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If you’re a fan of a hockey team that has a dynamic first line, you'd like to see that line succeed, right? In the case of the Washington Capitals, their top line of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Tom Wilson has been a great line and were causing problems for the Penguins in their playoff series.
We all know what happened next. Tom Wilson was suspended for his headshot on Zach Aston-Reese, and the Capitals had a decision to make on how to handle their lineup. For Barry Trotz, that decision was to replace Wilson with.......Devante Smith-Pelly? Sure.
Needless to say, that decision did not work out well for the Capitals in Game 4:
You know when @PostGraphics gets involved it's a thing. https://t.co/2H6KoOee2H pic.twitter.com/Zsatdqrgs2
— Neil Greenberg (@ngreenberg) May 4, 2018
One would think that after that kind of performance for a top line, changes surely would be coming, right?
Capitals keeps the top line of Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Smith-Pelly intact.
— Tracey Myers (@Tramyers_NHL) May 5, 2018
I am not an NHL scout or head coach. but, if you have a malfunctioning top line consisting of the best goal scorer of the modern era, a point-per-game center, and Devante Smith-Pelly, I might know a remedy.
— Namita (@nnstats) May 5, 2018
Thanks, Barry.