When the Washington Capitals took to the ice at Amalie Arena, Nicklas Backstrom was with them for the morning skate.
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Backstrom is getting in some reps but doesn’t seem to be going 100-percent. This is his first time in a team setting since getting hurt in Game 5 last round. He’s missed the last two games. #Caps #CapsBolts pic.twitter.com/zVuMMZfI1U
— Tarik El-Bashir⌨️🎙🏒 (@TarikNBCS) May 13, 2018
Backstrom wore a red jersey, but did not take rushes and was not assigned a line. He did do some stick-handling, however, and stayed on for extra work.
Backstrom isn’t taking rushes. Seems he won’t play tonight. He’s on the ice doing some stickhandling though.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 13, 2018
After practice concluded, Barry Trotz called Backstrom a “game-time decision.”
Nicklas Backstrom just walked past reporters here at Amalie Arena and is still sporting a brace on that right hand. For what it's worth. Barry Trotz again called him a game-time decision. #Caps
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) May 13, 2018
On Saturday while speaking to reporters, Trotz said he was “optimistic” Backstrom would return sometime during the Eastern Conference Final.
“I’m not worried about Nick Backstrom,” Trotz said. “Nicky is one of those guys that you can throw him in, and he’s not going to miss a beat.”
If Backstrom sits out again, it will mark the Swede’s third straight game missed due to injry. Backstrom first got injured blocking a point shot from Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz. The Caps are 2-0 in his absence thus far.
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Backy’s back skating with the boys for Game 2 Morning Skate. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/xKc3Bjw9Z5
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 13, 2018
Headline photo: @Capitals
