Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will play Thursday against the Nashville Predators after being listed as “day-to-day.”
Ovechkin crashed into the boards in the first period of Monday’s game in St. Louis. He was slow to get up, but played the rest of the contest. He missed practice Wednesday for a maintenance day.
With the Metropolitan Division clinched, coach Barry Trotz said the Capitals discussed the idea of sitting Ovechkin for the final two games as a precaution. But Ovechkin was cleared by doctors and wants to play.
Ovechkin hasn’t missed a game since the end of the 2015-16 season.
“If it was a situation when it would be risky I would probably stay out of the game, but I feel pretty good,” Ovechkin said. “I talked to the trainers and they said everything’s fine.”
Ovechkin leads the league in goals with 46 and is four away from his preseason target of 50. He could also play all 82 games for the second straight year, and for the third time in his career.
Ovechkin called his fall into the boards “scary,” but added “nothing big happened.”
“I don’t want to be selfish,” he said. “I feel pretty good and nothing’s bothering me. I tried yesterday, I tried today and I told [Trotz], I’m ready.”
Fourth-line center Jay Beagle, meanwhile, will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury. Beagle exited Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins with an injury.
Asked if he expects Beagle to return for the playoffs, Trotz said “Right now, I do, yes.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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