WASHINGTON -- Every now and then tensions will boil over in a practice or morning skate setting and players might get a little physical with one another.
Things got a little chippy between Teddy Blueger and Casey DeSmith in the Penguins' optional morning skate Thursday at Capital One Center ahead of their 7:08 meeting with the Capitals.
It was right after one drill, and Blueger had just taken a shot on DeSmith that DeSmith saved. DeSmith came out of his net and the two had a heated discussion that led to an exchange of face-washes with their gloves and a hard shove back and forth before other players separated them, with P.O Joseph stepping in the middle of the two.
It wasn't clear who, but someone else on the other side of the ice yelled a "LOVE IT!" in response to the fire shown by both players.
After the next drill the two came together again and got back to loudly arguing, with DeSmith yelling a clear "How the f--- did I run my mouth?!" at Blueger. It seems like DeSmith had said something to Blueger after a save that Blueger didn't like, and that's what led to the whole ordeal.
The rest of the skate carried on without any other incidents, and Blueger played coy when asked about the little scuffle afterward.
"We were just messing around," he said with a little grin.
Blueger and DeSmith are buddies -- Blueger designed DeSmith's mask for him last season, and DeSmith joked this season that his one regret with his Winter Classic mask was that he didn't incorporate a tribute to Blueger on the back. When I did my Survey Says on which teammate players would most want as a roommate, DeSmith chose Blueger, saying that "he just makes me laugh."
The little minor scuffle in Thursday's morning skate isn't an indication of an issue in the locker room or a bigger problem, but rather just two players getting heated and fired up on a game day.
Maybe that's a good thing for both players heading into this game.
MORE FROM THE SKATE
• DeSmith will start.
• It was an optional skate. Participants were DeSmith, Dustin Tokarski, Mark Friedman, Jonathan Gruden, Drew O'Connor, Kasperi Kapanen, Josh Archibald, Blueger and Joseph.
• Kapanen and Archibald both remain out tonight with their injuries, their statuses haven't changed. Tristan Jarry and Jan Rutta didn't make the trip. Blueger is good to go after missing half of Wednesday's practice due to maintenance.
• Obviously shutting down the Capitals' power play -- especially Alex Ovechkin -- is always going to be a big key to success when these two teams meet. I asked Blueger how they can do that.
"You try to take away time and space for him to get a shot off," he said. "Obviously he doesn't need much of that. It's a good test. And it's not just him, they've got other threats on there too. It's not an easy challenge."
Blueger was asked how they balance defending against the biggest threat that is Ovechkin at the left circle while also not ignoring some of those other threats on the ice.
"It's tough," Blueger said. "You have to make good reads while you're out there, put together a game plan going forward and execute it. It's split-second decisions, it makes things tough. That's why you pre-scout, so you can get a good grasp on what to expect."
• Mike Sullivan's take on shootouts: "It's like deciding the outcome of a baseball game with a Home Run Derby."
• Tom Wilson is a game-time decision for the Capitals tonight. He left Tuesday's game in Colorado with a lower-body injury and didn't skate Thursday morning.
• Some fun content from the plane ride to D.C.:
Window or aisle? ✈️ pic.twitter.com/TZJlXyxxy8
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 26, 2023
• Sam Poulin, who remains away from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on personal leave, wrote this message on Instagram on Wednesday evening: "Not being OK is more than OK. Opening yourself up about what's going on might be one of the hardest things to do, but ultimately, one of the best things you can do for yourself. Let’s normalize this stigma & spread more love to the people around us, because there's more people than we think who struggle mentally every single day. If you are struggling, know you are not alone."
