The Capitals will get two practices in this week at Kettler Iceplex before heading to western Canada on Tuesday afternoon. Defenseman Mike Green, who registered a pair of power-play goals on Saturday night against the Red Wings, did not participate in Monday’s practice. The club called it a “maintenance day”.
That’s usually not a good sign after an off day. Green did take a puck to the jaw with 2 minutes, 57 seconds left in the first period Saturday and was sporting stitches on the left side of his face. But coach Bruce Boudreau felt comfortable enough after the game to joke about Green taking yet another puck to the face.
The shot came from relatively close – maybe 15 feet? Nothing like last February’s frightening puck to the side of the head against Pittsburgh on Feb. 6 or the shoulder to the jaw from New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan on Feb. 25 a few weeks later. Those blows cost Green virtually the entire final two months of the regular season. Boudreau said Green’s absence was not a result of the latest shot to the jaw.
But Green made an appearance after practice to watch some of his teammates during a photo shoot with their dogs for a Washington Animal Rescue League project. He was limping and his right foot was wrapped – though Green said it was not a cast. Didn’t look like one. Green said he’d be fine, but we’ll see. Didn’t expect him to say otherwise.
Caught up with his agent, Craig Oster, who said Green told him it’s a twisted ankle. That occured on the same play Green was hit with the puck. Sometimes your upper half reacts so quickly trying to turn away from the impact that your lower half doesn’t come along for the ride. Green returned to the game, obviously, and played well. But once he took the skate off the ankle blew up on him.
“He’s okay. He’s had a couple bumps and bruises from the last game and we just decided with a couple days of practice still available to us there’s no sense rushing it,” Boudreau said.
Everyone else was on the ice at practice save for Jay Beagle, who missed his ninth straight practice since a fight with Pittsburgh’s Arron Asham on Oct. 13. Defenseman John Erskine said he was not cleared by the Caps’ medical staff during a meeting at Saturday’s game at Verizon Center against the Red Wings. Getting that clearance before the team leaves for Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon seems less likely now. Could be another week. Have to think Washington takes someone from AHL Hershey with them in that case. Can’t go that far from home with just six defensemen.
“It’s a little iffy at this stage,” Boudreau said. “So we won’t know until tomorrow. We talk to [general manager] George [McPhee] today.”
In other injury news, Alex Ovechkin took a shot above the eye – either a puck got him or he clipped the crossbar on his way down to the ice. Conflicting reports. Boudreau saw it only from the other end of the ice behind the play and thought a stick caught him. Ovechkin had already left the dressing room before the media was granted entry. He left the ice for what appeared to be some stitches and quickly returned.
“He’ll live,” Boudreau said.
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