The Washington Capitals took the ice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for their morning skate on Saturday before a matchup with the Golden Knights. The Caps are amid a three-game Western Conference swing that saw them take down the Arizona Coyotes 4-0 on Thursday.
One player notably absent was Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. According to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, Ovechkin took a maintenance day.
Alex Ovechkin is taking a maintenance morning in Vegas. #Caps pic.twitter.com/03TNCQziBJ
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) January 21, 2023
Ovechkin taking maintenance days has not been uncommon in the past but this is the first time that the 37-year-old superstar has voluntarily sat out practice during the regular season this year. He did miss one skate after the team’s preseason finale in October.
Ovechkin skated 17:54 of ice time in the win against the Coyotes. He fired two shots on net and had a rare hitless outing.
Last season, Ovi missed three practices over a span of two weeks in early January. He took his final maintenance day of that season on the final day of March.
The Capitals also had a scheduled off day on Friday as they settled into Vegas after flying from Arizona.
Taking Ovechkin’s spot on the top line during line rushes was Anthony Mantha. Mantha has been a healthy scratch four times in the team’s last six games. The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reports that head coach Peter Laviolette made no other changes to his lines.
El-Bashir also reported that netminder Darcy Kuemper was first off the ice so he will start for the eighth time in January. Kuemper is coming off a 26-save shutout of the Coyotes. His five shutouts on the season lead the league.
Update (2:42 pm): El-Bashir is now reporting that Laviolette says Ovechkin will be a game-time decision against the Golden Knights.
Alex Ovechkin will be a game time decision tonight in Vegas, per Coach Peter Laviolette. Ovechkin did not skate this morning. #Caps
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) January 21, 2023
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
