Bowey, Djoos in the mix for Capitals defense

Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos was challenged: Coaches wanted to see the way he handled playing in back-to-back games.

Madison Bowey, meanwhile, got more work on special teams in the Capitals’ penalty kill and power play. Like Djoos, Bowey is a young defenseman fighting for a spot on the roster.

With the first game of their 2017-18 season just over a week away, the Capitals are using workouts and the last few preseason games to test their defensemen under a variety of situations.

After all, Washington needs to replace the production of Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk and Nate Schmidt. Alzner and Shattenkirk departed in free agency and Schmidt was lost in the NHL expansion draft.…