After missing the last five games with the Washington Capitals, Nick Jensen looks to be returning to the starting lineup on Sunday. On April 13, the defenseman for the Capitals was stretchered off the ice by medical personnel following a terrifying upper-body injury that ended the first period early.
Michael Eyssimont, a forward for the Lightning, checked Jensen, throwing him off balance and sent him flying. The eight-year veteran stunned Capitals supporters and players alike by crashing head-first into the boards and knocking them out.
But to Jensen, the wound and the situation around it appeared worse than they actually were.
“The scene was obviously scary,” Jensen said Sunday. “I think it was a lot scarier from the outside looking in. Being told to stay on the ice was what I was being told. I didn’t ask them to bring a stretcher out. That’s a precaution that they do.
“Obviously, when you see a stretcher come out it’s always concerning, so I think it was a little scarier than it appeared to be. Not that it wasn’t a bad scene when anyone goes unconscious. If a stretcher wasn’t required and I was able to get up and walk off the ice, it obviously would have been a great sign to everyone watching, including my family. It was still scary — maybe not as scary as it seemed, but it was still something that I’ve never experienced and my family has never experienced.”
It is quite unbelievable to say that Jensen left Capital One Arena that evening without needing to visit the hospital.
“I never felt particularly worried about giving up hockey after the injury. The symptoms I experienced the next day didn’t negatively impact my life in any way,” Jensen remarked. All things considered, I felt very good, and the days that followed continued to become better. I’ve felt great on the ice for the past five or six days.
“Although it was undoubtedly a terrible circumstance, I’m trying to move on from it, heal from it, and put it in the past tonight.”
For Jensen, the most difficult aspect of the recovery process wasn’t actually recovering; rather, it was observing the Capitals from a distance as they advanced to the postseason, lost more defensemen to injuries, and lost three games to none against the New York Rangers during his absence. Over the past several weeks, Vincent Iorio, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and fellow backman Rasmus Sandin have all left the team.
“Yeah, it’s tough to watch when all the guys you battle with all year long are out there giving it their all and it’s not going our way right now,” Jensen said. “You see guys that are falling to injury and stuff like that and you have to watch and sit there. It is tough to watch when you’re not out there with them but hopefully, that’s something I can change tonight and be a difference-maker.”
Not only is Jensen looking to make his return in Game Four as the Capitals face elimination, but Sandin is also set to rejoin the lineup. Both players shed their non-contact jerseys ahead of Game Three on Friday and wore regular practice jerseys at Sunday’s morning skate.
“I’ll confirm with the doctors and the health staff after this and make sure everything’s good,” Jensen said. “But so far the last five or six days I’ve felt every day I was improving and the last couple days have felt really good. That’s where I’m at. Obviously, it’s a team effort in how we approach these things so I’m going to make sure to talk to them and make sure they’re all good with it and that’ll be our approach tonight.”
