Ovechkin leaves after 1 shift upon return from injury

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin left and did not return to Monday's game against the New York Rangers due to a lower-body injury, the team announced.

The sniper played just one 39-second shift in the opening frame after returning from a four-game absence with a lower-body injury.

The Capitals were already shorthanded in the contest, with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov reportedly being benched for disciplinary reasons, T.J. Oshie out for personal/family reasons, and Justin Schultz out with a lower-body injury.

Ovechkin has 24 goals and 18 assists in 43 games this season.