Caps don’t have long to dwell on Tuesday’s disappointing 3-2 shootout loss to Montreal. As frustrating as it is to go up 2-0 early and come away with just a point there are bigger things ahead this week. Washington plays at Tampa Bay on Friday night and has a date with the Penguins at Verizon Center on Sunday afternoon.
Everyone was on the ice this morning at Kettler save Alex Ovechkin and goalie Semyon Varlamov. Bruce Boudreau called it “a maintenance day” for both. Before heading to Toronto next week for a new job with the NHL, web producer Brett Leonhardt got one more day in goal during practice with Michal Neuvirth at the other end of the rink. Obviously wish Stretch well with his new gig, but happy for him he gets a chance for a great opportunity closer to home. Seems like the Caps are losing good people left and right these days.
According to Boudreau, Ovechkin and defenseman Mike Green were told before the All-Star game last weekend that they would be given Wednesday off. Green simply chose to practice. It was a pretty strenuous one lasting about 75 minutes. Tons of shots on goal and fast-paced drills with some hard skating to top it off.
Boudreau is optimistic that forward Alex Semin could play on Friday night against Tampa Bay. That would be a huge boost, obviously. Semin, who does have 18 goals this season, again made it through an entire practice. Hard to tell exactly how he’s feeling, though. Semin just shook his head no when asked for comment by a Comcast SportsNet television crew. We’re unlikely to know his status until warm-ups on Friday night.
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