Ovechkin listed as day-to-day with upper-body injury

Sunday night was a scary one for the Washington Capitals.

When superstar Alex Ovechkin awkwardly fell into the boards during the Capitals’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs on Sunday, Capitals fans held their breath as The Great 8 was writhing in pain on the ice. 

There was no update on the team’s best player immediately after the contest, but the Capitals on Monday morning announced that Ovechkin is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Ovechkin went into the boards after getting tripped up with the stick while Källgren tried to stop him pic.twitter.com/YXl1lfQPdF

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 25, 2022

Any injury is less than ideal for a 36-year-old player with the playoffs looming, but the injury not being serious could be good news as the Capitals hope to get the winger back at least in time for a postseason run. 

The Capitals didn’t practice Monday, but they did have a team photo that Ovechkin did attend in uniform, according to multiple reports. T.J. Oshie said after Sunday’s game that he thinks Ovechkin will be “all right.”

Ovechkin coming out for the team picture pic.twitter.com/o9XdP4Lp0G

— JJ Regan (@JJReganNBCS) April 25, 2022

“I just talked to him, and I think he’ll be all right,” Oshie told reporters after the game. “It’s always scary seeing Big 8 go down and lay on the ice. He’s a tough guy. But if there’s anyone I would imagine wouldn’t miss any more time than he needs to, it’d be 8.”

The NHL playoffs are scheduled to begin next Monday. The Capitals have already clinched a postseason berth for the eighth straight season and the 14th time in the last 15 years. 

Washington (44-23-12, 100 points) are currently slated to be the final wild card team in the Eastern Conference. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Capitals are one point behind the Penguins for third in the Metropolitan Division, a sought after spot to avoid playing either of the top two seeds in the conference in the first round.