Caps star not expected to miss time after shot
Capitals star left wing Alex Ovechkin received a cortisone injection after Tuesday’s overtime loss to Tampa Bay and participated only in noncontact drills during practice Thursday.
Ovechkin was told to avoid handling the puck for two days after the shot, according to Washington coach Bruce Boudreau, who did not disclose the location of the injury. Ovechkin is expected to participate fully in practice Friday and play Saturday night against the Florida Panthers at Verizon Center.
Ovechkin wore a gold jersey at practice, the sign of noncontact participation. Afterward he denied experiencing any lingering injury. But cortisone shots are used to treat damage — usually the result of inflammation — in tendons, joints or bursas.
“I’m going to be okay. Just [Boudreau] gives me some skating,” Ovechkin said. “No puck handling or nothing. … He told me just be here and relax and be ready for Saturday.”
| Caps notes |
| » Forward Mathieu Perreault missed practice because “he had to get some things fixed facially,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. Perreault broke his nose Dec. 26 vs. Carolina. |
| » Forward Matt Hendricks also received a cortisone shot after the loss to Tampa Bay. He skated with injured forward Matt Bradley (broken finger) before Thursday’s practice. |
| » Washington meets Florida for the second time this season on Saturday night. The Panthers took the first game 3-0 at Verizon Center on Dec. 9. |
Ovechkin has set the bar high for himself through five full seasons. His career-worst goals total was 46 as a second-year player. But this season the two-time NHL MVP has just 14 goals through 41 games and four in his last 23. Ovechkin still is tied for 10th in the league in scoring with 42 points. But the cortisone injection raises the question of whether an injury is contributing to those diminished numbers.
“It’s probably been [bothering Ovechkin] a while for him to get a cortisone shot,” Boudreau said. “I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you. We’ll find out maybe this weekend if it has worked or what.”
Only once in five seasons has Ovechkin not cracked the NHL’s top three in points and goals. In his second year he finished fourth overall in goals and ranked 13th in points with 92. He was named team captain just over a year ago on Jan. 5, 2010.
In recent weeks Ovechkin has been seen shaking his left wrist during games. He is tied for fifth in the NHL in hits (128) and has taken a league-high 188 shots. But Ovechkin’s shooting percentage is .074, by far the worst of his career. He has never dipped below .106 over a full season.
Few players are more durable. Ovechkin has not missed a game this season and in his career has missed just eight because of injury. He has also received a pair of two-game suspensions — both last year — and missed two games after his grandfather passed away early in the 2008-09 season.
