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Washington Capitals: The Worst Injury that Truly Hit Home

By Michael Marzzacco

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 24: Injured Washington Capitals player T.J. Oshie #77 makes an appearance and tries to get the fans going during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 24: Injured Washington Capitals player T.J. Oshie #77 makes an appearance and tries to get the fans going during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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One of the biggest reasons, but certainly not the sole one, why the Washington Capitals fell in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was the injury to T.J. Oshie.

The injury to Washington Capitals right winger T.J. Oshie was a broken collarbone in Game 4 from a hit by Warren Foegele near the boards.

It was a hit that ended Oshie’s season. Oshie described it to the media on breakdown day as “a little unecessary.”

“I haven’t necessarily really watched it very closely but I do remember kind of seeing the stick behind me and thinking that I had body position on him and I was more so worried about the defenseman and he just pushed me at the wrong time,” Oshie told the media on Friday before beginning his offseason.

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“Anything I say is just going to sound like I’m complaining but I obviously wasn’t happy, you’re never happy to get hurt, your never happy when its a play like that.”

Back on parade day, a jubilant Oshie was leading chants of “back to back” on the National Mall in front of a giant sea of red.

Fast forward to the fall. Just minutes after a beautiful “2018 Stanley Cup Champions” banner rose to the rafters of Capital One Arena amidst a epic backdrop of 18,000-plus bright red glow sticks, Oshie scored the game’s and the season’s first goal.

It was clear at the time Oshie was going to be the main charge in the Capitals’ quest to repeat. He was also the biggest missing piece in Game 7.

Everything about the spark plug that fans call the “Oshbabe” makes him the “heart and soul” of the Capitals. His high leaps charging into the tunnel coming off the ice at warmups. His highlight-reel dangle goals on the breakaway and shootouts. The positive energy off the bench. All of that was missed.

In the closing minutes of Game 5, where the Capitals got payback in a 6-0 shutout win in Oshie’s first absent game, fans started chanting “T.J. Oshie”. Oshie said it was hard to hold back tears when he heard those chants on TV.

“Individual success to me isn’t as important as team success,” Oshie said. “Winning the Cup is more important to me than any individual award that I’ve ever received but when a crowd chants your name, it’s special.

Oshie’s void in Game 7 wasn’t fully gone. Oshie was still watching from the press box. When word started floating around that he was in the building, the chants started building again so much so to the point Oshie went downstairs to ice level near one of the corner tunnels late in the third period to fire up the crowd.

“The fans have given me so much support not just right now… but since I’ve been here,” Oshie added. “That moment was pretty special for me in a time that wasn’t very fun where you had to sit on the sidelines.

Maybe if the Capitals had gone far, Oshie might’ve ignored the doctors and went back in and played.

“I think they know how excited I get to try to beat recovery times… I don’t know what the doctor’s plans were but my plans were that I was gonna be playing if the boys went far,” said Oshie.

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We’ll never know but at this point we can only move forward. Capitals fans are wishing T.J. Oshie well and that he has a speedy recovery this summer so he’s ready for training camp.

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