Team simply lists him as day-to-day while a Swedish newspaper reports a thumb fracture
Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury suffered during Monday’s 1-0 victory at Pittsburgh. But the team’s No. 1 center reportedly told a Swedish newspaper after that game that he had suffered a fractured left thumb thanks to a slash from Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.
Backstrom spoke with Stockholm-based tabloid Aftonbladet and told the newspaper X-rays after the game showed a fracture. A Caps official, citing team policy regarding short-term injuries, officially listed Backstrom as day-to-day. That suggests a shorter recovery period if the diagnosis proves accurate.
But losing Backstrom for any length of time would put the Caps in a quandary. The 23-year-old hasn’t missed a game yet in his four-year NHL career and he centers the top line alongside star winger Alex Ovechkin. Washington is already relying on two rookies — Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault — to center the second and third lines and could be in the market for a veteran upgrade at that spot before the NHL trade deadline next Monday afternoon.
| Caps notes |
| » Washington finished its five-game road trip with three wins, a 32-19-10 record and 74 standings points. |
| » The Caps next play the New York Rangers on Friday at Verizon Center. That game is a 7 p.m. start. |
| » After finishing 16th in goals allowed per game last season (2.77), Washington ranks sixth in 2010-11 (2.43). The Caps are allowing just 2.18 goals per game over their last 39 contests. |
Following a five-game, 10-day road trip, the Caps were given off both Tuesday and Wednesday. They won’t take to the ice again until a 10:30 a.m. practice on Thursday when preparation begins for their first home game since Feb. 12.
Backstrom’s numbers are down this season. He finished with 33 goals and 68 assists in 2009-10 and was fourth in the NHL in total points with 101. This season has been more of a struggle as Ovechkin’s offensive numbers have dipped and the team’s power play has gone dry. Backstrom still has 15 goals and 38 assists. But those 53 points rank 20th overall and even if he plays in the final 21 games he will be hard pressed to do much more than reach his rookie numbers (69 points). Even compared to those relatively modest totals Backstrom hasn’t been all that productive recently. In his last 12 games he has three goals and four assists, but has been held pointless nine
times.
Backstrom has played in 307 consecutive games since making the opening-night roster out of training camp in 2007, including all 61 this season. He is tied with Ovechkin for most assists on the team and is second in points. Among Washington’s forwards only Ovechkin tops Backstrom’s average time-on-ice per game (20 minutes, 58 seconds). Both players lead the Caps with 19 power-play points.
