Big night for Caps goalie Jose Theodore, who makes his first start since Dec. 28 – a 6-3 loss to Carolina. He has not appeared in six of the last seven games. Bruce Boudreau downplayed the signifigance of this particular game for Theodore, saying win or lose he just wants his veteran goalie to “play and feel good about himself.” But it’s hard to believe Theodore has much rope left if he has a bad game.
Rookie Michal Neuvirth has played well and Boudreau will stick with him if that continues. Semyon Varlamov has a knee injury, though Boudreau wouldn’t put a timetable on his return. Will be a week or two, at least. No surgery needed. But it’s still a concern for a kid who had knee issues last January, too. For now, Theodore doesn’t have to worry about Varlamov – the clear No. 1 when he got hurt. Instead, Theodore just needs a solid night to gain more ice time. If not – well, it could be a while before he gets his next chance.
