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.
NBCSN cameras showed Beagle get twisted up while forechecking in the offensive zone. Beagle immediately skated off the ice.
Beagle held the side of his left back in pain as the Capitals trainer, Jason Serbus, talked to him.
After the pain didn’t subside on the bench, Beagle left the game and would not return. The Capitals later announced Beagle suffered an upper-body injury.
#Caps Jay Beagle (upper body) will not return to tonight’s game.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 2, 2018
The fourth-line center may have aggravated an injury he suffered recently as Beagle struggled to make it through the Caps morning skate this morning.
Jay Beagle exited to the Capitals locker room. Something was bothering him during morning skate today. Saw him talking to trainer at bench for while, but then rejoined skate and finished up.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 2, 2018
was one of the first guys off the ice in the morning. https://t.co/BkyUA5Ei0k
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 2, 2018
Chandler Stephenson or Travis Boyd will be the likely replacements if Beagle misses tomorrow’s game against the St. Louis Blues.
Seemed that Caps' head trainer was rubbing Beagle's side/back when Beagle was being tended to on the bench. Washington plays in St. Louis tomorrow, so if Beagle is out for that game, too, Travis Boyd either joins the Caps or Chandler Stephenson might fill-in as 4C.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 2, 2018
Update: Beagle will miss the Capitals game against St. Louis, Monday night.
Trotz said Beagle won’t play tomorrow. Won’t call anyone up, so would expect Stephenson at center. Indicated there would be other bottom-six changes.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 2, 2018
