“Russian machine by no means breaks.” That is what a younger Washington Capitals ahead named Alex Ovechkin told reporters after a 2006 game through which he left and didn’t return after struggling a foot damage.
Properly, 18 years later the Russian machine is cracked.
The 39-year-old Capitals captain is predicted to overlook 4 to 6 weeks with a fractured left fibula, per a statement from the team.
Ovechkin went down within the third interval of Washington’s 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Membership on Monday after colliding legs with Jack McBain, needing help off the ice and right down to the locker room.
The crew placed Ovechkin on injured reserve Wednesday, recalling ahead Ivan Miroshnichenko from AHL Hershey and selling Hendrix Lapierre into the lineup for Thursday’s sport towards the Colorado Avalanche.
Ovechkin, in his twentieth season, was on one of many hottest streaks of his profession earlier than the unlucky damage episode.
He led the league in goals (15) having scored in every of his earlier 5 intervals performed, growing his profession complete to 868.
Ovechkin’s season is now paused with him simply 27 targets from passing Hockey Corridor of Famer Wayne Gretzky for many all-time (894).
An optimistic restoration would see him return to the ice in early January however his enjoying type will doubtless be under the white sizzling tempo he was enjoying at in November.
Nonetheless, all hope will not be misplaced for “The Nice Eight” to nonetheless break Gretzky’s file this season.
After a sluggish begin to the 2023-24 campaign through which he solely scored seven instances earlier than January, Ovechkin tallied 34 over the course of the ultimate 4 months of the season.
Whereas a leg fracture and a sluggish begin are two very totally different situations to get better from, historical past signifies Ovechkin is able to issues no atypical participant can produce.
If he had been to decelerate considerably after returning or expertise an damage setback, he nonetheless has one other yr beneath contract with Washington.
Passing Gretzky in 2025-26 continues to be very a lot on the desk if unlikely given Ovechkin’s unbelievable 0.83 goals-per-game tempo to begin this yr.
