(Caps Outsider)
Thursday morning, defenseman John Carlson returned to practicing with the Caps. He’s has been out since February 24th with a lower body injury. Like after the first time he returned from injury, the Caps appear to be easing him in, as he practiced on the second power play unit instead of the first, where he started the season.
Head Coach Barry Trotz would not comment on whether or not he will play. He is traveling with the team.
Also , T.J. Oshie is out with an illness and will not travel. Based on the practice this morning, it appears that Marcus Johansson will move up to the second line and Stanislav Galiev will be playing the left wing on the 4th line.
The Caps are coming off a 4-2 victory against the Senators Tuesday night, when they clinched the Metropolitan Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. After going up 3-0, the Caps took their foot off the pedal and allowed Ottawa back into the game. “We’re all kind of sick of the way we’ve played at times” said Braden Holtby, per CSN Mid-Atlantic.
The Devils are playing in Pittsburgh on Thursday as they try desperately to stay in the playoff race. The Caps are trying to work out their kinks as they push into their final 10 games of the season and on into the playoffs.
