| Neuvirth left and didn't come back into the game. (Getty Images) |
WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals goaltender Michal Neuvirth, the starter in net with Tomas Vokoun out due to a groin injury, had to leave the Caps' critical game against the Florida with a lower-body injury. He had to be helped to the locker room unable to put pressure on his left leg.
Near the middle of the second period the Panthers' Marco Sturm was approaching the net when he fell down and landed on Neuvirth's knee as Neuvirth sat in the butterfly position.
The Capitals were forced to call on rookie Braden Holtby, who saw some action at the end of last season with the Caps as well as in the past few weeks with Vokoun's injury.
There was no official word on the injury to Neuvirth but it certainly didn't look good at all. It could be up to the rookie Holtby to finish off the season and playoffs if Neuvirth is injured as badly as it appeared.
In the overall picture for the rest of this season, it's not good for Washington.
But in this game, for this one night it wasn't bad.
For the rest of the season it could be really bad news that Michal Neuvirth had to be helped off the ice after Florida's Marco Sturm fell on his knee. But on this night, in this critical game against the Southeast-leading Panthers and in the heart of a playoff race, it sparked the Capitals.
Before the injury the game had slowed down and was starting to resemble most games where the Caps sit back on a lead -- 1-0 in this case after a first-period goal -- a sit-back approach without much attacking and not much attacking against them. After the injury the arena was jumping. And so were the Capitals.
The hits started coming. Big ones. The goals came too. First it was Alex Ovechkin on a rebound right in front of the crease and then Brooks Laich followed it up with a goal of his own. Just like that the Caps were up 3-0 and the electricity was flowing through the team and arena alike. All of a sudden it didn't seem so bad having a third-string rookie goalie in to protect the lead. Oh he made it hairy, but he made the lead hold up.
As a result the Capitals are going to the postseason and still have a shot at winning the Southeast Division if they get a little help on Saturday.
Will Neuvirth be able to play in that one or any of the postseason games? At this point it's unclear. But after he went down there was no denying it gave the Caps a jolt and got them in. They can figure out the rest from here.
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