Capitals’ Ovechkin on McDavid’s suspension: ‘Sucks for him. Good for us’
A weakened Edmonton Oilers squad taking on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday is no problem for Alex Ovechkin.
“Sucks for him. Good for us,” the Capitals captain told reporters including Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post ahead of Tuesday’s showdown between Edmonton and Washington. “We’ll take it.”
In serving his first game of a three-game suspension Tuesday, the Oilers will be without McDavid, the five-time Art Ross Trophy recipient who this season sits second in team scoring and fifth league-wide with 65 points counting 20 goals and 45 assists through 43 appearances.
McDavid’s ban comes as a result of cross-checking Vancouver Canucks right winger Conor Garland in Saturday’s 3-2 road loss to the Pacific Division foe. The ensuing melee also saw Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers issued a three-game suspension for cross-checking Oilers rearguard Evan Bouchard.
While Tuesday’s contest against the NHL-leading Capitals marks the first of three outings without McDavid, the Oilers will also be without their captain Thursday in a rematch against the Canucks as well as Saturday versus the Buffalo Sabres.
On the season, the Oilers sit second place in the Pacific Division with a record of 29-14-3, one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights. Meanwhile, the Capitals continue to put together a dominant campaign and are in the midst of a four-game win streak that has seen the club surge to a record of 31-10-5 and 67 points.
For Ovechkin, the 2024-25 campaign has been underscored by his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals mark. Though interrupted for 16 games due to a fibula fracture, Ovechkin has still made 30 appearances this season, netting a team-leading 21 goals. In all, the nine-time Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy winners stands at 874 career goals, putting him just 21 tallies shy of surpassing Gretzky for the all-time goals record.
Earlier this season, Ovechkin also joined the legendary Gordie Howe in become just the second-ever player to secure 20-consecutive 20-plus goal seasons.