Alex Ovechkin is considered week-to-week after injuring his left leg during the Washington Capitals’ most recent game in Utah, an absence expected to delay his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record.
The Capitals said Ovechkin would be further evaluated by doctors when they return home from their road trip. He was injured in a shin-on-shin collision with Jack McBain.
Ovechkin scored twice before leaving the match in Salt Lake City, giving him a team-best 15 goals in 18 games this season. He is at 868 – 27 goals before passing Gretzky.
There was immediate concern for Ovechkin when he left the game at 5:30 of the third period. The 39-year-old made a quick turn to test it before realizing he couldn’t put much weight on his left leg and limped through the tunnel to the dressing room.
He did not return. Coach Spencer Carbery said only that Washington’s longtime captain was evaluated after the game.
For two decades in the NHL, Ovechkin has been known for his durability, which has allowed him to score at a rate that no other player in history has. The Russian winger has only missed 35 games due to injury.
Until the injury, Ovechkin was on track to break the record sometime in February.
