Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

NBC Game of the Week: Injuries and goaltenders update

Image (1) vary-thumb-250x166-7186.jpg for post 288

Both teams are entering today’s game fairly healthy. Milan Jurcina is out for the Capitals after undergoing hernia surgery and Adam Burish and Brent Sopel are most likely out as well.

Here’s where it gets interesting: the goaltending matchups. Both teams are facing some goaltending issues -- the Blackhawks much more so than the Capitals -- and who they have in net today will be a great test of who they hope to be riding once the playoffs begin.

Chicago, after Cristobal Huet’s breakdown last week against Detroit, will start Antti Niemi in goal. It’s really the only option they have left at this point, as they certainly can’t turn back to Huet if Niemi fares no better can they? The Blackhawks have maintained that both goaltenders will get a shot down the stretch to earn the starter’s spot in the playoffs, but you just know that we’re most likely going to see both at some point in the postseason. Today’s game against the Capitals will certainly be the ultimate challenge.

In net for the Capitals will be Semyon Varlamov, who may not be under the same pressure as the Chicago netminders but certainly has some doubters of his own to quiet. The Washington defense is not at the same level as the Blackhawks’ and Varlamov will be under fire for much of this game. Can he out-duel Niemi on the other end of the ice?

[Update:] It’s Jose Theodore in net for the Caps. So ignore what I said above.

I will say this: if this game turns into a goaltending battle with both netminders standing on their heads, then I’ll turn to the sky and start looking for the Horsemen. If there is one thing this game will not be, is low scoring.