ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Capitals could be without the services of Nick Jensen and Anthony Mantha when they face the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. After the pair suffered injuries against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters Monday afternoon that both players will be game-time decisions.
“I think Mantha, good chance; Jens, we’ll see, and then we’ll go from there,” he said. “So that’ll dictate a lot of what goes on, who dresses, and what our lineup looks like.”
Jensen went down 9:41 into the game against Florida, careening into the boards during a collision with Panthers forward William Lockwood. He ultimately returned after the first intermission, ending the night with 17:39 TOI.
Mantha left with 5:45 remaining in the third period and did not return. Postgame, Carbery confirmed Mantha was hurt but did not offer details on the severity. The Capitals have since confirmed that both Mantha and Jensen’s injuries are lower-body.
Both players were on the ice Monday in regular jerseys, though Jensen did not stay for the entirety of the skate. Per Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir, Mantha and Pierrick Dubé alternated rushes on the second line, while Ethan Bear drew in on defense.
The Capitals have faced a slew of injuries in their last four games, with Martin Fehervary, Nic Dowd, and TJ Oshie all hurt since February 15. All three have been placed on injured reserve as of Monday afternoon.
