Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Won't return before Christmas
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Ovechkin (fibula) has been cleared for contact but won't be available until after the NHL's Christmas break, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports Friday.
Ovechkin skating in a regular sweater at Friday's practice session led to some speculation he might be ready to play either Sunday or Monday against the Kings or Bruins, respectively. Unfortunately, fans and fantasy players alike will have to wait until Dec. 28 against the Maple Leafs, at the earliest, for the world-class sniper's return to action.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Sheds non-contact sweater
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Ovechkin (lower leg), who has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Hurricanes, donned a regular jersey during the Capitals' morning skate Friday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Head coach Spencer Carbery said Thursday that Ovechkin would be unavailable against Carolina, but Friday marked the first time that the 39-year-old has practiced in a regular jersey since fracturing his fibula in mid-November. Although the league's Christmas break is looming, Ovechkin will presumably be in the mix to return Sunday against the Kings or Monday against Boston if he feels good following Friday's workload.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Return seems imminent
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Ovechkin (fibula) won't play in Friday's matchup with Carolina but hasn't been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Kings or Monday's matchup against Boston, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Ovechkin will be shelved for his 14th consecutive contest after suffering his broken fibula. Prior to his absence, the veteran winger had racked up 15 goals over 18 outings this season as he continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's 894 goals. Once cleared to play, Ovechkin will retake his spot on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Still in non-contact jersey
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Ovechkin (fibula) remains in a non-contact jersey at practice Thursday, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.
Ovechkin has practiced without contact for five days, and while he is inching closer to a return, it's beginning to look like he'll have to wait until after the Christmas break before he's in the mix to return to game action. Ovechkin has missed the last 13 games with his broken leg. He was off to a strong start this season with 15 goals and 10 assists over 18 appearances.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Practicing in non-contact jersey
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Ovechkin (fibula) participated at practice Saturday in a non-contact jersey, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Ovechkin is progressing after suffering a broken fibula against Utah on Nov. 18. He took part in some drills before leaving early. Ovechkin's timeline hasn't changed, meaning he won't return until the end of December or early January. Before he was injured, Ovechkin had an NHL-high 15 goals in 18 appearances.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Skating on his own
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Ovechkin (fibula) is skating on his own in a non-contact jersey, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports Wednesday.
This doesn't change Ovechkin's return timeline, but it's encouraging to see him take his first strides in his recovery. The 39-year-old winger will likely still be out until the second half of December at the earliest. He'll continue to log individual skating sessions until he is cleared to join the full team in practice.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Out 4-6 weeks with fractured fibula
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Ovechkin, who was previously listed as week-to-week with a lower-leg injury, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks because of a fracture to his left fibula, the Capitals announced Thursday.
Ovechkin suffered the injury when he collided with Jack McBain during Monday's 6-2 victory over Utah. The 39-year-old Ovechkin was off to a fantastic start to the campaign with 15 goals and 25 points in 18 appearances, including five goals over his past two outings. He's also just 26 markers away from matching Wayne Gretzky for the all-time lead in goals. Andrew Mangiapane is projected to move up to the top line alongside Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas during Ovechkin's absence. Ivan Miroshnichenko was recalled from AHL Hershey on Wednesday and is set to make his NHL season debut Thursday versus Colorado.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Lands on IR
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Ovechkin (lower leg) was designated for injured reserve Wednesday.
Ovechkin's placement on IR shouldn't come as a surprise considering he was deemed week-to-week by the Caps on Tuesday. After managing just 31 goals last season -- a low mark given his lofty standards -- the elite winger was rolling to open the 2024-25 campaign with 15 goals in 18 contests. It's not only a blow for Washington but for Ovechkin, who looked to be closing in on the all-time goal-scoring record held by Wayne Gretzky (894).
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Deemed week-to-week
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Ovechkin is week-to-week due to a lower-leg injury, the Capitals announced Tuesday.
Ovechkin will undergo further evaluation by team physicians when the team returns to Washington on Wednesday. The 39-year-old Ovechkin sustained the injury following a collision with Utah's Jack McBain in Monday's game. Ovechkin has 15 goals and 25 points through 18 appearances this season. Connor McMichael could skate on the top line during Ovechkin's absence, while Hendrix Lapierre will likely play Thursday versus Colorado.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Undergoing evaluation after collision
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Ovechkin is being evaluated for a leg injury after departing Monday's game against Utah in the third period, according to Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.
Ovechkin collided with Jack McBain in the final frame, and the former needed assistance getting off the ice. Ovechkin stayed on the bench for a short period of time, but he eventually headed to the locker room and didn't return. The 39-year-old potted two goals against Utah on Monday, and he now leads the league in that category with 15 goals through 18 games. Head coach Spencer Carbery said the club will know more Tuesday in regards to Ovechkin's status.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Rattles off hat trick in win
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Ovechkin had a hat trick in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Golden Knights.
Ovechkin tallied on the power play at 5:59 of the first period, then added an even strength goal in the second and an empty-netter in the third for his 31st career hat trick. He's scored five times and added two assists over his last four games. For the season, Ovechkin is at 13 goals, 10 helpers, 60 shots on net, 43 hits, six PIM and a plus-13 rating over 17 contests. He is now 28 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky for the all-time record.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Roaring toward Gretzky's record
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Ovechkin scored two goals Saturday in an 8-1 win over the Blues.
Ovechkin has eight goals in his past seven games to give him 863 in his career. That leaves him 31 shy of Wayne Gretzky's NHL record, a total Ovechkin could hit as soon as March. Ovechkin's first goal in the second period was the game-winner, and his second came on the power play early in the third frame. Ovechkin is roaring to Gretzky's record rather than limping toward it like last year. Enjoy the ride.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Strikes for game-winner Wednesday
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Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Predators.
After helping to set up an Aliaksei Protas tally late in the second period, Ovechkin snapped home his eighth goal of the season, and first GWG, midway through the third on a slick feed from Dylan Strome. Ovie is red hot right now, finding the back of the net in five straight contests while racking up six goals and 11 points over that stretch, and the surge has carried him to 861 career goals -- just 33 back of Wayne Gretzky at the top of the all-time list.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Extends goal-scoring streak in loss
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Ovechkin scored a power-play goal in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Carolina.
Ovechkin scored his seventh goal of the season from his vintage spot on the man advantage in the first period to tie the game at 1-1. It was his first power-play marker of the 2024-25 campaign. The 39-year-old winger has racked up five goals and four assists during his current four-game point streak. Ovechkin is second on the team in points with 14 (seven goals, seven assists) through 11 games, trailing only Dylan Strome (17).
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Keeps climbing ladder
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Ovechkin tallied a goal, two assists and four shots during Saturday's 7-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
Ovechkin is 35 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky on the all-time list The 39-year-old Ovechkin has three consecutive multi-point performances. After a sluggish start, he is up to six goals and 13 points through 10 outings and is once again a hot commodity in any fantasy format.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Finishes off Habs
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Ovechkin scored a goal on one shot and had two assists in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Canadiens.
Ovechkin put the finishing touch on the game late in the third period, scoring the Capitals' sixth goal. The tally was his fifth of the season and third in two games. He earlier assisted on a power-play tally by Tom Wilson and an even-strength goal by Aliaksei Protas. This was Ovechkin's third multi-point effort of the season.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Tallies twice in win
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Ovechkin scored two goals on five shots, added two PIM and logged two hits in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.
Ovechkin had the Capitals' first two goals by the 5:10 mark of the first period. The 39-year-old winger has scored all four of his tallies this season over the last five games. He often scores in bunches, so this hot stretch could go for a while. Ovechkin is at seven points, 26 shots, 26 hits and a plus-3 rating through eight appearances.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Deposits empty-netter
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Ovechkin scored an empty-net goal on three shots and added two hits in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Flyers.
Ovechkin has scored twice over the last three games. The 39-year-old winger has multiple shots on goal in each of the last five games, and it will be important for him to keep his shot volume up as he continues his pursuit of the all-time goals record. Ovechkin has two tallies, three assists, 19 shots, 21 hits and a plus-1 rating through six appearances.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Nets first goal of season Saturday
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Ovechkin scored a goal in Saturday's 6-5 overtime win over the Devils.
Ovechkin scored the Capitals' third goal midway through the first period, and the star winger finally found the back of the net for the first time in 2024-25 after tallying eight shots over his previous three appearances. Just one goal on 13 shots across four games isn't the normal standard for Ovechkin, though, and the veteran forward is likely to see an uptick in his numbers over the coming weeks following a relatively slow start to his age-39 season.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Reaches 700 career assists
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Ovechkin had two assists Tuesday in a 4-2 win over the Golden Knights.
Ovie assisted on two of the Caps' three goals in a 3:07 span early in the second frame to become the 60th NHL player to reach 700 assists. He's now the sixth player in NHL history with at least 700 goals and the same number of assists. Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Phil Esposito and Marcel Dionne. He has three helpers in two games this season.
