A very successful introduction for John Carlson

UPGRADE DAY

Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson suffered a gruesome injury that nearly cost him his life on Thursday. 

Admittedly, the opposition was not very strong and besides, the Chicago Blackhawks proved to be easy prey, the score of 6 to 1 in favor of the “Caps” showing it well. 

< p>However, beyond the two ranking points at stake, the most important was the reaction of Carlson, who was playing his first meeting since December 23.  

Also, the veteran seems to be well recovered from his serious injuries, including a laceration of the temporal artery and a fractured skull, suffered when receiving a headshot from Brenden Dillon of the Winnipeg Jets. 

He had one goal and one assist after missing 36 games. The guard hit the target thanks to a wrist shot during a power play in the third period. 

Shortly before, he had participated in the net of Nicklas Backstrom.

“Obviously, I didn't expect to play a perfect game. Nobody can do it, but it was good to get back into the limelight, he told NHL.com. It's nice to get some good momentum and some nice plays from everyone. Every time you return to play, you want to win; that's the most important aspect.”

“We missed him,” added goaltender Darcy Kuemper. At least that's what I think. We saw all his hard work to return to competition. It's very special to see someone go through such a scary episode and pull off a comeback like that and then deliver that performance.”

The playoffs in the lead 

Now that Carlson is in a position to contribute to the success of his team, it is not too late to try one last push to qualify for the playoffs. Sitting 10th in the National Hockey League's Eastern Conference, Washington has nine games to play by the end of the regular season and is three points behind a playoff berth.

< p>In this regard, the next two shocks will be of… capital importance. Alexander Ovechkin's gang will visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and then host the New York Islanders on Wednesday. These two clubs hold the two passes of the teams drafted from the East.

Speaking of the Russian, he maintains a good cruising speed, having obtained 10 points in his last five outings. He has 41 goals on the clock this season and 821 in his career. His Quebec supporters will be able to see him at work for the only time in the campaign at the Bell Center on April 6.