All that glitters is not gold, it is often said. Similarly, not everything goes right in a high-flying team. The case is no different for the Washington Capitals. The Alex Ovechkin-led side is at the top of the Metropolitan Division and is looking good to progress to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additionally, their captain is nearing Wayne Gretzky‘s record for the most goals scored in the NHL. As the hype surrounding the team continues to go up, the Capitals suffered an unexpected setback ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Minutes ago, Katie Adler of Russian Machine Never Breaks reported that the Capitals had already begun their preparations for the next game and were training at home for the first time back from their California trip. However, both Dylan Strome and Ethen Frank were sick and weren’t skating. As a result, it is unlikely that the two would feature in the crucial game against the Red Wings. With the team so close to being the overall league leaders, any dip in form could see the Winnipeg Jets break the current deadlock and overtake the Caps outright.
Capitals practicing at home for the first time back from their California road trip. Dylan Strome and Ethen Frank are both sick, per the team, and aren’t skating today.
— Katie Adler (@katieEadler) March 17, 2025
Talking about the situation, the Capitals head coach, Spencer Carbery, said, “Hopefully, [they’ll be good to go against Detroit]. Hopefully, it’s just a 24-48 hour thing, but both were absent today, so we’ll have to see how they progress.” Interestingly, Strome has featured in all of the Capitals’ 67 games so far this season. He is also their leading scorer with 65 points. As a result, it would be a big blow to the Capitals if Strome misses the game against the Red Wings.
Back from their recently concluded road trip, the Capitals are now back on home ice, looking to maintain momentum all the way till the playoffs. But the playoffs and a chance at the Stanley Cup aren’t the only things that have the Washington faithful excited…
The chase is on but nearing its end for Alex Ovechkin
The Capitals’ romp along the West Coast was a success for the most part, winning 3 out of their 4 games. Their sole loss came against the Los Angeles Kings, but that was a game that was fast forgotten.
Despite the one blemish on their record, the Capitals ended their West Coast sojourn strong with a 5-1 thrashing of the bottom of the league San Jose Sharks. Not only did the game reinforce the Sharks’ position at the bottom of the league, but it also brought Alex Ovechkin yet another goal closer (just 8 away now) to the tantalizing number 895!
It was an important goal for other reasons too, as Ovechkin had failed to find the back of the net in their first three games against the Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings. Speaking to the media, Carbery said, “Hopefully that helps him.”
He added, “You could feel he was gripping it a little bit. Power play, he’s been struggling. He hasn’t been getting as many quality looks with his line. … For him to get that goal, hopefully that’s a good boost for him and grabs him some momentum heading back home and feeling good about his game going into our home games this week.”
Now with Ovechkin’s chase slowly beginning to reach the end stages, ticket prices at the Capital One Arena have begun to soar, with predictions running rampant as to when the fateful, record-breaking game might be. And it’s not just fans; even Caps’ sponsors are enjoying a boom in business thanks to all the attention and anticipation drummed up by this most riveting storyline.
Will Ovechkin get any closer in tonight’s game against the Red Wings? Can the Capitals overtake the Winnipeg Jets in the standings? Will Dylan Strome be back for the game? It’s a game that is rife with numerous subplots, and all we can do is wait to see how the cards unfold.
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