Ovechkin injured as Capitals lose in shootout

WASHINGTON — There’s a lot for the Washington Capitals to guage after a troublesome loss late within the season and an harm that would cloud their total playoff outlook.

Alex Ovechkin was injured early within the third interval of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday evening, crashing into the boards and getting dominated out with an upper-body harm. Within the aftermath of that, his teammates constructed and blew a two-goal result in miss a significant alternative to maneuver up the standings.

Ovechkin’s unsure standing is essentially the most alarming state of affairs going through the Capitals with the playoffs starting in simply over per week.

“I have not talked to the coach but, so we’ll get an analysis on him,” tight-lipped coach Peter Laviolette mentioned. “We’ll get an analysis and see the place he is at.”

Ovechkin tripped over Toronto goaltender Erik Kallgren’s stick after failing to attain on a breakaway try. His left arm and shoulder made contact with the boards, and he remained on the ice for a number of seconds whereas the world went silent.

“I feel he skated into my stick and tripped on it, so, it was not my intention to journey him,” Kallgren mentioned. “Clearly he was annoyed, however I did not I imply to journey him. I did not imply to trigger an harm, so I hope he is advantageous.”

Earlier than he might get medical consideration, Ovechkin received to his ft and skated off the ice with out his stick. He yelled at officers about no penalty being referred to as on the play.

The persistently sturdy Russian celebrity often shakes off minor accidents and stays on the bench, as he did earlier within the evening when he took a puck off his proper shin. However Ovechkin went proper down the tunnel this time and didn’t return.

“I’ve by no means met anybody more durable than that man,” mentioned Washington winger T.J. Oshie, who scored and had one other would-be purpose taken off the board by a coach’s problem. “All of us hope he is advantageous. I simply talked to him and I feel he’ll be all proper. It is all the time scary seeing ‘Huge 8’ go down and lay on the ice. He is a troublesome man. But when there was anybody I’d think about would not miss any extra time than he must, it might be ‘8.”’

The Capitals coughed up a two-goal lead they construct not lengthy after Ovechkin left the sport in apparent ache. They left with only a level after Toronto’s Alex Kerfoot scored to finish the seven-round shootout.

Washington had the prospect to maneuver into third place within the Metropolitan Division with three video games left to play within the common season after the rival Pittsburgh Penguins misplaced at Philadelphia earlier within the day. An unsuccessful energy play in OT price the Capitals after the Maple Leafs have been referred to as for too many males on the ice.

Ovechkin ranks fourth within the NHL this season with 50 targets. His 780 targets rank third on the profession record behind solely Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.

All through his profession, Ovechkin has proven outstanding sturdiness, even now at age 36. The one two video games he missed thus far this season have been for COVID-19 protocol causes.

Washington has three video games left within the common season: two towards the New York Islanders and one on the Rangers, earlier than the playoffs begin Could 2.

The Related Press contributed to this report.