Home / News / Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson participate in sparsely attended optional practice, Carl Hagelin skates in non-contact jersey

Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson participate in sparsely attended optional practice, Carl Hagelin skates in non-contact jersey

By Chris Cerullo

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January 9, 2023 1:26 pm

The Washington Capitals eked out a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night. Certain members of the team were right back on the ice at MedStar Capitals IcePlex on Monday at a planned optional practice.

That group included Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson who made their long-awaited returns from injuries against Columbus.

Both players are still trying to work their bodies into full hockey game shape after missing the entire first half of the Capitals’ schedule. Backstrom played 14:03 of ice time in the shutout win over the Blue Jackets.

“Yeah, it was just the conditioning part that was a little off,” Backstrom said postgame. “I fell a couple of times, hit some players…I just need to get up to game speed and repetition here.”

Wilson played a similar 14:10 of ice time and shared similar thoughts after the game.

“I tried to put in all the work I could and it held up, we got through it,” Wilson said. “It felt better as the game went on.

“I think everyone that comes back from injury will tell you that there’s nothing you can do to emulate game speed in the NHL,” he continued. “You just kinda gotta take it shift by shift.”

Backstrom and Wilson were the only players who played in Sunday’s game to practice on Monday. They were joined by Anthony Mantha, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Matt Irwin, and Charlie Lindgren who all sat and watched the Caps earn two points.

Before the practice began, the group was joined by a rehabbing Carl Hagelin in his dark blue non-contact jersey. Hagelin has been getting in on-ice work here and there before practices for a couple of weeks now.

“How good is that to see?” head coach Peter Laviolette said the last time Hagelin skated. “He’s just out there testing, just seeing where he’s at. He’s still in the distant future.”

The Capitals’ next game comes on Wednesday in Philadelphia as they’ll meet the Flyers for the third time this season. Washington has won both prior matchups.

Headline photo via @That_WriterGirl/Twitter

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