Alex Ovechkin will be considered week-to-week after injuring his lower left leg in the Washington Capitals' last game at Utah, an absence that is expected to slow his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL career scoring 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-to-shin collision with Jack McBain.
Ovechkin scored two goals before leaving the Salt Lake City game, giving him a league-best 15 goals in 18 games this season. He has 868 – 27 goals to overtake Gretzky.
There were immediate concerns about Ovechkin when he left the game at the 5:30 mark of the third period. The 39-year-old turned around briefly to test it out before realizing he couldn't put much weight on his left leg and hobbled down the tunnel to the locker room.
He didn't return. coach Spencer Carbery said only that Washington's longtime captain would be judged after the game.
For more than two decades in the NHL, Ovechkin has been known for his endurance, which has allowed him to score at a rate unmatched by any other player in history. The Russian winger has only missed 35 games due to injury.
Until his injury, Ovechkin was on track to break the record sometime in February.
