Capitals' Carlson, Oshie progressing, Kuznetsov still out originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Capitals defenseman John Carlson and right winger T.J. Oshie were on the ice Thursday in a sign both are progressing toward a return to the lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Carlson was a full participant at practice and said he felt he would be good to go for Game 1. Oshie was on the ice for skating drills before practice and wore a non-contact jersey. He left before line rushes, however.
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Though it is positive to see Oshie back on the ice, Washington head coach Peter Laviolette would not he'd be in the lineup.
"Those are things we're working through," Laviolette said.
The typical progression in these situations is for a player to return in a non-contact jersey, then practice as a full participant before returning to game action. That makes Friday's practice important to see if Oshie has progressed to that next step.
Here is a look at the lines from Thursday's practice:
Still absent from practice was Evgeny Kuznetsov. He remained on the COVID-19 protocol-related absence list Wednesday. The list is released at 5 p.m. every day so it is likely he will be listed again on Thursday after his absence.
Considering Kuznetsov's last game was May 1, it seems doubtful he could be ready for Game 1 even if he were to return for Friday's practice. He would likely need more time to get back into game shape.
