The Washington Capitals are closer to getting veteran winger TJ Oshie back in their lineup again.
Oshie was on the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for practice Monday as he works his way back from an injury that has kept him out three games. Both Oshie and head coach Spencer Carbery spoke after practice about the forward’s prognosis for the team’s upcoming two-game road trip this week.
“Good day of work today so we’ll see how he responds tomorrow but traveling with us to Detroit and on the road trip,” Carbery said. “We’ll see how it looks tomorrow.”
The Capitals (83 standings points) will head to Detroit to take on the Red Wings (84), who currently occupy the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Caps will then head east to Buffalo to take on the Sabres (79) before returning home on Saturday for the first of three games in four days to wrap up their regular season.
The Capitals lost all three games Oshie has missed recently and are on a six-game losing streak overall.
“I feel good,” Oshie said. “I wish I would have been able to come back a little sooner. Sitting out sucks, but when the team is winning it makes it a little bit easier. When you’re not getting the two points, it’s a lonely seat watching from up top or on TV. But I feel good. My situation is still day-to-day, but I’m hopeful I feel good tomorrow morning.”
Oshie last played on March 30 in the Capitals’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins. The 37-year-old right wing recently visited the team doctor instead of participating in practice late last week and has been worked on by a chiropractor multiple times this season to address reoccurring back issues.
He made an appearance at Sunday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators in dress clothes while participating in John Carlson’s 1,000th-game celebration.
Backstage for Carly #Carly1K | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/KUQDJKlxCT
— Ted Leonsis (@TedLeonsis) April 7, 2024
The Capitals are hoping that Oshie can suit up against the Red Wings. Both teams have just five games remaining to sort out who will make the postseason and who will have an early summer.
“The situation has changed, obviously,” Oshie said. “A couple of weeks ago, we were looking to just get our game and our standard to a certain level and everything else would’ve taken care of himself. Now, we have to get to that standard and we have to win games. You can use whatever metaphor you want: ‘backs against the wall’, ‘do or die’, all this other stuff, but we need wins, especially against Detroit. I imagine it’s going to be an intense game on both sides.”
