This just in. Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom will not play in Game Six against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The star center did not take pregame warmups after not participating in the Capitals morning skate. The team’s PR is terming Backstrom’s injury as day-to-day.
Saturday night’s Game Five win against the Pittsburgh Penguins put the Washington Capitals one victory away from advancing past the second round for the first time since 1998. The fans at Capital One Arena roared louder than they have in years.
But the Capitals may be in for a rude awakening in the morning. Nicklas Backstrom, the maestro of Washington’s offense, is hurt. He went down the tunnel to the locker room in the third period of Game Five, which the Caps won 6-3, and did not return to the game.
Capitals head coach Barry Trotz disclosed little about the Swedish pivot’s ailment. Trotz termed it an “upper-body” injury and said the team will know more on Sunday.
By Chris Gordon 3 years ago
The Washington Capitals lost an important player in their top six Sunday night early in Game Two.
Andre Burakovsky, who missed nearly two months of games during the regular season due to a fractured left thumb, was injured in the first period against the Blue Jackets.
Former Capitals center Mathieu Perreault was knocked out of the Winnipeg Jets’ playoff opener against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday night.
Perreaultcho-cinco absorbed several awkward hits to the left shoulder.
On Wednesday, after a scheduled day off on Tuesday, the Capitals held their first practice since the team’s 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. The Caps took the ice without their captain Alex Ovechkin.
The Russian machine took a maintenance day due to a minor injury he suffered after colliding awkwardly into the end boards against the Blues.
Brett Connolly was plugged into the first line to accommodate Ovechkin’s absence.
By Elyse Bailey 3 years ago
Over the last few weeks, a handful of Capitals players have been felled by minor injuries as the team’s battle to lockup a third-straight Metropolitan Division title has gone into overdrive.
Evgeny Kuznetsov hurt his shoulder several weeks ago while Braden Holtby, Philipp Grubauer, and TJ Oshie all recently suffered lower-body injuries. Sunday against the Penguins, Jay Beagle was the latest Caps player to suffer an injury.
TJ Oshie missed the final 9:32 of the third period after suffering a lower-body injury against the Carolina Hurricanes.
After the game, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said Oshie would be reevaluated and “we might have an update for you.”
Saturday afternoon the Capitals PR announced that Oshie is out day-to-day.
TJ Oshie has been one of the Capitals best players during the month of March, tallying nine points in his last nine games (5 goals, 4 assists). Friday, however, Oshie was unable to finish the Caps-Hurricanes game after suffering an injury in the third period.
After the game, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz declined to reveal any specifics.
Your fears may subside now.
Capitals second-line center Evgeny Kuznetsov suffered a scary injury Friday night against the New York Islanders. After taking a slash to the left wrist, Kuznetsov writhed in pain on the ice.
Saturday afternoon, Capitals PR announced Kuznetsov is “listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury” and will miss the Flyers game Sunday.
With five seconds left in the second period, Evgeny Kuznetsov skated in on a semi-breakaway against Jaroslav Halak.
Kuznetsov absorbed a slash to the left wrist from Thomas Hickey before crashing arm-first into the boards.
The team’s talented second-line center would leave the ice and not return. Kuznetsov’s health will be a major storyline going into this weekend.
