Caps won’t say, but Evgeny Kuznetsov appears ready for Game 3

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Capitals locker room was tight-lipped about whether center Evgeny Kuznetsov would be able to play in Saturday’s Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Golden Knights at Capital One Arena.

His appearance on the ice during Friday’s practice spoke volumes.

Kuznetsov, Washington’s points leader in the postseason, skated well and participated in drills seemingly without restriction in front of a capacity crowd at the team’s facility. He did so less than 48 hours after leaving Game 2 in the first period after a big hit along the boards from Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb.

About the only thing he didn’t do was talk to reporters. Team personnel indicated he was unavailable to participate in the mandatory media session despite his appearance on the ice in the optional practice.

“He hasn’t been cleared,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “He’s day-to-day and probably a game-time decision.”

Washington lists Kuznetsov with an upper-body injury. He appeared to be favoring his left arm as he skated off the ice after the hit on Wednesday night.

He did occasionally take his left hand off the stick before his first touch and ramped up the force of his shots as practice wore on, but all signs point to Kuznetsov being available despite his coach downplaying his status.

“I’m pretty sure he’s going to be OK (for the game),” said Alex Ovechkin, who didn’t skate Friday, after watching Kuznetsov practice.

Knights coach Gerard Gallant didn’t spend a whole lot of time during Thursday’s travel day pondering whether his team would have to face Kuznetsov.

“If it’s one of our players, it’s a different story,” he said after the Knights practiced at Capital One Center. “But we can’t let it affect us. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing or not. We’re going to play the same game. We’re going to play the same system. It’s not like we’re going to take anybody out because he’s in or out of the lineup. It doesn’t change what we do at all, but obviously, he’s an impact player for them.”

There’s no doubt about that.

Kuznetsov, 26, has a team-high 25 points in the playoffs. He also shares the lead with 14 assists after a regular season when he set career bests for goals (27) and points.

Kuznetsov, a two-time world champion with Russia, has missed just five games in his four full seasons with Washington.

“I think he’s been pretty durable,” Trotz said. “He hasn’t missed a lot of games over the course of time and I think he’s able to rebound. He’s an athlete who takes care of himself on and off the ice. I think his background coming over from Russia, they’re a tough group. They are. And he’s got some toughness to his game and he bounces back.”

The Capitals know they are a better and more dangerous team when he’s on the ice.

“He’s a world-class player and a guy we need for sure,” forward Brett Connolly said. “He’s been so good for us this postseason. He’s really stepped up in a lot of different areas. He’s been battling and working. He’s a guy that can take over a game and one of those guys you just can’t replace. We’re going to need him.

“He looked pretty good out there today shooting and skating and looks pretty upbeat, so hopefully he’ll be in there tomorrow.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.