BALLSTON, Va. - The Washington Capitals held their typical morning skate Tuesday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in preparation for their game against the Calgary Flames, but the big news coming out of the skate was Mike Green's return to the lineup after missing 23 consecutive games with a strained right groin muscle.
With Green's return, lineup changes had to be made. Head coach Dale Hunter said that the Caps will start seven defensemen Tuesday, likely to ease Green back into game action. Jeff Schultz will likely be the one defenseman that will not suit up. Mathieu Perreault will likely be the healthy scratch on the forward side.
Yet, one forward that will likely not play due to injury is Alexander Semin, who was given a "maintenance day" Monday. Reports surfaced Monday that Semin suffered a cut on his right armm during Saturday's 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the team denied the report.
Semin skated for about 10 minutes Tuesday before leaving the ice as the Caps began their drills. Hunter said that Semin is day-to-day and that "we'll have to wait and see tomorrow" in regards to his current status.
Meanwhile, Tomas Vokoun left the ice first and will likely start his fourth consecutive game. He has allowed four goals in three games.