Capitals' Fehr out, Grubauer to back up in Game 5

Thursday, 04.23.2015 / 12:38 PM

By Katie Brown - NHL.com Correspondent / Capitals-Islanders series blog

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ARLINGTON, Va. -- Washington Capitals forward Eric Fehr will not play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Thursday at Verizon Center (7 p.m. ET; CNBC, SN, TVA Sports 2, MSG+, CSN-DC), Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. Fehr also missed Game 4 because of an upper-body injury.

Fehr was injured during Game 3 of Washington's best-of-7 series against the New York Islanders. The series is tied 2-2.

He initially was expected to be available for Game 5 but he did not skate with the team Thursday and has not skated since being injured April 19. Trotz said Fehr is doubtful for Game 6 as well.

"Right now he's probably day-to-day," Trotz said. "We're closer. He hasn't been back on the ice yet so that would probably mean that he's doubtful for next game. I think he could be back for the rest of the series. I'm just sort of day-to-day on that."

Rookie forward Andre Burakovsky will play his second Stanley Cup Playoff game in Fehr's absence.

Goaltender Philipp Grubauer will replace Justin Peters as Braden Holtby's backup for Game 5. Grubauer was recalled from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League on April 17 and made his playoff debut in place of a sick Holtby in Game 2, which the Capitals won 4-3.

The Bears are starting their run in the Calder Cup playoffs but Trotz said he isn't feeling any pressure to send Grubauer back to the AHL just yet.

"We obviously went with [Holtby], he got sick and we went to Grubauer," Trotz said. "Grubauer deserves to finish the series. He gave us a win and at this point in time we made that decision in Game 2. [With] three games left in the series we want to leave our options to be in the situation where we've got the access to [Grubauer]."