Plenty of reasons for Mike Green’s teammates to be excited about his return to the lineup tonight when the Caps host the Calgary Flames at Verizon Center. Maybe it will take some time for him to find his form. But when he gets on a roll Green provides an added dimension.
“He brings, in my opinion, every element to the game – offense and defense,” teammate Karl Alzner said. “It’s one more person that other teams have to watch out for and also creates a little bit more space for some of the guys like [Alex Ovechkin] and [Nicklas Backstrom] and [Alex Semin]. So I think that’s going to be an added help.”
They also know what he’s been going through. They watched Green struggle with concussion symptoms last year. They have seen groin and ankle injuries cost him 23 straight games this season and 29 of the last 30. He gets healthy and then – boom. It’s right back to the press box.
“It’s not a secret he’s one of the best “D” in the league,” Ovechkin said. “He can carry the puck, he can change the game so quick. It’s good for us and I think everybody right now pretty happy.”
Look for Green to play with rookie Dmitry Orlov with John Erskine rotating in for even-strength shifts and some penalty kill work as Washington plays seven defenseman. Until Green gets up to speed – and the team is confident he’s at least lowered the risk of a setback – this is the prudent way to go.
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