The injury bug strikes every NHL team during the season. For the Washington Capitals, this is not the time they needed their star player to go down with a groin injury.
Alex Ovechkin along with defenseman Mike Green are both doubtful for tomorrow's tilt with the Philadelphia Flyers according to several Flyers beat writers via twitter. It is a pivotal game amongst the elite of the Eastern Conference.
The Flyers have a two point edge currently over the Caps. Additionally, the orange and black have two games in hand.
It's certainly odd that the Capitals are choosing to address Ovechkin's injury at this point in time. Reportedly, Ovechkin has been battling a nagging undisclosed injury (reports have indicated it's a groin issue) for a couple of months now. Why did he compete in the All-Star festivities or why was he not held out when the team was still struggling mightily in January?
Sure, one could argue that Ovechkin felt more pressure to show up to the ASG as a NHL poster-child with Sidney Crosby already being absent. Regardless, Ovechkin's health should matter the most and if he did not tell the Caps until after then there is not much they could have done about it so it is certainly a double edged sword.
It just seems baffling that this decision comes when the Caps have won 13 of their last 16 and have an opportunity to clinch home ice throughout the playoffs if they continue to play the way they have and the Flyers tail off enough.
Regardless, the Flyers cannot have pity for the Caps as they are dealing with injuries of their own, and must take full advantage of this situation. Ovechkin has killed the Flyers over his career. He has 20 goals and 15 assists, for 35 total points in 22 games, a remarkable total to say the least.
With Ovechkin out, the Flyers now have to key on players such as Brooks Laich, former Flyer Mike Knuble, and Nick Backstrom. Laich and Knuble are two admirable, blue collar players who will drive to the net and scrap for their goals, but are capable of scoring skill goals as well. Backstrom on the other hand can finesse his way through any space and either distribute the puck or take it upon himself to score.
Sergei Bobrovsky and Michael Neuvirth are expected to start in goal for both teams so it will be a battle of young, up and coming goaltenders. The game is on VS tomorrow which makes it even more compelling as a national audience will be looking in. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30 p.m.
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