Alex Alexeyev briefly left Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night after being high-sticked in the mouth by Jake Evans.
With 2:28 left in the third period, Evans’s blade ramped up the shaft of Alexeyev’s stick into the defender’s grill. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery shared postgame that Alexeyev was in for some “significant dental work” and provided a further update on Alexeyev’s status after the team’s practice on Tuesday.
“Should be good to go for tomorrow,” Carbery said. “Late night for him, but he should be good.”
Alexeyev’s status is now doubly important after the Capitals announced defenseman Martin Fehervary will miss the remainder of the playoffs after undergoing knee surgery. Alexeyev replaced Fehervary in the final game of the regular season and kept his spot against the Habs to start the first-round series.
The 25-year-old Russian rearguard skated on the team’s third pair with Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals excelled with him over the boards at five-on-five, seeing positive differentials in shot attempts (+6), scoring chances (+7), and high-danger chances (+5). Anthony Beauvillier also scored his second-period goal with Alexeyev on the ice.
Alexeyev played 14:01 of ice time before the high stick took him out of the game. He recorded one shot on goal, two individual shot attempts, two hits, and three shot blocks.
