Matt Pettinger skated with Nicklas Backstrom and Viktor Kozlov at the Washington Capitals’ practice yesterday, but that wasn’t necessarily good for him.
Pettinger played on the top line in place of Alex Ovechkin, who had the day off. Whether Pettinger plays tonight against the Ottawa Senators may depend first on the status of forward Chris Clark and then on a coach’s decision between him and Tomas Fleischmann.
“Anytime you are not playing it is frustrating,” Pettinger said. “It is sort of a new situation for me, but the team is starting to play better and progressing, and at the end of the day that is the bottom line. If you’re not playing and you’re losing, then it is tough.”
Pettinger has remained a regular contributor for the Caps the past two seasons. Typically playing on one of the top two lines, he compiled 36 goals. With the addition of players like Michael Nylander, Kozlov and Backstrom, Pettinger was expected to shift into a more defensive role but still add offense from the third line.
It has yet to happen this season. Both he and Clark got off to slow starts, and Pettinger hasn’t recovered. He has two goals and three assists in 40 games. He also has been scratched in two straight and three of the past six games.
“I want to contribute whenever I can, and I feel like I can play better,” Pettinger said. “I don’t feel like I’ve played bad hockey to this point, but I am just not getting the results. In this business that is what it is all about.”
Added coach Bruce Boudreau: “I don’t know [what is different]. We had a long talk today about it. Whatever it is, I’d like to get him to go find it.”
Pettinger is also not 100 percent healthy. He left one practice early to visit a doctor and missed another last week but could not describe the problem.
“I can’t really discuss it,” Pettinger said. “There’s an ailment. It’s not too serious, but it has been bothering me for a while. That is something I’ve got to get through as well. I’ve got to get back to playing how I know I can and getting results.”
Clark questionable
While a team spokesman said Ovechkin and Nylander missed practice to rest, Clark’s status for tonight remains in doubt. He also did not practice one day after playing 9:06 in his first game back from a groin injury.
Clark assisted on the team’s first goal but tweaked the injury when he reached for a puck with his leg. He only took one shift in the third period.
“It doesn’t feel any worse, but it doesn’t feel any better either,” Clark said. “I am thinking maybe another day of rest will make a big difference.”
Clark missed 18 games because of the injury, and he also missed eight earlier in the season after taking a slap shot from Ovechkin off his ear.
The team’s captain has five goals and nine points in the 18 games this season.
“I can ride a bike and do the elliptical machine, the stairmaster — anything to stay in shape,” Clark said of his off-ice regimen. “That doesn’t bother it at all. I can strengthen the muscles — it is not a muscle, it’s a tendon — so just strengthen the muscles around it.”
Defenseman Brian Pothier also did not skate, and he likely will miss his fourth straight game since Boston’s Milan Lucic crushed him into the boards. Pothier also missed 10 games last season because of a concussion.
“Concussions are a strange breed,” Boudreau said. “Right now I’m not looking for something where he is going to be here this week. If he feels good tomorrow, then it is usually a week of feeling good before you start doing something.”
Today’s game
OTTAWA SENATORS AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Verizon Center
TV/radio: CSN, FM-107.7, AM-1500
Goalies: Senators — Ray Emery (8-4-3, 2.79). Capitals — Olie Kolzig (15-16-4, 3.04) or Brent Johnson (3-5-1, 2.85).
Injuries: Senators — Out: LW Dany Heatley (separated shoulder). Probable: C Jason Spezza (general body soreness), RW Patrick Eaves (separated shoulder). Capitals — Out: D Brian Pothier (head), RW Eric Fehr (back/hip). Questionable: RW Chris Clark (groin). Probable: C Michael Nylander (shoulder), LW Alex Ovechkin (undisclosed).
Notes: The Caps will go for a season sweep against the Eastern Conference’s top team. If three losses to Washington aren’t enough motivation, Ottawa is also smarting from a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday. Spezza left the game after absorbing a jarring open-ice hit, but he expects to play. Eaves has missed the past 24 games but is expected to make his return. Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said yesterday he may start Johnson, who replaced Kolzig in the second period Sunday against Philadelphia. Kolzig has started six straight games and played in 23 of the team’s past 25 contests.
— Corey Masisak
Please read our comment policy before commenting.