You think it’s a meaningless NHL exhibition? Small crowds watching disinterested players, right? When the Caps take the ice Friday night at Verizon Center against Columbus it is anything but to players like Andrew Gordon, Jay Beagle and Matt Hendricks. Each of those three forwards are fighting for what could be the final spot on the 23-man roster.
All have acquitted themselves well this preseason. But has it been enough? They have the game against Columbus and then Sunday afternoon’s contest at home against Nashville to prove it to the coaches and team officials watching their every move.
“We come here in shape, we do well in testing and in scrimmages and practices. And that’s all great,” said Hendricks, who scored three goals in Washington’s preseason opener last week. “But the games are the time when they’re doing the most judging of a player’s character and ability. For most of us that’s our time to shine.”
Gordon has a goal and an assist in two games. Beagle scored one himself last weekend against Nashville. All of them are pushing far more established players like David Steckel and Boyd Gordon, who appear to be locks given past performance in Washington, but also can’t afford to slip – or even get injured and give another player a chance.
“Not a minute goes by that the young guys we have are not believing that they can get it done,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “And then they go to the other extreme ‘Well, how can I beat out this guy?’ Then they’ll go ‘I think I had a great game, I got a chance.’ It’s a really emotional roller coaster. But it’s what we do and why we love doing it.”
Boudreau said he joked with Andrew Gordon on Thursday: “Hey, still happy you’re here, huh?” But few understand better what players on the roster bubble are going through these last excruciating days. Boudreau was that guy throughout his career with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Sometimes he made it. Other times he endured the crushing news that he’d been sent back to the AHL.
“We’ve had these conversations with all the young guys. Because I’ve been in there where you just dread going in the room, seeing if your jersey is still up, seeing if you have to see the coach,” Boudreau said. “And you know when you go by them and they don’t say anything to you it’s like ‘Whew, I made it. I passed another day.’ It’s tough because you don’t sleep. You want to be at the highest level you can be. And you dream about it every minute of the day.”
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