Alex Ovechkin granted leave of absence by the Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals will be without the services of Alex Ovechkin for an undetermined amount of time after Caps GM Brian MacLellan granted Ovechkin a leave of absence on Tuesday. The news comes straight from the Washington Captials' PR team, who confirmed that Ovechkin will be absent from the team while he tends to an important family matter revolving around the illness of a loved one.
Ovechkin has 32 goals and 22 assists this season, for a total of 54 points in 54 games as he continues to defy typical age limitations at 37 years old. Ovi currently sits at 812 career NHL goals, just 82 goals behind The Great One, Wayne Gretzky for most goals in NHL history (894). An extended absence at this point in his pursuit of the record must mean that the family issue is a serious one.
The Capitals currently sit 4th in the Metropolitan Division with 62 points, good enough to hold onto the 1st Wild Card spot. The problem for the Caps here is that the Penguins (61), Panthers (60) and Islanders (60) are nipping at their heels and could leapfrog them in the standings if they can't find a way to win without their captain.
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