John Carlson Misses Practice, Team Off On Friday: The Latest From The Capitals Bubble In Toronto

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Jon Sorensen

Photo: @Capitals

The Capitals returned to practice at the Ford Performance Centre in Toronto Thursday afternoon following their 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. The Capitals will be off on Friday, then hold two more practice sessions before facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first round robin playoff game on Monday. Here’s the latest from the bubble in Toronto.

PRACTICE
John Carlson was held out of practice on Thursday. Carlson left Wednesday’s exhibition game against the Hurricanes with about 10 minutes remaining in the third period after taking an awkward fall into the boards.

The hope is that Carlson will be able to return to the ice on Saturday. Reirden on Carlson: “He’s a really important guy for our team and had a tremendous season. Did a lot of good things in the game. Fell a little bit awkwardly, got tangled up. So we kept him off today. We’ll evaluate it every day, and best hope is to have him back on Saturday.”

Nicklas Backstrom

INTERVIEWS

Braden Holtby
Holtby said that the covering over the seats at Scotiabank Arena actually helps him see pucks, unlike the darker seats in some arenas that can cause him to lose track before fans sit down. Holtby also noted that being able to hear the action more clearly helps, too.

Jakub Vrana
Vrana on playing with no fans: “While you’re playing, I don’t think you really notice it. The game’s pretty fast…of course at the same time, you know we’re missing the ‘Unleash the Fury.’ Missing some extra energy from the fans.”

Martin Fehervary
“It’s good, even though I had some problems at the beginning. I was in contact with an infected person who had no symptoms, but passed a positive test, so I had to be quarantined for longer. At the same time, I came to America two weeks earlier to adjust well and start fully practicing. Eventually I had to be in a hotel for ten days and I couldn’t even train on the ice. It got on my head a little, but I got over it. ” (Full interview here.)

SHAVINGS

Ted Leonsis

Alex Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin has scored 26 goals in his last 26 games. The NHL doesn’t keep record of goals scored during preseason or exhibition games, but with another goal in August, Ovechkin could become the first player in franchise history to score in every month of the calendar year (Evgeny Kuznetsov could with a goal in August as well). Additionally, only five players in NHL history have scored a regular season or playoff goal in 10 calendar months (Corey Perry, Chris Kunitz, Rob Blake, Michal Handzus and Travis Moen) – a group Ovechkin could join with a goal in August. Ovechkin is entering his 12thcareer postseason, where he currently ranks first among active players in playoff goals per game (65g in 128 games, 0.51 goals per game) and third in points per game (0.98 points per game). Ovechkin’s 128 career playoff games are tied for 16th among active players. (More Here.)

Cornhole, Stadium Style
Several of the Capitals coaches went to BMO stadium for a little cornhole this afternoon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDSGOBGAngM/?igshid=1jnxtoh07vvj3

Gym Shots

 

Tennis, Anyone?


AROUND THE LEAGUE

John Tortorella 
John Tortorella’s love affair with the media continues, even from within the bubble.

 

By Jon Sorensen

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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2 Responses to John Carlson Misses Practice, Team Off On Friday: The Latest From The Capitals Bubble In Toronto

  1. Anonymous says:
    July 30, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    Is MF good enough to be 6th D next season?

    Reply

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