Karl Alzner flashed a large smile while gliding into the right corner of the rink on Thursday morning. He was overjoyed to be back on the ice — and he figured his presence would make others happy, too.
After missing the previous two days to rest “a lot of bumps and bruises,” Alzner took part in the Washington Capitals’ optional morning skate, hours before they were set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Alzner, who has played in 458 consecutive regular-season games, insisted he will play in that game. He likened the rest — those two days, plus a team-wide day off on Monday — to what he would get over the all-star break.
“I don’t like sitting and having the guys out on the ice,” Alzner said. “It’s not fun. I’ve been really bored the last couple days, but it’s been good. You just notice such a big difference when coaches give us two days off during the regular season. You just notice a huge difference. You come back with so much energy and fresh, so I felt really good out there.”
So, too, does fellow defenseman Brooks Orpik, but his status is less clear. Recovering from what is believed to be a concussion — neither Orpik nor the team has specified the nature of his injury — sustained in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, Orpik also participated in the morning skate after practicing each of the previous two days.
He said afterward he had not yet been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play, but was hoping he’d receive such permission prior to the start of the game.
“He’s feeling good,” coach Barry Trotz said. “I haven’t talked to our trainers yet. He just got off the ice, but it looks like there’s a good chance. We’ll see.”
Orpik played parts of 11 seasons for the Penguins before joining the Capitals in 2014. Should he be unable to play, it appears the Capitals will turn to Taylor Chorney, another former Penguins player, to fill his role.
Chorney, who replaced Orpik in Game 4 and Game 5 against the Flyers, left the ice significantly earlier than Mike Weber, the Game 6 fill-in. Weber was the second-to-last player on the ice on Thursday.
“I think they’re a team that has depth,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “Orpik is a veteran guy that brings a physical presence to their back end. I’m sure he brings some leadership to the room. They have depth. That’s one of the reasons why, I think, they’ve accomplished what they’ve accomplished this season.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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