Tom Wilson knocks down Chris Bigras. (Photo credit: Plymouth Whalers)

Washington Capitals first round pick Tom Wilson recently missed three games with what OHL announcers described as a “minor ailment.” Wilson returned Friday night and had a huge impact in Game Five of the Plymouth Whalers’ playoff series against the Owen Sound Attack. In a 5-0 win that gave Wilson’s Whalers a 3-2 series lead, the Ten Train scored a power play goal and picked up six minutes of penalties — two coincidental roughing minors with Gemel Smith and Kurtis Gabriel and an unsportsmanlike conduct minor.

Wilson’s goal is at 1:00 mark. (Video credit: Plymouth Whalers)

Wilson’s tally was second of the game for the Whalers. Wilson redirected a slap pass by another Caps prospect, defenseman Connor Carrick. The Whalers also got two goals each from Senators draft pick Stefan Noesen and Avalanche prospect Mitchell Heard.

In regards to the injury Wilson suffered, Dobber Prospects writer Brendan Ross reported that Tom was recovering from a concussion he suffered in Game One of the series.

Word around the league (unofficially) is that Plymouth Whalers Tom Wilson missed Game 2 with a concussion. #OHLPlayoffs #Caps

— Brendan Ross (@RossyYoungblood) April 9, 2013

After his goal Friday, Wilson has nine points (three goals, six assists), which puts him in a tie for 19th place in OHL playoffs scoring. He’s done that despite playing three less games than his competitors. Carrick, who has 11 points in nine games, leads OHL defensemen in playoff points.

Whalers will face the Attack in Game 6 at 4PM on Sunday.

Photo credit: J Pat Carter

Less than twenty minutes into the contest between the Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers, the Caps’ big trade deadline acquisition, veteran winger Martin Erat, went awkwardly into the boards courtesy of a reckless shove by hulking young defenseman Eric Gudbranson. A few anxious seconds later, Caps fans were holding their breath as Marty was helped off the ice by his teammates, clearly favoring his right leg. Later on, the team referred to it as a “lower body injury.” Nothing to be happy about, of course, but it could have been so much worse, especially given Erat’s extensive concussion history.

“Wait! What concussion history?,” you may ask, and rightfully so. After all, Marty has been an NHLer for over a decade, and in all that time the Nashville Predators (his team since his debut in 2003) released exactly zero statements mentioning Martin Erat having a concussion. The ubiquitous “upper body injury” appears numerous times, but never a concussion. In fact, a Google search for “Martin Erat concussion” yields references to just one suspected case – an injury Erat suffered during the last World Championship. So, no worries then, right?

But what if someone actually asked Marty? Because someone did.

Last June, Russian sports portal sports.ru published an exclusive interview with Martin Erat. When reporter Maria Mikhalenko mentions this nasty late hit on Marty by a known cheap-shot artist Jarko Ruutu in the first round of 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, the conversation takes an interesting turn:

Maria Mikhalenko: Did Ruutu’s hit make an impact?

Martin Erat: I felt alright after a while. It happened during last year playoffs.  It wasn’t a dirty hit. But he hit me directly in the head, and I got a concussion.

Mikhalenko: How many concussions have you had during your career?

Erat: Possibly four or five. Probably, the worst one was the one that happened last year, because I had had another concussion not long before. So when Ruutu hit me, that was the second one. I had headaches for a long time afterwards.  But I played through the playoffs, and then returned [to Nashville] during summer for the recovery. We have good doctors in Nashville. They always know what to do with me.

Four or five concussions, and just one known to have happened outside the NHL.

And the concussion Marty refers to as “probably the worst?” That one happened about a month after the NHL proudly announced its official, new and improved, Protocol for Concussion Evaluation and Management. Erat missed just two games before returning to the Preds lineup for their second round series against the Canucks. The Predators conveniently labelled that one an “upper body injury” – maybe just to be consistent with the “upper body injury” Erat suffered two weeks earlier– the one Erat said caused him to miss the last two games of the regular season.

A long list of Erat’s upper body frailties can be found on the Hockey News site under the Transactions tab.

I don’t meant to single out Nashville. Unfortunately, hiding behind the fig leaf of “upper body injury” is a norm throughout the NHL. Just a few days ago, Maple Leafs’ head coach Randy Carlyle shared his personal theory about concussions: the biggest problem with concussions is calling them concussions, which is a “bad word.” This sad comedy act came right after star forward Joffrey Lupul had to be helped off the ice in the game against the Flyers. Lupul appeared unsteady on his skates and disoriented as he left the ice surface – but hey, as long as we don’t call it a concussion, he should be fine, right?

Take a quick look at the NHL players currently listed as out with an upper body injury– 19 players. (The Predators and the Blue Jackets lead the pack with three guys each.) Are all of these 19 guys concussed? No. But as long as teams are allowed to hide behind such an ambiguity, all the NHL’s efforts to combat the concussion epidemic will just be lip service. The league and its players need transparency.

Dima sits with the other Bears scratches during Saturday’s Bears game. (Photo credit: Katie Stansbery)

When Dmitry Orlov came out of the tunnel for the AHL Showcase game last month, he was excited to see fans back at Verizon Center. It was the reason why, in his opinion, he played the best hockey of his season. The AHL gamesheet says that the 21-year-old defenseman recorded two shots on goal that first period, but Dima remembered it being closer to four or five.

Unfortunately, as he confirmed to me on Saturday night during the first intermission of the Bears/Senators game, Orlov suffered an injury after absorbing a hit from Emerson Etem. Due to team policy, Orlov would not reveal the nature or location of his injury.

After spending two weeks recovering, Orlov has begun riding an exercise bike and lifting weights. According to Hershey Bears head coach Mark French, Orlov is close to getting back on the ice for practice again.

“He’s still not skating,” French told me after the Bears 3-1 loss to the Binghamton Senators. “We hope in the next week we can get him back on the ice and start getting his conditioning to a level that we might see him back in the line-up in the future.”

With the lockout now over, Orlov will most likely return to Arlington for training camp where his status will be further evaluated, just like injured first-line center Nicklas Backstrom, whose agent told us is week-to-week with a “bruised neck.”

When I asked Orlov how tough it would be to skate after a month-plus-long layoff, Orlov squeezed his non-existent belly fat, laughed, and told me in English,”it will be very difficult.” He’s hopeful he will be ready for Opening Night in a few weeks. Fingers crossed.

Photo credit: Ian iPad

Photo credit: Jordan Tenenbaum

On December 6th, the Verizon Center hosted the AHL Showcase between the Hershey Bears and Norfolk Admirals. Due to the lockout, it was the first hockey game played in Washington since May 9th, when two current Bears were playing with the Capitals: Braden Holtby and Dmitry Orlov.

While Holtby dominated in the Bears 2-1 victory during the Showcase, Orlov made it through just the first period before leaving the game due to injury. Since then, Orlov has missed ten games– a month’s worth of action. Bears radio announcer and PR man Scott Stuccio told RMNB on Thursday night that the Novokuznetsk-native is not close to returning yet.

With the departure of veteran defenseman Dennis Wideman over the offseason, Orlov was expected to play big minutes on the Capitals third defensive pairing this season. Instead, he’s nursing what seems to be a long-term injury with a possible NHL season nearing. Few details have emerged on what Orlov’s injury is.

To try to figure out what’s going on, I reviewed tape of the AHL Showcase to see if I could pinpoint when and where the injury occurred. After re-watching the first period, I came to a few conclusions.

• Orlov did not leave  a shift early.
• Orlov had no apparent limp and did not favor a leg.
• On Orlov’s second to last shift, he absorbed a body check from two players.

With 4:47 left in the first period, Orlov led the Bears into Norfolk’s offensive zone. As the 21-year-old defenseman cut to the middle of the ice, he passed to a teammate. Then, six-foot four-inch, 250-lbs. Emerson Etem saw the play developing and prepare to hit Orlov. As the two players’ bodies met near the slot, Etem put his shoulder under Orlov’s chin, sending him airborne. Chris Wagner, trailing on the play, then collided with the airborne Orlov, cross-checking him in the head. Orlov fell to the ice, but quickly got up as the referees blew the play dead.

Photo Sequence of the Hit

Zoomed-In Shots

Orlov returned for one final shift, a penalty kill at the end of the first period. On that shift, he tried to block a Patrick Maroon shot from the perimeter. Maroon’s stick appears to get close to striking Orlov’s helmet, but after reviewing replays, I don’t think it hit him.

Orlov then skated off for a shift change, no worse for wear. After going into the Bears locker room, he did not emerge for the second period and has been scratched since.

Photo credit: Mitchell Layton

Remember that possible goalie controversy? Well now there’s a new problem in the crease — and it isn’t pretty. After Tomas Vokoun re-injured his groin last week in Boston, the Caps have been forced to rely on Michal Neuvirth and call-up Braden Holtby. That’s not so bad considering Vokoun’s play before the setback. It’s Neuvy who’s hurt now, suffering a possibly devastating leg injury a quarter of the way into the second period Thursday night.

With the puck in the Capitals defensive zone, the Panthers’ Dmitry Kulikov fired a slapper on net. Twisting to get out from the way from the point blast, former Cap Marco Sturm fell onto Neuvirth, causing the young Czech netminder to bend backwards awkwardly. Replays appear to indicate Neuvirth’s left knee endured the damage, but our fake medical degrees are from eBay so we can’t be sure. Neuvy had already taken some hits lately, most notably two pucks to the noggin his last time out, but this one looks far more serious.

The Caps are so far keeping mum — Dale Hunter termed it a day-to-day lower-body injury and said the team will know more later Friday– but it’s hard not to fear the worst. So where do we go from here?

Shake it off, Philipp. It's not that hard to play in a sling. (Photo credit: @WashCapsRock)

We’re inclined to believe — barring a magical, Newt Gingrich-esqe recovery for Mike — it’ll be Holtby and Hershey backup Dany Sabourin in net when Washington begins the playoffs next week against New York… or Boston… or New Jersey with the former not being let anywhere near the crease in the postseason. Prospect Philipp Grubauer was having a nice year down in South Carolina, but he’s on the mend after wrist surgery. We don’t even want to mention the Bears goalie situation if Sabourin does in fact get called up, but Darren Machesney looks to be the man.

Despite Holtby’s raw abilities — he’s 3-2-1 with a 2.79 goals against average and a .910 save percentage this season but has shown flashes of brilliance since Vokoun went down — the 22-year-old is untested in the playoffs. While Holtby was part of the Calder Cup-winning Bears squad in 2010, Neuvirth was the one who got nearly all the minutes. The Lloymindster, Saskatchewan native started for Hershey during their run for the Cup last year, but he was less than impressive as the Bears bowed out in six games. But now Holtby’s got his shot.

“We know that’s he’s a good goalie,” forward Troy Brouwer told reporters after the game. “He’s proven himself time and time again that he can play here.”

Still, Holtby doesn’t look to be relishing his newfound opportunity, not surprising given the circumstances around it.

“Vokey, Neuvy, Grubauer in South Carolina — it’s not a good thing,” said Holtby. “That’s how the cards are dealt and we’ve got to deal with what we have.”

Holtby acquitted himself pretty well after taking over after the starter hobbled to the bench in a painful scene, making some nice saves right off the bat while the Caps seemed to play with a new fire scoring two quick goals. He ended the night with 12 saves and two goals allowed.

“I don’t really ever feel 100 percent comfortable like you do when you play when you know you’re starting,” Holtby explained. “You basically just run off adrenaline and just battle as hard as you can. Your mindset of the technique and everything kind of go out the window. You just try and stop the puck, even if it’s not pretty.”

Said coach Dale Hunter: “We’ve got one goalie down already, then another one goes down. It’s one of those things, sports, something stupid happens like that. But Holtby came in and played great for us.”

Get well soon, Neuvy.

Photo credit: Mitchell Layton

Special thanks to Gary Bettman for letting the guys out of the Quiet Room long enough for us to snap this pic. Enlarge. (Photo illustration by Ian Oland)

The stars of the All-Star Game were a little less bright this year. Some of the familiar faces that fans expect were absent for reasons that are becoming all too familiar in the modern NHL: head injury. Approximately 85 head injuries have been reported this year, meaning that nearly ten percent of all active players have been injured. 28 of 30 teams have reported at least one head injury, while some franchises have dealt with as many six or seven. With star center Nicklas Backstrom now sitting out due to concussion, the issue has hit close to home for Caps fans.

While Brendan Shanhan has doled out 26 regular-season suspensions — which some think have gone too far, hits targeting of the head continue. The face of the NHL, Sidney Crosby, lasted just nine games in his latest comeback before being sidelined yet again with post-concussion syndrome. His return to the ice and excellence is still uncertain.

Even worse, a season after seeing three of its enforcers die in one summer, the NHL faces mounting questions about player safety. Some players, celebrated for their toughness, bristle at league mandates regarding concussions.

One such example came on December 17th, when the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Colby Armstrong suffered a concussion after colliding with Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler. However, Armstrong did not report the concussion, choosing instead to hide his condition from trainers, who discovered it only when they found Armstrong vomiting in the locker room. While no one would question Armstrong’s toughness and grit, this is the last place that an NHL player should be expected to show his bravery.

Below the jump, we’ve chosen to highlight 12 All-Star caliber players — six each for the Eastern and Western Conferences — who’ve struggled with head injury this year. We hope that this brings attention to concussions in sports and specifically in hockey, where the problem has grown too big to be ignored.

Western Conference Head Injury Starters

Mike Richards, Los Angeles Kings

Story: Mike Richards took a Sean Bergenheim shoulder to the head on December 1st. He went to IR on the following day and missed eight games with a head injury. Bergenheim did not receive any supplemental discipline.

Penalties on the play:

LAK Mike Richards: 2 Minutes for Slashing (Served by Trent Hunter)
LAK Mike Richards: 2 Minutes for Roughing (Served by Trent Hunter)
FLA Sean Bergenheim: 2 Minutes for Roughing
LAK Jarret Stoll: 2 Minutes for Roughing

Richards told LA Times that it was not for the first time he’s suffered a concussion:

“I’ve been injured like this before,” he said. “Like I said, it’s just time. It’s nothing you can rush. It’s a hurry-up-and-wait sort of thing.” [...] “Obviously it’s something that you’re used to playing every day,” he said. “And going out there and having fun. It’s just not the same. You’re not with the guys in the dressing room. You always feel like you could be doing more.”

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Story: One of three Kings’ star forwards to suffer concussions this season, Kopitar was injured on a hard hit by Dallas Stars power forward Brenden Morrow behind Dallas’ net. Kopitar left the game for precautionary reasons, but thankfully for Kings fans, did not miss a single game afterward.

Penalties on the play:

LAK Mike Richards: 10 Minute Game Misconduct
LAK Mike Richards: 2 Minutes for Instigator – Face Shield (Served by Trent Hunter)
LAK Mike Richards: 2 Minutes for Unsportsmanlike Conduct (Served by Trent Hunter)
DAL Brenden Morrow: 5 Minute Major for Fighting
LAK Mike Richards: 5 Minute Major for Fighting

A day after the hit, Kopitar described his condition to Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider:

“Feeling good. Nothing special to say, really. It was just precautionary reasons last night. I’m sure you guys know, even better than I do, what it takes after you get hit like that, what you’ve got to do (with) the quiet room and stuff. But I’m feeling good this morning, and that’s about it.’’

Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers

Story: Taylor Hall took a Corey Potter skate to the face in warm-ups before a game against the Blue Jackets, and it didn’t look pretty. Hall only missed two games – one against the Blue Jackets and the next against the St. Louis Blues.

Hall talked about the injury with the Edmonton Journal’s Joanne Ireland:

“I looked a lot better before, but what can you do?” Hall said on Thursday. “You can say that I’m lucky I didn’t get my eye taken out or that I didn’t get my throat sliced. Or, I’m just unlucky because something like his has never happened in the history of the sport with how many guys who have not worn a helmet in warm-up.”

Shea Weber, Nashville Predators

Story: Shea Weber, the Nashville Predators hard-shooting All-Star defenseman, took a forearm to the head from the Dallas Stars’ Mark Fistric and missed four games with “concussion-like symptoms.” No penalties were called on the play, nor did Brendan Shanahan suspend Fistric, who had already been suspended that month for an illegal hit on Islanders forward Nino Niederreiter. The hit on Neiderreiter also resulted in a concussion.

Shea Weber also sometimes drops the gloves. Fox Sports Tennessee’s John Manasso wrote an interesting article on why he shouldn’t:

It’s understandable that you don’t want your opponents to know that you won’t fight. Keep the secret to yourself. You don’t have to disavow fighting publicly. Just don’t fight. You have too much to risk and too little to gain.

Sami Salo, Vancouver Canucks

Story: In one of the most controversial hits this season, Brad Marchand caught Sami Salo with what seemed to be a borderline hit somewhere between a hip check and a clip. This earned Marchand a lengthy suspension from Brendan Shanahan, missing five games; Salo is yet to return.

Penalties:
BOS Brad Marchand: 5 Minute Major for Clipping (Served by Shawn Thornton)
BOS Brad Marchand: 10 Minute Game Misconduct

Salo told Vancouver Sun what he thinks about the hit:

“I’m lucky I didn’t break my neck,” Salo said Friday, answering questions for the first time since landing heavily on the back of his head and neck when upended by Marchand during the Canucks’ 4-3 win in Boston two weeks ago. “You can’t play the game thinking about what other guys might do. You can’t play the game… thinking this guy might elbow me or something.

Josh Harding, Minnesota Wild

Photos by PointNShoot

Story: Minnesota goaltender Josh Harding was accidentally elbowed in the head by his teammate, Nick Schultz, while battling with the Sharks’ Joe Pavelski in front of the net. The elbow left Harding with a concussion. He became the fourth Wild player to suffer from a concussion this season joining Guillaume Latendresse, Marek Zidlicky, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard on the sidelines.

Western Conference Honorable Mention

Forwards: Alex Tanguay, Simon Gagne, R.J. Umberger, Ryane Clowe, Alex Steen, Andy McDonald, Mike Fisher. Defensemen: Brent Seabrook, Ian White, Radek Martinek, Michal Roszival, Carlo Colaiacovo. Goalie: Steve Mason.

Eastern Conference Head Injury Starters

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Story: You’re probably already sick of reading about Crosby’s collision with then-Capital David Steckel and hit by Lightning d-man Victor Hedman, so we won’t elaborate on it. Sid’s comeback from those two hits lasted all of nine games. In the last game he played, he collided with the Bruins’ David Krejci and that is believed to be a reason of his latest concussion. He also collided with teammate Chris Kunitz, which as the National Post so elegantly said, “finished him.” It was revealed during All-Star Weekend that Crosby suffered a broken neck as well.

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

Story: Another friendly-fire incident that resulted in injury, Giroux was accidentally kneed by teammate Wayne Simmonds, who tried to jump over the fallen Giroux. Giroux missed only four games and at first it looked like he never missed a beat, recording a four-point performance in the very first game back, but then…

PhillyBurbs.com sums it up best:

The conspiracy theory is that the concussion he suffered back on Dec. 10 against Tampa Bay (in a collision with teammate Wayne Simmonds) hasn’t completely healed yet and that there might be some residual effects.

Giroux did return after missing four games and put together a four-point night at Dallas on Dec. 21. But in the 13 games since then, just one goal (in the Jan. 2 Winter Classic) and eight assists.

Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals

Story: The Washington Capitals first-half MVP, Nicklas Backstrom, was elbowed by Rene Bourque, who was later suspended five games by Shanahan for the incident (and beaten up by us video-game style). Backstrom has no timetable for a return, and the Capitals’ success and overall mobility has declined with him out of the lineup. The Caps with and without Backstrom are two entirely different teams. Backstrom’s health will likely influence George McPhee’s trade strategy come the deadline.

Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers

Story: One of the scariest injuries in awhile, because of its seriousness and because of its effect on a player who has been a measuring stick for toughness. Chris Pronger was hit high by an errant Mikhail Grabovski stick. Right away, the injury didn’t look good with concerns mostly focused on damage to his sight. However, Pronger returned from what was called an “eye injury” and played six games. After that, he had a knee injury that required surgery, and it was only at this time that the Flyers organization revealed that he was suffering from post-concussion syndrome, and would likely be out for the rest of the season.

The Flyers’ captain told NHL.com:

“I just didn’t feel well, I didn’t know what it was,” Pronger said that day. “I never felt like that before with headaches and nausea, and that stuff. I had a concussion baseline test and passed that … I got lightheaded, had headaches, you’re nauseous.”

Pronger’s wife Lauren also offered her perspective on the injury:

“It’s a tough go at home,” she said. “We’re going day-to-day right now — good days, bad days. It’s been a lot of trauma going on. We’re just praying right now. He’s battling. He wants to be out there more than anybody. It’s tough for all of us to watch him go through this.”

Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

Story: Kris Letang was injured in the third period of a Canadiens – Penguins game on November 25. He returned in that game and scored the OT game-winner, but missed 21 games afterwards. Though there was no penalty call on the play, Pacioretty was suspended three games by the Department of Player Safety.

Sidney Crosby gave Letang advice before he returned to the ice. Letang told the media:

“Pay attention to how your body reacts out there and make sure I’m 100 percent ready, not taking any chances because you need your head for the rest of your life. It was a question of feeling good and being confident that I can do the job out there.”

Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres

Story: Ryan Miller was hit by Milan Lucic in a race for the puck. Lucic was not suspended for the hit and only got two minutes of penalty time for charging. Later this season, Jordin Tootoo collided with Miller and was suspended for two games. The concussion Miller sustained after the Lucic hit was his second in a year.

Miller told Yahoo! Sports what it felt like to have a concussion:

“My issue every time has been, it affects your focus and concentration,” Miller said. “You feel like you have ADD. You feel like you have extreme ADD when you have the headaches and you have the uncomfortable ‘off’ feeling. I mean, I think history can kind of show I’m a very intense, focused person, and when I can’t even get through a 10-, 15-minute task at home, which I can usually sit down and do, something’s wrong.”

Eastern Conference Honorable Mention

Forwards: Jeff Skinner, Martin St. Louis, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, Danny Briere, Evander Kane. Defensemen: Zbynek Michalek, Joni Pitkanen, Marс Staal, John-Michael Liles, Victor Hedman. Goalies: James Reimer, Al Montoya, Rick DiPietro.

Layout, graphics, and introduction by Ian Oland.
Additional reporting by Ana Hansen.

[UPDATED BELOW]

Our favorite beat reporters, Tarik El-Bashier (The Washington Post) and Corey Masisak (hired gun), are on the scene in Montreal, confirming what we feared last night: Joe Corvo and Shaone Morrisonn are not practicing with the team today.

I haven’t gotten a clear message on Corvo’s exit, but Shaone took a nasty swipe to his wrist/hand area in the second period and did not return.  Corvo had a goal in game one, and ShaMo had been playing great hockey so far.  Both will be missed.

Will we see John Erskine and Tyler Sloan tomorrow night?  Can anyone in Hershey catch the red-eye up to Canada?  Please?  Pretty please?

RMNB will keep you posted.

(And by that, we mean we’ll just repeat what someone else said and then put a joke in there.)

Update 12:18 pm Corey Masisak has the scoop on Corvo’s absence:

Looks like the pirate faction of the Washington Capitals will be represented tomorrow night after all!

Update 2:27 pm Via Tarik we learn that Shaone Morrisonn is expected to play tomorrow as well.  Somewhere, John Erskine and Tyler Sloan are weeping.

• 

  Please. Not the face.

  As we regurgitated yesterday, Brooks Laich got brained by an errant puck and left the ice in pain.  Following a game of Juice Boy, John Carlson rang the post that deflected straight into Brooksy’s noggin.  Laich was visited by trainers and then taken to the hospital, where X-rays revealed he has a fracture in his face.  Tonight’s absence will end an ironman-sized streak for Brooks, but the real worry is borne by the Scarlet Caps, who fear that pretty boy Brooks may lose his chiseled good looks as a result.  Coach Bruce Boudreau wins Quote of the Day:  “It’s not a pretty face. And it was a pretty face.”  We expect/hope that Brooks will be back in action by next week.
• Boyd Gordon is still out with a back problem.  If this is a re-injury to the persistent back issue Gordon spent the earlier part of the season fighting, this may be a lengthy break for the center.  This is doubly disappointing as the right winger seemed to be having a good year in the games he did play.  Hopefully we’ll see him for more than half of the season next year.
• 

  Turf toe is no laughing matter.

  Scott Walker tweaked his knee sometime during or after his fight with Zenon Konopka at Tampa Bay.  My practice spies have not reported a sighting of him since.  Wherever he is, we hope he’s practicing not looking like a bald version of character actor Richard Tyson.
• If it’s any consolation, Pittsburgh superstar Evgeni Malkin is out with a bruised foot.  Geno’s ’09-’10 season hasn’t reached the same epic heights as last year, but he’s still a dynamic force on the ice.  And don’t give him a hard time for missing a game because of a toe injury; those things can be bad.  Check out this case of “turf toe” my college roommate got playing Ultimate Frisbee (right).

The puck drops on the Pens and Caps a little after 7 PM.  For those of you looking to synchronize your World of Wings Cafe and Wingery carryout, 7:43 PM is looking like the sweet spot.

[Ed. note - Thanks to Emily Karol for additional reporting.  See her perform in Frederick this weekend!]

• Jose Theodore skipped the final period of last night’s Islanders game. As per usual, the Caps staff declined to describe the nature Theo’s injury beyond the perfunctory “lower-body injury.” I’ve reviewed the game tape, but I’m unable to ascertain the nature of the injury. As such, Russian Machine has commissioned his (smokin-hot) wife Stéphanie to investigate Jose’s lower body more vigorously.
• Our spies at Kettler shoe-phoned to inform us that Semyon Varlamov is skating today. Semyon’s lower half has completely failed him since December; we hope his junk is still under warranty. It’s encouraging that Varly is skating, but he is definitely not taking shots. The Olympics now seem unlikely, and our heart aches for Varly. It’d be selfish of us to be glad that Semyon will get more rest before the playoffs when it comes at the cost of such a big personal goal. Therefore, we must hope either that his recovery drastically hastens, or that he’s still a superstar goalie in 2014.
• As the previous two bullets have made clear, the Capitals now have a full-blown goalie crisis. What a world away we are now from the halcyon “Which awesome goalie shall we play tonight?” days of November. To fill the ranks, the organization has recalled Braden Holtby from the Hershey Bears. It’s one of our distinct pleasures as Caps fans that we get to see promising players from the organization’s stellar farm club. In the last few years, we’ve enjoyed standout performances from Matthieu Perrault, Karl Alzner, Semyon Varlamov, Captain America, and many more. I’m not well educated on the Bears, so I’m spending some time today learning about Braden, and I like what I see (.935 save % on 506 SOG). Let’s just hope he doesn’t hang around D.C. too long.
• Exchanging a Top Gun high five with Holtby somewhere around York, PA, is Karl Alzner, who has been returned to Hershey’s care. Karl has only an even +/- from his recent four-game stint, but we recall fondly his crucial assist on David Steckel’s GWG. Plus, Karl got to hang out at Casino Night (check out Emily Karol’s terrific story if you haven’t already).
• Brian Pothier. I don’t really have any news on the dude, but then again I’m not a real journalist. Let’s just assume he’s going to play tonight.
• He’s not on our team, but Jack Hillen‘s faceblock last night was too monstrous not to mention.  After attempting to catch an Ovechkin slapshot with his teeth, Jack fell to the ice with a bloody, wet thud.  The Islanders report that Hillen broke his jaw and several teeth.  He’ll miss 6-8 weeks, but Quentin Laing has already promised to send over a dandy protein milkshake recipe.  Poor guy.

Tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks (24-22-7) begins at 7 PM. Russian Machine has a correspondent on location to document. Will the goalie problems discussed above end the Caps winning streak? Will Braden Holtby submarine some dude at center ice? Will Matt Bradley (whose jersey, it seems, I must now buy) secure a hat trick? Tune in and find out.

Per @tarikelbashir: Semyon Varlamov’s first full practice did not go as well as expected. He said he felt a bit of twinge and definitely won’t play tomorrow.