Caps goalie Jose Theodore was back at practice for the second day in a row. But he couldn’t shed any more light on if he’ll play this weekend in games against Montreal at home and Toronto on the road. Theodore left the team earlier this week for “personal reasons”. He returned to Northern Virginia while the Caps played the Rangers in New York.
“I don’t know. I just expect that we got a [10 a.m. morning skate] tomorrow and I’m going to come here,” Theodore said. “I’m back with the team and practicing hard.”
Theodore has allowed four or five goals in four of his last six starts, including last Saturday against the Devils. And he was pulled from a game against the Islanders last week after allowing three goals on five shots. Theodore insisted he didn’t need a “mental break” and was simply taking care of that personal matter. Now he’s ready to go when asked. But the Caps appear to feel differently. Michal Neuvirth is still with the team after a recall from AHL Hershey and could see action this weekend. Semyon Varlamov will likely start vs. Montreal on Friday night.
“Well, everybody knows what’s been going on. And sometimes you go through a rough break mentally,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “And [Theodore] wants to play so well and he wants to work so hard for the team that sometimes everything adds up. ‘Take a step back real quick. We still think you’re a great goaltender. There’s things physically you’re doing right.’ But sometimes it’s a drain mentally. So we want him to take a couple of days to get ready and start again.”
The Caps next game would be in Ottawa on Monday. Boudreau said Theodore “probably” will accompany the team on its road trip.
