Alexander Ovechkin departed from the NHL.
The Washington Capitals are part of the NHL's Metropolitan Division playoff race, which now includes over five teams. The Capitals currently hold the Metro's #1 wildcard spot, with the Pittsburgh Penguins trailing just one point behind. The Florida Panthers and New York Islanders are also in pursuit of the #1 wildcard spot, both teams just two points away.
Tonight, the Capitals face the second-best team in the entire NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes, in a must-win scenario that could be huge if they can steal two points. However, if they lose, they could easily fall out of their wildcard spot.
This challenge is compounded by the fact that Washington Capitals' senior vice president and GM Brian MacLellan has announced that Alexander Ovechkin has left the NHL temporarily to attend to a serious family matter involving the health of a loved one. MacLellan stated, "Washington Capitals senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today that captain Alex Ovechkin will be away from the team to attend to a family matter and the health of a loved one. We wish Ovi the best, and hope he takes the proper amount of time away as needed."
