Capitals without top scorer Ovechkin vs. Wild
Alex Ovechkin's status was in doubt ahead of the Washington Capitals' matchup Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.
The team held an Ovechkin-less morning skate and details were a bit hazy.
It's now been confirmed that the durable forward won't dress for the contest, missing his first game in quite some time.
Ovechkin had played 96 straight games. Last game he missed before tonight was Jan. 24, 2014 at NJ. Leaves eight #Caps who've played em all.
— Mike Vogel (@VogsCaps) March 5, 2015
The team initially stated that Ovechkin's absence was for a maintenance day, but later acknowledged he's been dealing with a lower-body injury.
The Caps recalled rookie Andre Burakovsky early Thursday on an emergency basis.
The 29-year-old Ovechkin sits atop the league with 43 goals and 67 points in 65 games.