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TJ Oshie sheds non-contact jersey during Capitals’ morning skate

By Chris Cerullo

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December 29, 2022 11:33 am

TJ Oshie took a major step toward returning to game action with the Capitals.

The right winger shed his non-contact jersey for the first time since going down injured. Oshie joined Tom Wilson and Martin Fehervary as the Capitals’ extras during the team’s morning skate. None of the three players will suit up against the Ottawa Senators.

The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir has how the team’s forwards and defenders took line rushes.

Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette made no changes to the lineup that took down the New York Rangers.

“Anytime somebody comes out of that (non-contact) jersey I feel like they’re close,” Laviolette said. “I feel like a lot of guys are close. I don’t know if there will be changes tomorrow yet, but certainly all positive signs.”

Oshie already being out of a non-contact jersey is a great sign as he only just returned to practice fully on Wednesday. He has been missing from the team since pulling up lame while backchecking during a December 17 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The crafty 36-year-old winger has 11 points from 22 games in another, unfortunate injury-plagued campaign to this point. Over the past two seasons, Oshie has missed 53 out of 119 games due to injury and illness.

El-Bashir also reports that Darcy Kuemper was the first goaltender off of the ice at the skate. That means the 32-year-old Kuemper will get to try and follow up his stellar 32-save shutout against the Rangers by trying to do something similar against the Sens. In four December appearances, Kuemper is 2-0-1 with a 1.93 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

The Caps are winners of their last five games and hold a 10-2-1 record in the month of December. The Caps will look to continue their hot stretch when they host Ottawa in a battle of national capital cities.

The Senators will arrive in DC after beating a ridiculously good Boston Bruins team in a shootout on Tuesday. The Sens sit tied for bottom in the NHL’s Atlantic Division with the Montreal Canadiens. They have earned 33 points from 34 games this season and are 5-3-2 in their last ten.

Photo: @That_WriterGirl/Twitter

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