The New Jersey Devils continue their six-game road trip on Thursday when they visit the Washington Capitals. YardBarker reports the Capitals will have captain Alex Ovechkin back in uniform tonight.
Ovechkin previously missed a pair of skating sessions and Tuesday’s practice with a lower-body injury he picked up in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers. However, the 35-year-old future Hall of Famer returned to the ice for Wednesday’s practice. … When speaking with reporters on Tuesday, (head coach Peter) Laviolette called Ovechkin’s absence “more just maintenance than anything.”
Sign up for Devils Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers
Ovechkin leads the Capitals with 14 goals this season and has Washington in second place in the East division, two points behind the New York Islanders. The Capitals hosts the Devils for a pair of games, back to back, on Thursday and Friday.
After that, the Devils head to Boston for a pair of games against the Bruins, who are emerging from a COVID outbreak. Per the Boston Globe:
The Bruins went through another round of testing Wednesday morning before hitting the ice that night for the first time since last Thursday. Their matchup Thursday against the New York Islanders will be the team’s first home game in front of fans since March 7, 2020. … (Head coach Bruce) Cassidy’s optimism was tested when David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Jake DeBrusk, and Craig Smith joined Sean Kuraly on the NHL’s COVID list last week. … Kuraly and DeBrusk remain on the COVID list, but Pastrnak, Krejci, and Smith returned to the ice Wednesday night.
Despite their problems with the coronavirus, the Bruins sit in fourth place in the East division, eight points ahead of the Devils. But Boston is just 1-3 vs. New Jersey this season.
Get Devils text messages: Cut through the clutter of social media and text directly with beat writer Chris Ryan. Plus, exclusive news and analysis. Sign up now.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.