After missing 16 games due to a broken fueled, Alex Ovechkin will return for the capital on Saturday evening against the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by David Becker / NHLI via Getty Images)
(David Becker via Getty Images)
Alex Ovechkin will return to Washington's capital programming on Saturday evening against the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing 16 games with a broken fed.
The Captain of Capitals has not played since his injury during a collision with Jack McBain of Utah Hockey Club on November 18. At that time, Ovechkin directed the NHL in goals with 15. On his return, He seated nine goals Behind the leader of the Leon Draisaitl Ligue of the Edmonton Oilers.
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“No matter what city we are in … I just want to come back to play hockey,” Ovechkin said on Saturday. “It was difficult months. Train, watch the matches. You always want to help your teammates and your team to win. It was a difficult period.”
Ovechkin, 39, had a start to the season with a red and scored five goals in his two previous games before the injury. His 15 goals this season put him at 868 for his career, 27 to break the NHL record of 894 owned by Wayne Gretzky.
Ovechkin resumed light skating 14 days after the injury and participated in the team's morning skate on December 14 while wearing a contactless jersey. A week later, he was authorized to contact. There was a possibility of return before the NHL holidays, but the team decided that a few additional days would be the best for its recovery.
Being out of alignment was rare for Ovechkin during your NHL career. This absence of 16 games was the longest in capital training since it entered the league in 2005. The longest previous layoff was six games after having undergone an upper body injury in 2009.
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Washington went 10-5-1 with Ovechkin Party and Stay in second place In the eastern conference behind the New Jersey Devils. Capitals drag the Devils with three points but have four games in hand.
Chase for the curriculum vitae from Gretzky
Ovechkin returns to the capital with 868 career goals in the NHL, 26 to equalize the Wayne Gretzky record, which he reached on March 29, 1999 against the New York Islanders. Capitals have 48 games to play in the regular season and if Ovechkin takes up the scoring to the rhythm he was before he was injured, the story could be made before the Stanley Cup qualifiers.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in December that he would follow Ovechkin when he is four or five goals from the record with Gretzky.
“It's just a matter of time, whether at the end of this year, at the beginning of next year, each time”, ” Gretzky said to NHL.com Earlier this season on Ovechkin's chances of breaking his record. “I mean, he's a great player. He's a big scorer.”
