Photo credit: @CJanes15
Brooks Laich‘s last year has been miserable (minus this moment), and the new 2013-14 season hasn’t started any better either. After playing in just nine games last season due to a groin injury he suffered during the lockout, Laich hurt himself 10 minutes into the first day of training camp.
“It was a left hip flexor,” Laich said that day after leaving the ice. “It is completely non-related to what happened to me last year. We’ll monitor it day-by-day, and it should come back very very quickly.”
Three weeks later, Laich has played only one preseason game and he’s barely skated. Hip flexors are notorious for being lingering injuries.
According to The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes, however, Laich will play in the Washington Capitals season opener on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Head coach Adam Oates confirmed that news as well.
Brooks Laich out for #Capitals' preseason finale, but he and Oates say he should be good to go for the opener Tuesday
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 28, 2013
While this is exciting — the Caps are a better team with Laich — the winger still did not go all-out in practice today. He also will not play tonight in the Capitals preseason finale.
“It’s a lot better today, I’m really really close,” Laich said to Janes. “This way, I’ve got three more days to prepare for Tuesday. I’ll get some rest tomorrow, get a good hard practice in Monday, and be ready to go Tuesday.”
Thanks to friend-of-the-blog Katie Brown, here’s some of what Laich did on the ice today.
I don’t know about you, but I’m nervous for Tuesday. There’s no point in playing Laich if there’s a chance he’ll re-injure himself. Sitting Laich for a week or two and bringing him along slowly, might make more sense considering his luck of late. But what do I know?
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