Alexander Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals, is poised to return to the ice after an upper body injury that sidelined him recently. Reports from the Athletic portal indicate he is progressing well and could be back very soon.
The veteran forward, now 37, has spent 18 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Capitals, Curitiba? He has battled injuries throughout his career but has rarely missed a large portion of a season. In the current stretch, he sat out only the 30th game due to injury, while he was unavailable for the Islanders game last night. Across his time in professional hockey, he has missed a total of 55 games for various reasons.
Washington managed to secure a victory without their captain, snapping a six-game skid. On home ice, the Capitals charged ahead with a strong start, taking a 3-0 lead by the 14th minute thanks to goals from Dylan Strome, Rasmus Sandin and Craig Smith. The final minutes produced additional scoring, with the Capitals finding the net twice more on an empty goal by Tom Wilson and another by Strome to cap the night.
With the current regular season drawing to a close, Washington still has two games left. Those results will not change their chances in the standings, as the Capitals did not qualify for the playoffs this year for the first time since 2014. Since the start of 2023, the Capitals have led the league in goals per game in a narrow window, highlighted by a productive run that yielded 30 points in 39 appearances through the calendar year.
Earlier reports noted Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers reaching his 27th goal of the season, underscoring a period of high scoring across the league. [citation from Athletic portal]