Alex Ovechkin sat out the Washington Capitals’ 6-3 win over the New York Islanders Saturday with an lower body injury. The Capitals captain may be unavailable for the rematch on Tuesday in Washington.
Washington head coach Peter Laviotte said he was “unsure” if Ovechkin will be available to play. But said the team will “er on the side of caution” at this point of the regular season.
Ovechkin appeared to pull up late in the third period of Thursday’s shootout win over the Islanders. He did not play any shifts in overtime. The injury kept him out of Saturday’s skate around.
Saturday was the first time since 2015 Ovechkin missed a game due to an injury. Daniel Sprong skated with the first line in Ovechkin’s place Saturday, scoring two goals in the 6-3 win.
The Capitals sit in first place of the East division with eight regular season games remaining. They seemed destined for the postseason. Thus, It would be best to proceed with caution at this junction of the season with its leading goal scorer.
