The Capitals came home for two days of practice before they play their final game of a three game road trip Saturday in Montreal.  The Caps have gone 0-1-1 on their current three game road trip and have played both games without the suspended Alex Ovechkin.  Ovechkin will return Saturday in Montreal.

Mike Green, who is recovering from abdominal surgery on January 17th, skated today for the first time in pads and said he’s right on schedule for his return in 2 to 4 more weeks.  A Capitals spokesman said Green also skated the previous two days as well.

“From the point of the surgery, I’m two weeks in and on the right path,”  Green said on his progress.

Green also said “absolutely” on already feeling the results from the surgery and added that “it’s great” on having a timetable for his return.

Tomorrow also will be a month since Nicklas Backstrom suffered a concussion when Rene Bourque elbowed him in the head.  Backstrom, who hasn’t played since the hit, is still not skating and there is no timetable for his return.

“He’s feeling better,”  Capitals Head Coach Dale Hunter said on Backstrom.  “It’s just procedure where you have to go through, it just takes time.”

Hunter also said on Backstrom’s concussion, “You can’t rush these things.”

Since the hit, Bourque was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Montreal Canadiens, and even though the Caps played in Montreal January 18th and Matt Hendricks and him fought, Caps enforcer Joel Rechlicz, who has played under five minutes in the first two games since he’s been called up from AHL Hershey, already was told about Bourque’s hit on Backstrom and is looking for retribution.

“I heard it was a cheap shot, hopefully I’ll be in the line up for that game,”  Rechlicz said on possibly playing Saturday in Montreal.

Rechlicz, who is 6’4″ and 220 pounds, leads the AHL in penalty minutes, 184 PIM, and was in 12 AHL fights this season in only 27 games played.

The Caps who took part in the optional practice today were: Green, Eakin, Ovechkin, Rechlicz, Beagle, Schultz, Ward, Erskine, Vokoun.

Listen here to what Dale Hunter, Mike Green & Alex Ovechkin had to say today following the optional skate.

Dale Hunter Practice Audio

Mike Green Practice Audio

Alex Ovechkin Practice Audio