Though practice lines can often be a smokescreen, Ovechkin said head coach Barry Trotz told him he wants to spread out the offense, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.
Ovechkin seemed to have no problem with it and said he hoped it works, Gulitti added.
Trotz backed up his move by saying that with 11 forwards (Washington has dressed seven D since Karl Alzner returned) Ovechkin could very well double shift in the do-or-die game. He added that this is not based on Ovechkin's Game 4 performance, according to Gulitti.
Washington will try to stave off elimination in Game 5 on Saturday against Pittsburgh.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been one of the most prolific offensive duos in the entire league this year, but it's time for Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan to split up the band.
The tandem has combined for an impressive 10 points in this series, but separating their two best players will give the Oilers the best chance to win the series. Edmonton was able to win the first two games, but the Ducks have stormed back, evening the series at two games apiece.
Here is how the Oilers have lined up for most of the series:
A major reason why the Ducks have been able to even the series has been the outstanding play of Ryan Getzlaf. The hulking center has eight points in the series, including three goals and three assists in Anaheim's two victories.
With Edmonton's current line configuration, they have no "shutdown" line. Nugent-Hopkins has been given the task of playing against Getzlaf, but he has clearly failed. Getzlaf, who stands at 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, has been able to impose his will physically on the 6-foot, 196-pound Nugent-Hopkins.
Aside from the obvious physical mismatch, Getzlaf's dominance in the faceoff circle has allowed the Ducks to control the play, forcing Nugent-Hopkins' line to play in its own end far too often. Getzlaf has won 57.6 percent of his faceoffs this series, while Nugent-Hopkins has only been able to win 37.7 percent of his.
Given that Draisaitl (6-foot-1, 216 pounds) is a natural center and, at 49 percent, was a better faceoff man than both McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins this season, McLellan would be smart to shift him back to the middle of the ice. Here is a lineup he could send out for Game 5:
LW
C
RW
Maroon
McDavid
Letestu
Lucic
Draisaitl
Kassian
Caggiula
Nugent-Hopkins
Eberle
Pouliot
Desharnais
Slepyshev
Even though Game 5 will be played in Anaheim and McLellan won't have last change, this lineup would give him much more balance and depth. McDavid and Draisaitl are skilled enough to carry their own lines offensively.
The proposed Draisaitl line would give Edmonton enough physicality to play with Getzlaf's line. Lucic also has the ability to put the puck in the net, so Draisaitl's playmaking wouldn't be put to waste.
Letestu obviously doesn't have anywhere near the talent that Draisaitl does, but he scored 16 goals this year and showed good chemistry with McDavid on the power play. He can also step in and win a draw (50.4 percent this season) to support McDavid (43.2 percent).
McDavid's line, of course, would still draw the attention of one of the league's best defensive forwards, Ryan Kesler. This would allow Nugent-Hopkins' line to face Anaheim's third or fourth line.
Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle have combined for zero goals and five assists so far in the postseason, so giving them an opportunity to skate against lesser players could get them going. Their secondary scoring is crucial to Edmonton's chances in this series.
The IIHF unveiled its power rankings as the World Championship opens Friday, and it's hard to debate the rationale behind them.
The hockey body's rankings seem accurate, with Canada and Russia placed No. 1 and 2, respectively, and the tongue-in-cheek descriptions of each country's merits make for enjoyable reading.
In this week's playoff themed "On the Fly," theScore's weekly NHL roundtable series, we take a look at four players who have put forth surprising - good or bad - performances throughout the postseason thus far.
Jakob Silfverberg - Ducks
O'Leary: Perhaps after reaching a new career high in points this season, Silfverberg's impressive playoffs shouldn't qualify as a surprise, but be honest - did you expect him to have the second-highest goal output among all players nearly midway through the postseason?
Through eight games, Silfverberg's racked up seven goals and two assists, and delivered a monumental overtime winner in Game 4 versus the Oilers to even the series at 2-2.
Deployed in a shutdown role with Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano, Silfverberg is getting it done at both ends of the ice, and has individually controlled 53 percent of shot attempts in the playoffs at five-on-five.
His production is drawing the attention of opposing defenses, and opening up more opportunities for Ryan Getzlaf's top line - something that's working rather well for the Ducks at the moment.
Braden Holtby - Capitals
(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)
Gold-Smith: Holtby hasn't been underwhelming by most goalies' standards in these playoffs, but he hasn't been his typically dominant self.
The Washington Capitals netminder has an .867 save percentage in four games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a .909 mark over the whole postseason. It's a small sample size, sure, but now is not the time for the reigning Vezina Trophy winner to be merely average.
Holtby allowed four goals in three separate first-round games as the Capitals required six contests to dispatch the upstart but inexperienced Toronto Maple Leafs, and he was pulled before the third period of Game 2 against the Penguins after allowing three goals on 14 shots.
He's faced only 83 shots in 4 games against Pittsburgh, or about 21 per game in the series. Some goaltenders have trouble getting into a rhythm when they're not peppered with shots, but Holtby's play is still concerning for a Capitals club on the brink of elimination.
Bobby Ryan - Senators
Livingstone: Ryan's first four seasons as a Senator have not exactly gone to plan.
Following the July 2013 trade that sent him to Ottawa in exchange for Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen, and a 2014 first-round draft pick, Ryan has failed to live up to the lofty expectations that come along with being a four-time 30-goal scorer.
Fast forward to today, and Ryan has gone from perennial whipping boy to one of the main figures in the Senators' Stanley Cup drive.
What a time to be alive (Drake voice).
The 30-year-old sniper has been a catalyst for the Sens in these playoffs, and is currently in a three-way tie for the team's postseason points lead along with Derick Brassard and Erik Karlsson at eight.
Despite another dismal regular-season performance this past campaign in which he registered his lowest offensive output in four years (13 goals and 12 assists), Ryan is proving his haters wrong with a postseason to remember.
Sure, there's a lot of puck left to be played, but if Ryan keeps up his current pace and the Sens continue to advance, a Conn Smythe nod may not be completely outside the realm of possibility.
Connor McDavid - Oilers
Hagerman: During their first postseason run in 11 years, the Edmonton Oilers are making some noise.
The club knocked off the defending Western Conference champion, the San Jose Sharks, in Round 1, and have earned a split through four contests with the Pacific Division-winning Anaheim Ducks.
It's been a great performance, despite a less dominant Connor McDavid.
The Art Ross Trophy winner has been good, but not spectacular in his first taste of playoff hockey.
He's posted four goals and seven points in 10 games - solid numbers for most players, but sorry Connor, we expect more from a godly talent.
Of course, expectations were even higher after McDavid concluded the year with some ridiculous numbers. He ended the regular season on a 14-game point streak that saw him amass a total of 25 with eight multi-point contests.
In the playoffs, though, McDavid remains without a multi-point game. He's still dazzled - his goal in Game 4 was proof - but we expect a little more from the player who will likely take home the Hart Trophy next month.
Money apparently wasn't the biggest factor in Vadim Shipachyov's decision to ink a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Russian forward signed a two-year, $9-million deal on Thursday, while reportedly turning down a four-year contract that would have paid him $5 million per season to remain with St. Petersburg in the KHL, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.
Prior to signing his deal with Vegas, it was reported that Shipachyov was "fielding big offers." The Montreal Canadiens are believed to have been one of the NHL clubs that pushed hard to acquire him, but it was made clear he would not agree to sign with the team.
The 30-year-old will be taking part in the World Championship, which kicks off Friday.
BOSTON - A former NHL player who was on two Stanley Cup championship teams has been sentenced to probation for his role in the illegal sale of prescription painkillers.
Kevin Stevens was sentenced Thursday in U.S District Court in Boston to three years' probation and fined $10,000. He pleaded guilty in December.
The 52-year-old Massachusetts native was arrested in 2015 after a traffic stop and was found to be in possession of 175 pills. Prosecutors say he would supply the pills for another man to sell.
Stevens apologized in court Thursday. His lawyer said he was prescribed oxycodone after a serious on-ice injury in 1993 from which he has still not recovered.
Stevens was on the Pittsburgh Penguins 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup-winning teams. He also played for the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings.
BOSTON - A former NHL player who was on two Stanley Cup championship teams has been sentenced to probation for his role in the illegal sale of prescription painkillers.
Kevin Stevens was sentenced Thursday in U.S District Court in Boston to three years' probation and fined $10,000. He pleaded guilty in December.
The 52-year-old Massachusetts native was arrested in 2015 after a traffic stop and was found to be in possession of 175 pills. Prosecutors say he would supply the pills for another man to sell.
Stevens apologized in court Thursday. His lawyer said he was prescribed oxycodone after a serious on-ice injury in 1993 from which he has still not recovered.
Stevens was on the Pittsburgh Penguins 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup-winning teams. He also played for the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings.
Much of the 2017 postseason chatter has been dominated by the play of defensive wizards such as Erik Karlsson or P.K. Subban, and for good reason - they've been beasting at both ends of the rink.
However, a group of lesser-known rearguards are carving out a name for themselves as well.
Here's a look at five D-men that deserve a lot more credit than they're currently receiving.
Ryan Ellis - Nashville Predators
The grizzly beard aside, it's been a pretty solid spring for Ryan Ellis.
An underrated stellar regular season has translated into more of the same, as the former 11th overall draft pick is having a postseason to remember.
The Nashville defenseman is coming off a benchmark year in which he posted a career-high in goals (16) and tied his career-high in assists (22).
The 26-year-old, believe it or not, currently paces the league in playoff scoring by defensemen with nine points - some dude named Erik has eight.
A defenseman named Shea is making his mark on the NHL playoffs and, no, his last name is not Weber.
Shea Theodore of the Anaheim Ducks is very quietly following up a solid rookie campaign with an excellent postseason performance.
After playing only 34 games during the 2016-17 regular season, the 21-year-old has suited up in all eight of the Ducks' contests so far this spring.
Theodore has registered two goals and five assists on 16 shots on goal, good enough for second in playoff rookie scoring behind wunderkid Jake Guentzel.
Due to the deep pool of defensive talent in Anaheim, you may not have heard much about him before now, but if he continues to impress, get used to hearing his name.
Brady Skjei - New York Rangers
Here's another name you probably haven't heard before, but New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei is once again turning heads.
After a regular season in which he finished second in scoring among Rangers defensemen with 39 points, the smooth-skating rookie is currently tied for the team lead in playoff goal scoring with four.
At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, the former first-round draft pick not only has the size, but also the pedigree and talent to develop into a quality, top-four defenseman for years to come.
Joel Edmundson - St. Louis Blues
Joel who?
St. Louis Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson is logging over 21 minutes of ice time per game this postseason while also leading the Blues in scoring by a defenseman.
Edmundson's six playoff points are impressive, but the fact that he's cracked top-four minutes in a defensive-minded lineup like St. Louis' should be enough of an indication of just how solid the young D-man has played.
At a base salary of just over $1 million per season, the Blues' 2011 second-round pick is proving to be a serious bargain.
Justin Schultz - Pittsburgh Penguins
By now, most puckheads know that the Pittsburgh Penguins' D-core has been decimated by injury.
However, what you probably don't know is Justin Schultz has stepped up in the clutch to fill in for guys like Kris Letang by logging over 20 minutes per game, giving Pittsburgh's forwards a chance to do their thing.
Schultz has also chipped in offensively, tallying two goals and five apples for seven points, including the game-winner against Washington in the Penguins' Game 4 victory Wednesday night.
Losing guys like Letang and Crosby is obviously a huge blow to Pittsburgh's cup hopes, but if glue guys like Schultz can continue to hold things together, the Penguins will have a very legitimate shot at being the last team standing come June.
