Alex Ovechkin, key player for Capitals, suffers fractured fibula and expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks
The Washington Capitals will be missing their leader and prolific scorer Alex Ovechkin for four to six weeks after being diagnosed Thursday with a fractured left fibula.
Ovechkin, 39, departed Monday's 6-2 victory against the Utah Hockey Club with 14:30 remaining after colliding with Utah forward Jack McBain. He needed assistance from a teammate to leave the ice.
On Tuesday, the Capitals announced that Ovechkin was considered week-to-week as he underwent further evaluation on his leg. The following day, the team placed him on injured reserve and recalled promising forward Ivan Miroshnichenko from their AHL affiliate Hershey.
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The injury came at a time when Ovechkin was on a hot streak, scoring two goals in the Utah game and tallying 13 goals in his last 11 games. As of Thursday, he was leading the NHL with 15 goals this season.
Ovechkin's pursuit of history will now have to be put on hold. With 868 career goals, the Russian superstar needs 27 more to surpass Wayne Gretzky's all-time record of 894.
