Capitals, Team Canada forward Tom Wilson leaves game with an apparent leg injury

WASHINGTON (AP) — An injury to Tom Wilson would be a blow to Team Canada — and perhaps an even bigger problem for the Washington Capitals.

Caps coach Spencer Carbery sounded cautiously optimistic.

“We'll know more tomorrow, but I don't think it's too bad,” Carbery said after Saturday night's 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago. “But we'll find out more tomorrow.”

Wilson left Saturday's game with an apparent leg injury. He collided in the first period with Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy behind the net, then quickly grabbed at his right shin area. Wilson did not return at the start of the second.

The 31-year-old Wilson was selected earlier in the week for Canada's Olympic roster. If he's out for an extended period of time, Canada has a wealth of talented replacements to choose from. The Capitals don't have that luxury. Wilson leads Washington with 22 goals this season.

“That's significant. Huge. I mean, he's a big part of our team,” Carbery said. “Not only for the things that he does on the ice, but just for the leadership, bench presence.”

Aliaksei Protas is second on the Capitals with 16 goals, and he didn't play at all Saturday because of a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, forward Pierre-Luc Dubois hasn't played since Oct. 31.

Washington is currently the top wild card in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals put themselves in a good spot by going 10-1-3 from Nov. 15 through Dec. 11, but since then they are 3-6-2.

Washington is also 0-5 in shootouts this season. No other team is worse than 0-2. Saturday's went six rounds before Chicago's Nick Foligno ended it. Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano scored in the shootout for the Capitals, but it wasn't enough.

“It's tough to take moral victories in shootouts when you don't win it,” Carbery said. “But to get on the board is a positive, to finish on two of those.”

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