Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner says tonight’s preseason game in Montreal is the ‘ultimate test’ for the groin muscle injury that hindered him in last year's playoffs.

“I need to test it,” he said after the morning skate. “I can’t baby it. That’s the thing a lot of guys have problem with.”

Alzner added: “I think the penalty kill is going to be probably the best test for it. All the little quick pivots and opening up and not being centered when you have to check a guy is the hardest part. I just have to go out and do it. You can’t baby it through an entire season.”

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Alzner had surgery this summer to repair a sport hernia, which he believes led to the groin pull that left him unable to finish Game 6 against the Penguins.

Through the first five days of camp, Alzner has not encountered any issues (though he was held out of Saturday's conditioning test as a precaution). Today's game day routine, he said, will be an important milestone because it will mark the first time he’s gone through a morning skate and a game on the same day since getting hurt.

“It’s been great,” Alzner said. “I haven’t any problems at all. But I’ve only been skating once a day, though. This will be twice in one day, so this is the ultimate test. I want to make sure I get a game in now so that, if for some reason, it isn’t good then we still have weeks before [the regular season] and I can rest it and stuff.”

Associate Coach Todd Reirden said he likes how Alzner has looked, but acknowledged that the 28-year-old blue liner probably won’t skate the 21-plus minutes he’s used to getting in the regular season.

“We’re not going to overtax him, to his normal regular season minutes,” Reirden said. “That’s the plan going in, but he will be utilized in penalty kill and five-on-five matchups when we can.”

Alzner, who will be paired with Connor Hobbs against a prospect-heavy Canadiens' lineup, says he’s more concerned about playing at game speed than the possibility of a setback.

“The only thing is if something crazy happens out there, which can happen,” Alzner said. “I’m not too nervous about it. I’m more nervous about touching the puck out there when guys are actually going hard and trying to play the game because it’s easy when we do these little scrimmages.”

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