Martin Erat won't be in the Washington Capitals' lineup for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Friday night against the New York Rangers after suffering an apparent left wrist or forearm injury in Game 4.
Joel Ward returned for Game 1 of the Caps' Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the New York Rangers after missing the final nine regular-season games with a bruised left knee.
Even though injury has limited Erat to seven games in a Caps uniform, his arrival meant everything within a locker room of an Eastern Conference contender.
Erat is settling in now, playing on the power play, penalty kill and scoring his first goal since the trade Tuesday in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Ward hosted an advance screening of the movie "42" at Mazza Gallerie in Friendship Heights and gave a speech about what the number and Robinson meant to him.
A groin injury kept Laich out for the first 28 games of the season with a groin injury, and he has missed the past three. He suffered a lower-body injury Thursday that coach Adam Oates said negatively impacts Laich's groin.
Eric Fehr didn't even want to reveal the poorly kept secret Thursday morning that he'll be back in the Washington Capitals' lineup against the New York Islanders. But Fehr is set to make his return from a four-game absence on the same night Martin Erat will make his Caps debut following a trade from the Nashville Predators.
A year after the Predators loaded up to take a shot at the Stanley Cup, being on the edge of the playoff picture wasn't enough to keep Martin Erat satisfied. He asked for a trade and got one to the Washington Capitals before Wednesday's deadline.
That's why they didn't trade impending free agent center Mike Ribeiro or gritty forward Matt Hendricks. And that's why the Caps traded highly touted prospect Filip Forsberg to the Nashville Predators for top-line winger Martin Erat just before Wednesday's trade deadline.
