ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Capitals were back home on Thursday, practicing at MedStar Capitals Iceplex after earning their first preseason win of the year against the New Jersey Devils.
One notable absence, however, was Alex Ovechkin, who took a maintenance day after making his preseason debut against the Devils. He skated 14:25 in the contest and earned an assist on Dylan Strome’s game-winning goal.
Ovechkin, now entering his 20th NHL season at age 39, has taken a number of maintenance days in recent memory but missed just three games during the 2023-24 campaign. While he came into Training Cap “nicked up,” delaying his initial skate test, Ovechkin was able to take the test two days later and has remained a regular participant in camp.
Without committing to a specific number, head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters on Wednesday that he anticipated Ovechkin playing in three of the team’s six total preseason games.
“Three’s usually the number, but I’ll leave that — we’ll talk about that,” he said.
Ovechkin’s new line with Dylan Strome and Andrew Mangiapane found success in their first game against New Jersey, where the trio registered two goals for and none against in the 5-2 win.
The Capitals will play three more preseason games before kicking off the regular season against the Devils on October 12.
