Carlson scored a goal and an assist on three shots, fueling the Capitals to a 6-1 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday.
Returning from a scary injury where he got hit in the face with a slap shot, Carlson made his presence known, scoring on a shot from the point that beat Anton Khudobin. The American defender would also pick up a helper on Nicklas Backstrom's power-play goal. This performance gives Carlson nine goals and 23 points in 31 games on the year.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Expected to play Thursday
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Carlson (fractured skull) is expected to return to action Thursday versus Chicago.
Carlson suffered the gruesome injury three months ago. He was practicing with a red jersey Thursday, indicating he will quarterback the first power play. Carlson has eight goals and 21 points in 30 games this season. Look for Rasmus Sandin to quarterback the second power play, when Carlson returns.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Closing in on return
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Carlson, who suffered a fractured skull and a severed temporal artery when he took a slap shot to the face Dec. 23 versus the Jets, could return to action as soon as Thursday versus the Blackhawks, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports.
Carlson is expected to be cleared for contact within the next few days, but a decision on his status against Chicago may not be confirmed until the Capitals take the ice for pregame warmups Thursday evening. The 33-year-old blueliner has been limited to 30 games this campaign due to injury, picking up eight goals and 21 points over that span.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Practicing in non-contact jersey
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Carlson (face) is practicing in a non-contact jersey Friday, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Carlson is at an optional practice but this is still a big step in his progress, as he has been out of action since Dec. 23. He has eight goals and 21 points in 30 games this season. Carlson looks like he is close to returning to the Washington lineup, which could happen in the next 2-3 weeks.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Skates Wednesday
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Carlson (face) was on the ice during Wednesday's practice, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports.
Carlson skated with his teammates for the first time since being hit in the face with a slap shot during a 4-1 win over the Jets on Dec. 23. The 33-year-old was sporting a non-contact jersey and his return remains ways off, but his presence on the ice is another positive step in his recovery.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Skates Monday
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Carlson (face) was on the ice in full gear prior to Monday's practice, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports.
Carlson could be seen doing some skating work as he continues to recover from taking a slap shot to the side of the head during a 4-1 win over the Jets on Dec. 23. The 33-year-old -- who posted 21 points in 30 games prior to the injur -- remains without a set timetable for return, but further updates are expected after Carlson meets with doctors in the coming weeks.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Resumes skating
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Carlson (face) was on the ice prior to Friday's optional skate, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Carlson has not played since taking a slap shot to the face during a 4-1 victory over Winnipeg on Dec. 23. The 33-year-old is still a long way from returning to the lineup, but his presence on the ice is a good sign that his recovery is progressing.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Shifts to LTIR
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Carlson (face) was placed on long-term injured reserve Saturday, Samantha Pell of The Washington Post reports.
Carlson, who has been out since Dec. 23, is expected to be unavailable for months, so the shift from regular IR to LTIR won't change his timetable. The 32-year-old blueliner has eight goals, 21 points, 101 shots on net, 70 blocks and 34 hits in 30 games this season. The Capitals moved Carlson to LTIR because Nicklas Backstrom (hip) and Tom Wilson (knee) are slated to return to the lineup Sunday versus Columbus.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Facing long-term absence
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Carlson (face) could be out multiple months but the team is hopeful that he'll return "well before" the playoffs, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports.
Carlson took a slap shot to the face but was fortunate enough to avoid surgery. Still, the star blueliner is expected to miss "months, not weeks." The 32-year-old could be moved to long-term injured reserve at some point in the near future.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Goes on injured reserve
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Carlson (face) is out long term, Samantha Pell of The Washington Post reports. He has been placed on injured reserve.
Carlson was struck on the right side of his head/face by the puck last Friday against Winnipeg. He is not expected to play this week, but beyond that it is unclear how long he will be unavailable. Carlson has accounted for eight goals, 21 points, 101 shots on net, 70 blocks and 34 hits in 30 contests this campaign. Erik Gustafsson and Trevor van Riemsdyk are primed for increased roles at even strength as well as the power play.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Out indefinitely
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Carlson (face) was discharged from the hospital Saturday and remains under the care of Washington medical personnel.
Carlson is out indefinitely after being struck on the right side of the head/face by a shot from Winnipeg's Brenden Dillon on Friday. A timetable for his return remains unclear, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he was out for the remainder of the month. Carlson has registered eight goals, 21 points, 101 shots on net, 70 blocks and 34 hits in 30 contests this campaign.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Taken to hospital
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Carlson (face) was taken to the hospital after Friday's game against Winnipeg for "precautionary reasons," Samantha Pell of The Washington Post reports.
Carlson took a slap shot to the face and immediately left the game Friday. Fortunately, it sounds like the veteran defenseman only needed further evaluation as a precaution. An update on his status should be available before Tuesday's game against the Rangers.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Exits game after being hit by puck
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Carlson exited Friday's game against Winnipeg after being struck in the face by the puck, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Carlson was injured on a Brenden Dillon slap shot. There was blood on the ice as Carlson was helped to the locker room. The 32-year-old had a plus-1 rating and two shots in 16:12 of ice time before leaving the contest.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Keeps rolling against Sens
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Carlson recorded a power-play assist in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Senators.
Carlson started a tic-tac-toe sequence that culminated in an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal in the first period. December has been a particularly good month for the two-time NHL All-Star, as Carlson's managed a goal, seven assists and a plus-5 rating over 11 games.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Assists in four straight games
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Carlson produced an assist, three shots on goal, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Blackhawks.
Carlson has racked up five assists over his last four games. It didn't take him long to get a helper Tuesday, setting up Alex Ovechkin's goal just 24 seconds into the game. For the year, Carlson has eight tallies, 11 helpers, 88 shots on net, 61 blocked shots, 29 hits and a minus-6 rating through 25 contests as he remains one of the higher-scoring blueliners in the league.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Posts power-play helper
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Carlson notched a power-paly assist, five shots on goal, five blocked shots and two hits in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Jets.
Carlson set up an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal in the second period. It was the fourth assist in Carlson's last three games, and he's added three goals in his last eight contests. The star defenseman is up to eight goals, 10 helpers, 85 shots, 60 blocks, 29 hits and a minus-8 rating through 24 appearances this season.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Gets back in assist column
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Carlson dished out two assists to go with two shots, three blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.
Carlson picked up third-period helpers on Dylan Strome's game-winning goal and the first of Alex Ovechkin's two empty-netters. The assists ended a drought in that category dating back to Nov. 15, but Carlson has buoyed his production with six goals since that date.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Racks up seven shots
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Carlson registered seven shots, four blocks and a minus-1 rating versus Edmonton on Monday.
Carlson has put 50 shots on net over his last 12 contests, resulting in six goals and two assists. Given the blueliner's recent shot totals, he should continue to be a top-end fantasy target with plenty of goals to follow. Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Carlson should continue to feature prominently at both even strength and with the power play.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Scores eighth goal of 2022-23
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Carlson found the back of the net in Washington's 5-2 loss to Calgary on Saturday.
Carlson's goal came at 18:54 of the third period and only narrowed the Flames' lead to 4-2. He's found the back of the net in three of his last four games, bringing him up to eight goals and 14 points in 20 contests this season. Carlson is one of the league's best offensive defensemen and is appropriately serving on Washington's first pairing and top power-play unit.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Buries goal Tuesday
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Carlson scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Canucks.
Carlson got a piece of a Nic Dowd shot at the net front, tallying the Capitals' fourth goal. Five of Carlson's seven tallies this year have come in the last seven contests. The 32-year-old blueliner is up to 13 points, 66 shots on net, 37 blocked shots, 21 hits and a minus-7 rating through 18 outings. He's picked up five power-play points and continues to log big minutes in all situations.
