Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner skated Monday morning and will take warmups before Game 3 Monday night in Pittsburgh, coach Barry Trotz said.
Alzner was skating with Taylor Chorney early in the session, but didn’t stay out on the ice with the scratches at the end. He has been scratched the last six games with injury but has been skating with the team since midway through the first round and has been taking contact and going all-out in practices. Because Alzner has been healthy enough to practice for so long, Trotz was asked if Alzner’s health alone is what has kept him out of the lineup.
“We’re waiting for him to be healthy and we’re waiting for him when he feels that he can contribute, then we’ll put him in the lineup,” Trotz said. “He’s getting close.”
Trotz wouldn’t say whether he would consider dressing seven defensemen if Alzner were to play. Defenseman Nate Schmidt, who replaced Alzner, has played well.
“We’ll determine that right after warm-ups,” Trotz said.
Shattenkirk wants to keep having fun
So far, this has been a tough playoffs for defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Some bad luck has played into it, for sure, but Washington’s trade-deadline acquisition is a team-worst minus-seven through eight postseason games.
After Shattenkirk was minus-two in Saturday’s Game 2 loss, Trotz said that his player has to be better and, on Monday, Shattenkirk agreed.
“Not well,” Shattenkirk said in assessment of his play. “Last game was really bad but you know, I’m focused on tonight. That’s all I can worry about. I know I’m my hardest critic so I’m not really listening to a lot of what people are saying but I know it hasn’t been good.”
Shattenkirk, who has a career -18 in 55 playoff games, said that he thinks his game has gotten overly tight.
“I think the most important thing for me to do is to have fun and I think that’s something that I’ve lost along the way here,” he said.
Shattenkirk admitted that, mentally, it can be tough to get over bad games in the playoffs because the stakes are so high. He said that he used the day off between games to try to relax and put the series in perspective.
“We’re professionals but we’re still playing a game that we love and I think this is a great opportunity for me tonight to just go out there, enjoy the atmosphere, not think and just play,” he said. “That’s when I’m at my best.”
Ovechkin says he didn’t target Hainsey
After a shot from the left circle struck Pittsburgh defenseman Ron Hainsey in the back of the head, some Penguins players speculated that Ovechkin might have been targeting Hainsey on purpose, according to DK Pittsburgh Sports’ Josh Yohe.
On Monday, Ovechkin denied that.
“No,” Ovechkin said. “I said right away, I apologized to him. You never want to hurt someone but it was just accident. The puck flipped on my stick and goes high.”
Hainsey moved into the shot’s path and, after he got hit, Ovechkin quickly skated over to check on him.
NOTES: Hainsey was out on the ice for the Penguins’ skate and will play in Game 3…Ovechkin called the game a “must-win” for the Capitals, who would fall behind 3-0 with a loss and face elimination Wednesday…Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, left winger Carl Hagelin and right winger Patric Hornqvist will be game-time decisions, according to coach Mike Sullivan.
• Nora Princiotti can be reached at nprinciotti@washingtontimes.com.
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