So raise your hand if you had the last Caps player left at the Olympics as – defenseman Milan Jurcina? What? He’s not even on the team anymore. But Juice – traded in late December to Columbus – gets bragging right on all his former teammates as Slovakia gets ready for a semifinal against Canada on Friday night. Caps forward Eric Fehr thought for sure Jurcina would soon shoot some trash-talking text messages about that unlikely occurrence – if he hasn’t already. As for Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Semyon Varlamov, Nicklas Backstrom (Sweden) and Tomas Fleischmann (Czech Republic)? Well, they’re all expected back at practice on Sunday, according to Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, after their three teams exited Vancouver with losses on Wednesday. Boudreau did say Varlamov, who was Russia’s third-string goalie and didn’t suit up for any games in Vancouver, could be back on Friday.
Not much to report from Kettler Iceplex on Thursday. The players were bummed their teammates were out at the Olympics – at least most of the Canadians pretended to be – but also happy they’re all on the way back. Forward Jason Chimera says his injured groin feels better and he practiced hard. Goalie Michal Neuvirth was on the ice, too, though he skipped the extra skating Boudreau put his team through as the Caps try to get their legs back after almost two weeks off. Neuvirth is expected to go all out in practice on Friday. Caps web producer/emergency goalie extraordinaire Brett Leonhardt got to don the pads the last two days and get some practice time in along side Jose Theodore.
