The Washington Capitals made a significant roster move by placing star forward Alex Ovechkin on injured reserve due to a lower left leg injury. This decision comes after Ovechkin's collision with Utah's Jack McBain during Monday night's game, which resulted in a week-to-week assessment for the 39-year-old Russian winger.
As a result of being placed on injured reserve, Ovechkin will be sidelined for at least the next three games, with the possibility of an extended absence as he recovers from the shin-on-shin collision. This setback interrupts Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record, as he currently sits 27 goals shy of surpassing Gretzky.
Ovechkin had been in impressive form this season, scoring 15 goals in his first 18 games and was on track to potentially reach the milestone of 895 career goals by February. However, the injury sustained against Utah has put a temporary halt to his record-breaking pace.
Furthermore, the Capitals also announced that winger Sonny Milano will be placed on long-term injured reserve due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. Milano's absence adds to the team's injury concerns as they navigate through the season without key players.
With Ovechkin and Milano sidelined, the Capitals will rely on the depth of their roster to fill the void left by the injured forwards. The team's management and coaching staff will need to make adjustments to maintain their competitiveness in the league during this challenging period.
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