Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said with Mike Green suspended for tomorrow’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning that defenseman Tyler Sloan will take his place in the lineup. Sloan has been a healthy scratch the last four games and has played in just 12 since Dec. 3. Will there be some rust to shake off in that case?
“Tough. Four years ago he was in the East Coast [Hockey] League – I’d think this would be a piece of cake. Sitting out, working hard and getting a chance to play in the NHL. And he’s never complained and he’s never said anything negative. It’s the same as [forward] Quintin [Laing]. They’re so good and professional that you know when we went to bat to sign both of them that they’re maybe not in the lineup all the time, but when they aren’t in the lineup they’re going to be great cheerleaders and when they are in the lineup they’re going to try their hardest. To me – using rust as an excuse is not a good enough excuse.”
So I guess Sloan is on notice – espcially since the Caps have top prospects John Carlson and Karl Alzner waiting in the wings at AHL Hershey if they want to go that route. Meanwhile, Caps goalie Jose Theodore thinks he’s a good hard practice or two from getting back in the lineup. I’d expect rookie Michal Neuvirth in on Sunday again and then maybe Theodore against the Bruins in Boston on Tuesday. Neuvirth is 3-0 with a 1.20 goals-against average and a .963 save percentage in his last four games. Rookie goalie Semyon Varlamov again skated hard after practice and appears to be closer to a return start at Hershey. No guarantees and the Bears don’t practice on Monday. So the soonest we’d see him on the ice in Hershey would be Tuesday for practice.
Notable Quotable
Bruce Boudreau on taking the bulk of the suspension questions after a tight-lipped Mike Green deferred to his coach…
“Is he going to lend me the money [for a fine],” Boudreau cracked.
Boudreau when asked if the NHL’s consistency in handing out fines and suspensions is the most frustrating part of this..
“No, I don’t want to answer those things because then it just starts leading back into the thing where I get all mmmmmppgzzzhurrrr.” [he mumbles on purpose followed by a long pause]. Good game, though, last night, huh?”
Boudreau on a winning streak naturally leading to complacency and overconfidence
“It’s a good thing and yet it’s what leads into – and you don’t even know it – going the other way. Because when you start doing that and if your practices start getting sloppy then all of the sudden your game starts getting sloppy. We work to avoid those pitfalls that creep up on you without even knowing it.”
