The Washington Capitals have played the entire last part of the season without defensemen Mike Green, who has been held out since early February with a series of head injuries. However, the plan for now is to have Green back in the lineup for Game 1 of the 2011 NHL Playoffs against the New York Rangers.
Coach Bruce Boudreau said on Monday that Green is "ready" to play in Game 1, and Green himself said he felt good, though he has been saying that for a while now.
Green's return is a big boost to the Capitals, who are also dealing with injuries to fellow defensemen Dennis Wideman and Tom Poti. Wideman is not expected to play in the first round, while Poti's status remains up in the air. The Rangers, of course, are also dealing with a serious injury to second-leading scorer Ryan Callahan, who will not play in the entire series.