Jay Beagle slowly massaged the knuckles at the base of his left fingers with his right thumb as he sat in his locker stall Tuesday morning. He had been answering questions from reporters for nearly eight minutes when, after rubbing the base of his ring finger, he rested his thumb atop a two-inch scar that traced down the top of the hand.
Three months earlier, the flesh on that hand was cut open to correct an undisclosed problem, one that left Beagle out of action for 24 games. It was one of only three major injuries sustained by Washington Capitals players this season, though not the longest: Brooks Orpik missed 40 games after breaking a bone in one of his legs, and fellow defenseman John Carlson needed 25 games over two separate stints to address an unspecified issue with one of his ankles.