WASHINGTON -- The hits keep coming for Barry Trotz's Capitals.
Washington, which has been without Andre Burakovsky and Tom Wilson due to injury and suspension, respectively, could now be without John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom as the Capitals look to close out the Penguins in Game 6 in Pittsburgh on Monday night.
After Saturday night's 6-3 win over the two-time defending champions in Game 5, Trotz said that Carlson was being evaluated for a "high hit" from Jake Guentzel with :57 remaining in the game:
Trotz took exception to the hit though it's unclear why, as Guentzel appears to put his shoulder squarely into Carlson's chest. Though no penalty was called on the play, even after a scrum broke out after it, Trotz seemed to be lobbying for some kind of supplementary discipline from the league.
“I know the standard has been set, so I’m going to leave it up to the league,” Trotz said, referring to Wilson’s three-game ban for a hit to the head of Zach Aston-Reese that left the Penguins rookie with a concussion and broken jaw that required surgery. “It was a head shot, in my opinion. An unsuspecting, high hit.”
Meanwhile, Backstrom didn't play the final 13 minutes of the third period with an upper-body injury believed to be sustained when he blocked a shot with his hand in the first period. With the second-line center ailing for much of the game, Chandler Stephenson handled faceoffs, winning seven of his 12 draws.
Losing Carlson or Backstrom could be potentially crippling for the Capitals.
Backstrom is tied with Alex Ovechkin as Washington's leading playoff scorer with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists), while Carlson is third with 11 points (three goals, eight assists).
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Penguins at Capitals, Washington, May 5, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS