The Washington Capitals are finally getting some much-needed reinforcements to their defense corps. After missing the first three games of the team’s playoff series with the New York Rangers, Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen are both ready to return from their respective upper-body injuries.
“On track to play tonight, so we’ll see how the rest of the day goes,” head coach Spencer Carbery said. “Looking optimistic. It should help us a bunch. Two guys that have been in our lineup the majority of the year, good individual defensemen.”
The two regular blueliners shed their non-contact jerseys ahead of Game Three but did not ultimately dress in the 3-1 defeat that pushed the Capitals to the brink of elimination. Washington needs a win on home ice in Game Four to stave off a Rangers sweep.
“We’ve been working hard to get back,” Sandin said Sunday. “You obviously don’t want to sit out for a long time. You want to get back as quickly as possible but with lots of help from the doctors – we’re at a good point now. Just really exciting getting back – it sucks sitting up there and watching. You just feel like you don’t have any control of anything out there. Looking forward to tonight for sure.”
Sandin suffered a reported head injury against the Ottawa Senators on April 7 and has not played since, missing eight games. The Swedish rearguard was back in his normal role at the team’s morning skate on Sunday, including taking back up his second power-play unit responsibilities.
The Capitals went 0-for-6 on their power play in Game Three and gave up a shorthanded goal for the second game in a row. Sandin played close to two minutes of power play time on ice per game during the regular season.
Washington also gave up New York’s third power-play goal in the last two games with the other side of their special teams. Jensen, the team’s regular season leader in penalty kill minutes per game (2:46), has not played since being stretchered off the ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 13. The veteran rearguard has missed the team’s last five games.
“I’ll confirm with the doctors and the health staff after this to make sure everything’s good but the last five or six days I’ve felt everyday I was improving,” Jensen said. “The last couple days have felt really good, that’s where I’m at.”
With both players back, Trevor van Riemsdyk still not skating, and Vincent Iorio still in a non-contact sweater, here’s what the Capitals’ defense should look like at puck drop if they dress.
Lucas Johansen would come out of the lineup and join fellow Hershey recall Hardy Häman Aktell as a healthy scratch. The return of the team’s second pair should lighten the load some for John Carlson who is nearly playing half of each game so far in the playoffs, averaging 29:34 of ice time.
Alex Alexeyev stepped up in a big way with much of the team’s defense ailing, playing on average the fifth-most minutes (20:22) on the team through Game Three. Dylan McIlrath has also been a steady fixture since Jensen went down, playing in the last five games.
Puck drop for the must-win Game Four is set for 8 pm inside Capital One Arena.
