Alex Ovechkin seemed fully back at the Washington Capitals’ practice on Friday morning. The 39-year-old winger took his spot back on the team’s top forward line and power-play unit.
However, despite taking what appears to be the final step in his recovery process, Ovechkin’s exact return date remains uncertain. Head coach Spencer Carbery would not confirm whether Ovechkin would be back in his lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
“We will see,” Carbery told Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir. “Things are trending in the right direction. Cannot say he is in the lineup tomorrow. We’ll have to see how he responds to practice today. We’ll know tomorrow morning.”
Washington’s game against the Maple Leafs is their first after a four-day break for the holidays. The matchup is their second of three straight on the road after dropping a 4-1 decision to the Boston Bruins on Monday. They’ll then fly to Detroit to play the Red Wings in the back half of a back-to-back on Sunday evening.
Ovechkin has missed 16 games after fracturing his left fibula against Utah HC on November 18. The extended absence was the longest of his career, but the Capitals stayed afloat without him, posting a 10-5-1 record over the past five weeks. They come into Friday second in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, one point behind the New Jersey Devils in both races but with three games in hand.
“Exciting, but not sure it’s 100 percent that he’s playing tomorrow,” Dylan Strome told El-Bashir. “Hopefully, if not tomorrow, the next couple days. Nice boost back to the lineup. Obviously, our five-on-five scoring has not been what it was when he was in the lineup. But I still feel like we played pretty good hockey and managed to keep our record at a good number. Nice to have him back.”
With Ovechkin in the lineup this season, the Capitals have scored a league-leading 4.13 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five. In his absence over the past 16 games, they’ve plummeted to 31st in the league, scoring just 1.96 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five.
Ovechkin would likely welcome a return against the Maple Leafs as he has historically torched Toronto. The big Russian has recorded 78 points (44g, 34a) in 60 career games against Toronto, and the Leafs are the team he has scored the most goals against in his career that is not a former Southeast Division or current Metropolitan Division foe.
