Alex Ovechkin will return to the lineup on Saturday night when the Washington Capitals take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. on Monumental Sports Network 2 and NHL Network. He returns after he missed Washington's last 16 games with a fractured left fibula, the longest stretch of consecutive games he's missed in his career.
O Captain, welcome back my Captain#ALLCAPS | @Venture_Global pic.twitter.com/Shq5ou6jKC
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 28, 2024
Washington lost their first two games without Ovechkin in the lineup but went 10-3-1 since and had a 36-34-5 all time record without Ovi in the lineup. Ovechkin has played in 1,444 of Washington's 1,519 games which is 95.1 percent since making his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005.
Prior to the injury, Ovechkin scored two goals on Nov. 18 at the Utah Hockey Club which marked his 177th career multi goal game. The night prior, he recorded his 31st career hat trick at the Vegas Golden Knights.
Ovechkin, who has 15 goals in 18 games played last season, had scored 13 goals in his last 11 games prior to his injury on Nov. 18. The 39 year old forward has scored 39 goals in 63 games at a 0.82 goals per game pace during the 2024 calendar year which is tied for the 11th most in the NHL.
Ovechkin as we know is 27 goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history. He entered the season 42 goals shy and has scored at least 42 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
With a 20 goal season this year, Ovechkin would tie Ron Francis (20) for the second most 20 goal seasons in NHL history. He can also join Gordie Howe (22) as the second player in NHL history to score 20 plus goals in 20 consecutive seasons.
Ovechkin also loves to play at Toronto which makes tonight's return all the more fitting. He has recorded 78 points in 60 career games with 44 goals and 34 assists. Per the game notes, that's his fifth highest points per game rate against a single franchise and his highest rate against an Eastern Conference opponent.
His 44 goals against the Maple Leafs are the most he has scored against a team that he has never played in the same division as. Ovechkin has scored 24 goals in 29 games at Toronton including a pair of hat tricks on Jan. 22, 2011 and Nov. 25, 2017. He is the NHL's all time leader in road goals with 443.