Brooks Laich News

More than a week after Washington was eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, it's expected that many Capitals players have fled the metropolitan confines of D.C. for their hometowns and an offseason of recovery.

Ribeiro brought the skilled veteran presence the Capitals long sought behind Nicklas Backstrom on the depth chart.

Brooks Laich skated with the Capitals in New York last week , between Games 3 and 4 of his team's first-round NHL playoff series.

In the hours and days after any playoff exit, especially one in the first round, changes are often the first thing brought up.

The long ride to work is usually made with The Sports Junkies on the radio, which was a good or bad thing this week depending on whether you wanted to listen to a lot of necessary dissection of the Capitals' latest letdown.

Erat's brief time in Washington since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Nashville Predators has been marred by injuries.

Capitals forward Brooks Laich has been hampered by a nagging groin injury all season, missing all but nine games during the regular season and all six postseason games after undergoing a minor surgical procedure in early April.

After the Washington Capitals ' nail-biting, but thrilling, 2-1 overtime win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, the Caps now sit just one win away from advancing, yet again, to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Washington Capitals winger Martin Erat suffered what head coach Adam Oates categorized as an upper body injury in the first period of Game 4 against the New York Rangers this past Wednesday night.

Tom Wilson didn't see much ice in his NHL debut, but when he did get off the bench he seemed to come as advertised.

Brooks Laich expressed optimism Thursday after his second day on the ice with teammates, even though the Washington Capitals forward still does not have a definitive timeline to return after groin surgery last month.

Derek Stepan 's goal six minutes into the third period powered the New York Rangers to a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Apr 4, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals center Brooks Laich lies on the ice after being injured against the New York Islanders in the second period at Verizon Center.

Brooks Laich skated Wednesday morning with his Washington Capitals teammates at Madison Square Garden, the first time he has been on the ice since undergoing sports hernia surgery in April.

The Washington Capitals have been one of the hottest team, if not the most scorching, over the last couple of months of the regular season.

The word "vintage" is thrown around a lot in describing the Washington Capitals .

The Capitals have met the Rangers in the playoffs three times in the past four years, most recently with the Blueshirts surviving in seven games last season.

The distance between Washington and New York is minimal for the frequent traveler.

Brooks Laich is "healing" after sports hernia surgery earlier this month, Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates said Monday, though there is no timetable for the injured forward to resume skating.

Daily Washington Capitals news and notes: A look ahead at the Caps' first round series, Hershey pushes Providence to the brink, updates on Brooks Laich and more.