The Washington Capitals are in a battle for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but when they visit the first place Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, they'll be without Alex Ovechkin.
Alex Ovechkin Out With ‘Nagging Ailment,’ Will Miss 7 To 10 Days
The Caps captain will miss 7 to 10 days, including the game in Philly, with what coach Bruce Boudreau called a “nagging ailment.” Via the Washington Times:
“He’s been bothered by this nagging ailment for a couple of months,” coach Bruce Boudreau told the Caps’ site. “We just thought we’d take care of it now. His body needs a little bit of rest. We thought this was a good time to rest his body for a week to two weeks so he’s fresh come April.”
While it’s obviously not great to be without your best player for any stretch of time, it certainly seems like the right move for the Capitals. Just as Boudreau said, it’s better to have Ovechkin sit out now than to have him miss time once the playoffs come around, even if him sitting is the difference between the top-seed in the East.
Ovi's injury is just the latest in a series of big ones for Washington. Jason Arnott is currently out, as is defenseman Mike Green, who according to the Times didn't skate on Monday morning. Eric Fehr could miss Tuesday's game against the Flyers as well.
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