Curtis Glencross, who missed the Washington Capitals’ previous three games as a healthy scratch, returned to the lineup for Game 7 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders on Monday.
Glencross, acquired via trade with the Calgary Flames in a deadline deal, had a minus-3 rating in the first three playoff games and had not scored a goal in the final 11 games of the regular season. He was moved out of the lineup prior to Game 4, which the Capitals won, 2-1, in overtime.
“It’s the biggest game of my career,” said Glencross, who has played parts of nine seasons in the NHL and has never participated in Game 7 of a playoff series. “It’s tough when you’re sitting out and watching, and you watch a few things and try to learn from it. I’m excited to get back in there and have a good night tonight.”
He replaced rookie center Michael Latta, who played in Game 1 but sat the next two. Latta, the fourth-line center, did not have a point in his four playoff games while averaging 6:55 of ice time.
“I just felt that we needed to go with a little more of the four lines, so we moved some people around,” coach Barry Trotz said prior to the game. “We’ll take that approach.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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