Caps (7-2-0, 14 points) vs. Ducks (5-5-1, 11 points)
What – Game #10
Where – Verizon Center
When – 7:30 p.m.
TV – CSN HD/VERSUS
Radio – WFED-1500 AM
Busy morning at Kettler Iceplex as the Capitals do some roster shuffling prior to Tuesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. Defenseman Sean Collins has been returned to AHL Hershey, which means defenseman John Erskine has been cleared to return. Remember, Mike Green remains out tonight with an ankle injury. He skated this morning in t-shirts and sweats for about 10 minutes, but left as his teammates filtered onto the ice. Later, he came on in full gear.
“I don’t want to be bag skating too long,” Green said. “But one good practice I think I’ll be fine. It’s more about the game, the speed of the game. The quicker I can get in that situation the better I’ll be.”
Green was hurt Oct. 22 with 2:57 left in the first period of a game against the Red Wings. He actually finished that contest, but when he took his skate off the ankle swelled. Tuesday was his first appearance on the ice since then. Green missed both games of the western Canada road trip. He is expected to be back at practice on Wednesday.
Erskine will play his first game since the season-ending loss at Tampa Bay last May 4. He needed left shoulder surgery later that month and wasn’t ready for full contact during training camp. Erskine finally was cleared by Dr. Ben Shaffer, the team physician and will play tonight. Bruce Boudreau expects to manage Erskine’s minutes at first, but said he has no concerns about any hesitancy in Erskine’s play.
“I’m cleared so I’m good to go tonight,” Erskine said. “I’ve been practicing a long time here. But games are totally different. Just got to work my way into it, get some short shifts in and throw the body around.”
Meanwhile, forward D.J. King learned his fate after being put on waivers Monday. Well, kind of. He was not claimed by another NHL team. Now the ball is back in Washington’s court. The Caps will keep King for a while after putting Jay Beagle (concussion) on injured reserve. That can end at any time, though, since Beagle was hurt on Oct. 13 and injured reserve is a minimum of seven days.
King still took the scratches’ skate with veteran center Jeff Halpern, who skated just 11 minutes, 59 seconds against Vancouver on Saturday. Doesn’t appear he’s hurt. Halpern was given a day off at practice in Vancouver last Friday the day after Washington played in Edmonton.
That means rookie forward Cody Eakin, 20, likely makes his NHL debut. He was recalled from Hershey – and got the news while watching the movie “In Time” in a theatre. Eakin had three goals and five assists in Hershey in 10 games. What does that mean for Halpern?
“I don’t like using the word ‘messages’. It’s just we’ve got 13 forwards right now and wanted to take a look at Cody and it’s the way it worked out,” Boudreau said about Halpern’s expected absence from the lineup.
Boudreau then expanded his thoughts on Eakin, who played primarily with AHL veterans Jacob McFlikier, Boyd Kane in recent games – but also Christan Hanson at the start of the season before he got hurt. Boudreau said Eakin was continually one of the top three forwards in coach Mark French’s game reports. After a rough first weekend Eakin showed the skills that made him a superior junior player the last two seasons. Didn’t hurt that he started producing offensively at that level, either.
“Every report we’ve gotten is that [Eakin] has played really, really well down in Hershey,” Boudreau said. “He’s a guy that we really wanted to take a look at. So we thought Hershey only had one game this week and this was a good opportunity for us to take a look at him.”
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