ARLINGTON, Va. — Alex Ovechkin will miss at least one game while in Russia to spend time with his ailing grandfather.
The NHL’s reigning MVP caught a flight home Monday morning and definitely will sit out the Washington Capitals’ game against the visiting Nashville Predators on Tuesday night after appearing in 203 straight games.
The Capitals were not sure when Ovechkin would return to the team.
“We know he won’t be here tomorrow,” Capitals spokesman Nate Ewell said Monday. “But we don’t know beyond that.”
Washington’s following game is Saturday at the Buffalo Sabres.
“I’m sure we’ll know more as the week goes on,” coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Ovechkin, who led the league in goals and points last season, discussed the situation and his trip with general manager George McPhee on Sunday night.
The star left wing hasn’t scored a goal in the past six games and is tied for fifth on the Capitals with five points this season.
“He had to go and he wanted to be near (his grandfather), but if you know Alex, he doesn’t want to leave his teammates,” Boudreau said. “So that’s always a struggle, but in the end, he knows what he needs to do — and that’s family first.”
ISLANDERS: New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro sat out Monday night against the New York Rangers due to an undisclosed lower body injury the team said is unrelated to previous ailments.
DiPietro had surgery to fix a knee and a hip during the offseason and didn’t play the first four games of the season. While he wasn’t ready for action then, he did dress for all the games as the backup to No. 2 goalie Joey MacDonald.
He finally made his first on-ice appearance on Oct. 18 at Florida and started three consecutive games. DiPietro lasted only one period Saturday night at home against Carolina, allowing two goals on 12 shots. One of the goals came directly after he turned over the puck with an ill-advised clearing attempt.
Following the game, the Islanders announced he was pulled because of an injury and not based on his performance. DiPietro was examined by a doctor on Monday, but no details were provided.
“Rick DiPietro incurred a lower body injury Saturday night unrelated to his previous injuries,” according to a release provided by the team. “Rick is day to day pending additional assessment and treatment. No further comments related to this issue will be made until further information is available.”
Yann Danis, recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL on Sunday, dressed as MacDonald’s backup against the Rangers.
The Islanders have adopted a policy not to release specifics about injuries to players other than the general area — upper or lower body.
However, the team did say that defenseman Freddy Meyer sat out Monday due to an abdominal strain that he sustained Saturday.
Elsewhere on the injury front, defenseman Brendan Witt missed his second straight game and is expected to be sidelined three to four weeks because of a lower-body injury.
Brett Skinner, also brought up from Bridgeport on Sunday, was in the lineup to help the depleted defense corps that is also missing Radek Martinek and Andy Sutton.
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