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Third time lucky? Green returns to Caps’ lineup

Mike Green

If you tuned into the Washington Capitals versus Tampa Bay Lightning game, you might have noticed something seldom seen this season: Mike Green playing in a hockey game. That’s only happened in 10 other contests this season and none since Jan. 7. Green has endured more than his fair share of injuries over the last two seasons and most recently underwent sports hernia surgery on Jan. 17.

Still, this is the same defenseman who scored 31 goals in single season and had back-to-back 70+ point campaigns. When healthy, he’s one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. His presence might also help the Washington Capitals’ efforts with the man advantage. The Capitals were one of the best teams in the NHL when it came to converting on power-play opportunities during Green’s best seasons, but they have been a middle-of-the-road squad in that regard in 2011-12. Of course, this is all dependent on Green staying healthy this time. Green tried to return twice before Saturday’s contest and on both occasions he quickly ended up back on the sidelines.