The Capitals have themselves a T.J. Oshie concern — and it’s “fairly high,” according to coach Spencer Carbery.
The Washington forward was helped to the locker room following a non-contact injury during the third period of Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Lightning in Tampa.
“We’ll evaluate. I’ll know more [Friday], but it’s never a good sign when you see a player leaving the ice like that,” Carbery told reporters.
Oshie fell to the ice while stickhandling in the Caps’ offensive zone and crawled along the boards to Washington’s bench.
The 37-year-old seemed upbeat, however, giving fans a glimmer of hope with a response to the team’s post on X.
“Got it done for 77,” the team shared, prompting Oshie to chime in with, “I’ll be back. Thanks for the love caps fans” adding the hashtag “#NoBadDays.”
Before his exit, the winger picked up an assist on Anthony Mantha’s second-period goal, giving him 18 points in 38 games on the season.
There was good news for the Capitals, however: the win moved them within five points of the Lightning or the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, with Tampa Bay having three games in hand.
They’re also tied with Metro Division rivals New Jersey and the Islanders with 60 points in the standings.
The Capitals will need a healthy Oshie down the stretch if they want to get back to the postseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014 last year.
“Give our guys a lot of credit for just fighting for every inch tonight, and staying composed in this situation, in a hostile environment, and finding a way to win despite losing guys left, right and center, and finding a way to get two points in a really tough building,” Carbery said.
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