Five defensemen ailing near the end of season
What was an obvious strength for the Capitals quickly turned into a depleted disadvantage last week.
A team that simply was waiting for defenseman Mike Green (concussion) and Tom Poti (groin) to return to the lineup and provide admirable blue-line depth for a Stanley Cup playoff run instead was patching holes all over the place. First, Dennis Wideman (hematoma) went down against Carolina and had to be hospitalized for several days. Then John Erskine left Thursday’s game vs. Columbus with an undisclosed injury. Tyler Sloan followed him Saturday after a mid-ice collision that — as coach Bruce Boudreau said — left him with his “bell rung.”
That means five of Washington’s top nine defensemen are dealing with injuries. The playoffs start next Wednesday or Thursday. Not ideal timing, for sure. But Eastern Conference rivals aren’t exactly going to send out sympathy cards. Few teams are in perfect health after 79 games.
| Caps notes |
| » Washington forward Alexander Semin received a “maintenance day” to rest old injuries, according to coach Bruce Boudreau. |
| » Boudreau also said “there’s a chance” Semin could sit out a game to rest any lingering issues. He took a hearty slash on the wrist Saturday vs. Buffalo and had a groin injury earlier this season. |
| » The Caps can clinch their fourth consecutive Southeast Division title with a win at Toronto on Tuesday. The game is at 7 p.m. at Air Canada Centre. |
“It’s not different than any other part of the season,” Sloan said. “Just look at Pittsburgh and all the guys that have got hurt there. … It’s a lot of teams. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We’re getting guys back healthy, so that’s a positive sign.”
Indeed, the Caps received good news Monday when both Erskine and Sloan skated during practice. Both were expected to travel with the team to Toronto for Tuesday’s game with the Maple Leafs. Sean Collins, a recall from Hershey of the American Hockey League over the weekend, also accompanied the team. Green and Poti — dealing with long-term injuries — will remain in Washington.
“We’ve got three games left,” Erskine said. “We’d kind of like to get in a couple of them to get ready before the playoffs.”
Green said he still needs a few more skates to get into game shape but was again optimistic he would play before the end of the regular season. Boudreau made the same point, saying it was his hope either Poti or Green would play against the Panthers later in the week. But neither was expected to go on the trip to Toronto.
“You never want to see guys go down,” Green said. “Fortunately we have guys in the minors that can come up and play such as Sean Collins. He’s done a great job. But it’s important that the guys that are injured make sure they do the right things to get back. There’s too many guys that are hurt already.”
