  • Winger Mathias Bau wasn’t originally slated to see any game action, but the Denmark native impressed Trotz so much in a scrimmage earlier this week that the coach found a spot in the lineup for him. Bau, the tallest player in camp at 6-7, is skating on a line with Graovac (6-5) and Peluso (6-3).  “He’s gotten better and better,” Trotz said of Bau, who signed an AHL deal with Hershey this summer. “So he deserves to get in a game. He’s been standing out. Originally I had another guy in there but Bau has sorta overtaken him.”
  • Peluso is another player who is emerging as a candidate to earn a spot on the fourth line. This will mark his second straight preseason appearance. 
  • Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov will make their preseason debut Saturday vs. the Hurricanes, according to Trotz, who has already said they’ll open the regular season as the top pair.

 

MORE CAPITALS: CAPS MAKE THEIR FIRST CUTS