National Hockey League

Capitals D Tom Poti out for Game 7 with eye injury

Published Apr. 27, 2010 7:21 p.m. ET

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Defenseman Tom Poti will miss Game 7 of the Washington Capitals' first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night after getting hit in the eye by a puck.

``It's a pretty significant injury,'' Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said Tuesday, ``so he's definitely out for tomorrow's game.''

If the Capitals stay in the playoffs by winning Wednesday, Poti still would be sidelined.

``It could be two to three weeks. It could be longer,'' Boudreau said.

Left without Poti, a veteran with a team-best plus-9 rating in this series, the Capitals recalled defenseman Karl Alzner from Hershey of the American Hockey League.

Poti was hurt in Montreal's 4-1 home victory over Washington in Game 6 on Monday night. He is tied for the team lead with four assists this postseason, and he and rookie John Carlson have formed Washington's top defensive pairing against the Canadiens.

Alzner had five assists in 21 regular-season games with the Capitals this season.

Boudreau also said he has decided on a goalie for Game 7, but he wouldn't announce a starter. It is expected he will stay with Semyon Varlamov, who replaced Jose Theodore in the first period of Game 2 and has started every game since.

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