Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Passes Gretzky with 40th goal
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Ovechkin scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday's 7-6 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets.
Ovechkin opened the scoring Tuesday when his pass deflected off a defenseman's stick and into the back of the net. It's the 13th time Ovechkin has reached the 40-goal mark in his career, surpassing the record he'd previously shared with Wayne Gretzky. The 37-year-old Ovechkin has been on fire of late, tallying 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his last 11 contests. He's up to 69 points through 66 games this season.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Carries offense in loss
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Ovechkin scored two power-play goals and added an even-strength assist in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Wild.
He got Washington on the board early in the second period with a vintage one-timer from just outside the faceoff circle to the right of Marc-Andre Fleury, but Minnesota already held a 2-0 lead they would never relinquish. Ovechkin extended his current point streak to four games with the performance, and over his last 10 contests he's racked up seven goals and 14 points. With one more tally, the future Hall of Famer will reach 40 goals for the 13th time in his career to set an NHL record -- breaking the tie he holds with Wayne Gretzky at 12.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Good to go Sunday
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Ovechkin (lower body) will be in the lineup Sunday against the Wild, per Mike Vogel of the Capitals' official site.
Ovechkin was deemed a game-time call after missing practice Saturday, but he appears healthy enough to suit up Sunday in Minnesota. The 37-year-old forward has 37 goals and 65 points through 64 games this season
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Game-time decision Sunday
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Ovechkin (lower body) is a game-time decision for Sunday's matinee against the Wild, Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post reports.
Ovechkin missed a crucial showdown against the Rangers on March 14 with a lower-body injury, and his availability for a Sunday afternoon showdown against Minnesota is now in jeopardy as well after he was held out of Saturday's practice. The Capitals are hanging onto playoff aspirations by their fingernails so they hope their 37-year-old captain and leading scorer will be healthy in time for the early start, but fantasy managers should check back for an update closer to puck drop.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Two points in return
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Ovechkin (lower body) had a goal and a power-play assist in Wednesday's 5-4 shootout win over the Sabres.
Ovechkin didn't miss a beat in his return from a one-game absence, setting up T.J. Oshie in the first period before potting his 37th goal of the season in the third. The latter tally cut Buffalo's 4-2 lead in half with 9:30 left in regulation, and Tom Wilson tied the game with 1:08 remaining, allowing Washington to eventually earn a critical second point in the shootout as the team tries to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Good to return Wednesday
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Ovechkin (lower body) is expected to play Wednesday against Buffalo, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.
Ovechkin missed Tuesday's contest and was initially regarded as a game-time decision Wednesday because of the injury. Before getting hurt, he was on a roll with four goals and eight points over his last seven appearances. Ovechkin is having a great campaign overall too, contributing 36 markers and 62 points in 62 outings. The 37-year-old's projected to skate on the top line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Game-time call versus Sabres
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Ovechkin (lower body) will be a game-time decision against Buffalo on Wednesday, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports.
Ovechkin was rolling before suffered his lower-body injury with four goals and four assists in his last seven contests, including a pair of power-play points. Without Ovechkin in the lineup, Conor Sheary was jumped up to a first-line role and figures to continue filling that spot if Ovechkin remains on the shelf.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Not playing Tuesday
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Ovechkin (lower body) will miss Tuesday's game versus the Rangers.
Ovechkin was initially held out of Monday's practice for maintenance, but it appears he's dealing with something more significant. Joe Snively will draw into the lineup, while Anthony Mantha and Conor Sheary should see more ice time. Ovechkin should be considered questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Sabres.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Game-time call
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Ovechkin (lower body) is a game-time decision Tuesday against the Rangers, Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post reports.
Ovechkin was held out of Monday's practice for "maintenance" reasons, but he appears to be dealing with a minor injury. Alexei Protas or Joe Snively would draw into the lineup if the 37-year-old is unable to play, but circle back prior to puck drop for a definitive word about Ovechkin's status.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Taking maintenance day
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Ovechkin did not take part in Monday's practice due to maintenance reasons, Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post reports.
The Capitals are giving Ovechkin the morning off in an effort to keep him as rested as possible during a make-or-break stretch of games that will likely determine Washington's playoff hopes. The 37-year-old winger has four goals and eight points in his last eight games and should get his normal workload when the Capitals continue their road trip Tuesday against the Rangers.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Strikes on power play
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Ovechkin scored a power-play goal on four shots and went minus-3 in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Kings.
Ovechkin tied the game at 2-2 with his goal 2:31 into the third period, but the Capitals didn't score again in the game. Since returning from a four-game absence due to the death of his father, Ovechkin has racked up four goals, three assists and 25 shots across six appearances. The superstar winger has 36 tallies, 61 points (20 on the power play), 252 shots, 149 hits and a minus-6 rating through 60 outings overall.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Big three-point effort in win
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Ovechkin had two goals and an assist in an 8-3 win over San Jose on Saturday. The assist came on the power play.
Both goals came in the third period when the game was already out of hand. Ovechkin has three goals and three assists in his last four games. The assist was his first power-play point in nine games.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Ready to rock
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Ovechkin (personal) will be back to the lineup Thursday against Anaheim, Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post reports.
Ovechkin missed four games following the death of his father. The 37-year-old winger is expected to skate on the top line and the first power-play unit versus the Ducks. He has compiled 32 goals, 54 points and 227 shots on net in 54 games this season. Washington will move Anthony Mantha (upper body) to injured reserve in order to activate Ovechkin from the non-roster list.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Could be available Thursday
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Ovechkin (personal) may be back as soon as Thursday's game versus the Ducks, Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports.
Kaplan adds Ovechkin is expected to be back in Washington on Wednesday. The Capitals will give their captain as much time as he needs to be ready, but it doesn't appear that his absence will last too much longer. If he doesn't play Thursday, he could still be an option for Saturday's game versus the Rangers.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Might return this week
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Ovechkin (personal) might be back with the Capitals at some point this week, Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post reports.
Ovechkin has missed the past three games following the death of his father last week. He probably won't return from Russia prior to Tuesday's matchup against Detroit. Ovechkin is still listed as a non-roster player while he is away from the team. He has amassed 32 goals, 227 shots on net and 54 points in 54 games this season.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: On non-roster list
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Ovechkin (personal) was given non-roster status Wednesday, Sammi Silber of Washington Hockey Now reports.
Ovechkin is away from the Capitals following the death of his father. It's not yet clear when he'll be ready to rejoin the team.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Attending to family matter
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Ovechkin will step away from the team to address a family matter, the Capitals announced Tuesday. There is no timeline for Ovechkin's return, though he is expected to miss at least a week, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
At this point, Ovechkin should probably be considered out indefinitely. With the world-class winger away, Alexei Protas looks set to take on a first-line role alongside Dylan Strome and T.J. Oshie while Evgeny Kuznetsov looks poised to assume first power-play minutes.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Unstoppable from famous office
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Ovechkin scored a power-play goal Thursday in a 3-2 shootout win over the Penguins.
He stood, unmoving and straight-legged, in his office in the left circle until the pass arrived for a one-timer. Opponents have known it's coming from that spot since 2005, but Ovechkin still scores at will. It was his 32nd snipe this season (50 games) and 812th of his career. So far, Ovie is on pace for his 10th 50-goal season.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Scores in return
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Ovechkin scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche.
Ovechkin said after the game he didn't feel 100 percent, per Samantha Pell of The Washington Post, but the star winger was good enough to suit up for a team that would have had to dress seven defensemen if he didn't play. Through 10 contests in January, he's scored five goals and added three assists. The 37-year-old is up to 31 tallies, 53 points, 208 shots on net, 127 hits and a plus-2 rating through 49 appearances.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin: Expected to play
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Ovechkin (lower body) took line rushes in warmups and is expected to play Tuesday versus the Avalanche, Mike Vogel of the Capitals' official site reports.
Ovechkin missed Saturday's game in Vegas, but it appears that will be the extent of his absence. Look for The Great Eight to occupy his usual top-line spot and first power-play role. He has 30 goals and 22 assists through 48 appearances.
