Caps’ Ovechkin to miss All-Star Game

Alex Ovechkin will miss the 2016 NHL All-Star Game due to a lower-body injury that would be better served by rest.

“We have to make the right decision”, Trotz said Wednesday after Washington’s 4-3 overtime loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night. For us, it’s not about the prize money.

Led by Alex Ovechkin (50 goals), Alexander Semin (40 goals) and Nicklas Backstrom (33), the 2009-10 Capitals had the NHL’s top-ranked offense with an average of 3.82 goals-per-game. He joined the 500-goal club less than two months later, scoring twice in a victory over the Ottawa Senators on January 10 to become the 43rd player to hit the plateau. “The snowstorm came and it felt like maybe it’s going to help and it doesn’t. I was doing some snow [cleanup] and cleaning my house, and it was my bad decision”.

Ovechkin was a fan-elected captain for the Metropolitan Division team.

The NHL did not immediately announce a replacement for Ovechkin.

Ovechkin played 19:58 minutes of ice time in Wednesday’s game, but it was clear to Trotz that he was not operating at 100 per cent.

“It’s basically like if you have injury, you have to do all the treatments to take care of yourself”, Ovechkin said.

Ovechkin’s playing status is day-to-day, but by National Hockey League rule, he will be required to sit out the Capitals Feb. 2 game against Florida.

“That team could be down 4-1 and win 5-4 [as was the case February 7, 2010 when the Capitals rallied to beat the Penguins during Snowmaggedon 2010], but with this team, we play a tighter game, and over the course of a game, we might lean on teams and then start pulling away by the end of it. It’s not so much of a roller coaster as maybe that team was”.

“We made a long-term decision”, Trotz said.