The Washington Capitals could be without Martin Fehervary for a while if how he looked postgame is any indication.
The first-pairing defenseman was spotted on crutches by the Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson after the team’s postgame availability. Fehervary was injured in the first period of the Capitals’ game against the Montreal Canadiens, when he took an awkward fall on his left leg as he tried to retrieve a loose puck behind the Capitals’ net.
Fehervary immediately exited to the locker room and the Capitals ruled him out before the first period ended. The Slovakian rearguard went out for two shifts and lasted only 1:36 of ice time.
“Marty lower body,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said after the game. “I don’t know the extent of it but he could miss some time.”
Without Fehervary, John Carlson and Nick Jensen stepped up in a big way. Carlson skated a game-high 29:07 and Jensen skated over 25 minutes (26:07). Four of the team’s remaining five defensemen skated 21:42 or more.
“You’re playing with five (defensemen) for 58 minutes of the game,” Carbery said. “Those guys dug in. I thought the penalty kill late, they were doing everything they possibly could. Marty’s a huge penalty killer so there were some guys in some different roles. Our whole D-corps as a whole stepped up big time tonight.”
Fitting the theme of the night, the Capitals wound up beating the Canadiens 4-3 as Carlson blocked away a potential game-tying goal by Juraj Slafkovsky in the final seconds as Darcy Kuemper was caught on the other side of the crease.
The Capitals will be back at practice on Monday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, where we may learn more on Fehervary’s status.
