Alex Ovechkin won’t play for the Washington Capitals on Tuesday because of personal reasons, the team confirmed.
He entered the building considerably later than usual, but his presence at least opened the door for the possibility of No. 8 suiting up against the San Jose Sharks.
Instead, the Capitals will face the hot-starting Sharks without Ovechkin (personal reasons) and Nicklas Backstrom (injury).
That’s a tall order, yet it’s also an opportunity for Barry Trotz to prove his system is a difference-maker ... and that the Capitals have the young players to take up the mantle when the big stars are out
This is how Washington’s forward lines may look tonight:
With Ovechkin out, Caps lines look like this:
— Chuck Gormley (@CharlesAGormley) October 13, 2015
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Laich-Johansson-Williams
Chimera-Beagle-Wilson
Collins-Latta-Galiev
No, the Capitals have not shared details regarding what his “personal reasons” might be, by the way.