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Alex Ovechkin injury update: Capitals star on road with team as he rehabs broken leg
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- Alex Ovechkin injury update: Capitals star on road with team as he rehabs broken leg
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is with the team on the road as he rehabs from a fractured left fibula.
Ovechkin, who is chasing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record , joined the team in drills in Dallas while wearing a non-contact jersey.
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Ovechkin is entering his third week on the ice since he broke his leg. He first skated in a track suit then graduated to full gear later in the week. He did more skating a week ago Monday then graduated on Wednesday to shooting pucks, taking passes from Nicklas Backstrom , who's on a long-term leave of absence . Saturday was his first time taking part in skating drills in practice.
"He's back integrated with the group, he's on the road, so the next step would be him taking off that non-contact jersey and practicing full, which would get him into contact drills," coach Spencer Carbery told reporters on Monday.
The Capitals originally gave a timeline of four to six weeks after the Nov. 18 injury . That would put Ovechkin's availability anywhere from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2, causing him miss 13 to 19 games.
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Here's what to know about Alex Ovechkin 's injury:
When was Alex Ovechkin injured?
Ovechkin was hurt during a Nov. 18 victory against the Utah Hockey Club on an inadvertent leg-on-leg collision by Utah defenseman Jack McBain . The Capitals captain limped to the bench, took a quick twirl on the ice during a TV timeout then went to the dressing room and didn't return. The fractured fibula diagnosis was announced on Nov. 21.
What's the latest on Alex Ovechkin's injury?
Generally, a player will ramp up skating, work with pucks, then return to practice, first in a non-contact jersey then with contact allowed, before being allowed to play.
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He has accomplished all of those steps except the contract drills at practice.
When could Alex Ovechkin return?
The original timeline would have him available as early as Dec. 19 and as late as Jan. 2. The Capitals have a home game on Dec. 20 and a home game on Jan. 2. They don't play from Dec. 24-27 because of the holiday break .
How many games has Alex Ovechkin missed?
He has missed 13 games. The Capitals have gone 8-4-1 in that stretch with other players stepping up. They were second in the Eastern Conference in points on Wednesday morning and were three points out of first in the league.
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How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?
Ovechkin had 15 goals in 18 games before the injury, including two in the game in which he was hurt. That gives him 868 career goals, second all-time behind Gretzky.
He needs 27 more to break Gretzky's NHL record of 894, which has stood since 1999. If Ovechkin falls short of breaking the record this season, he has another year left on his contract .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Ovechkin injury update: Latest on Capitals star's broken leg
