Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin is in the lineup for the much-anticipated season opener with their Metropolitan Division-rivals New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
Ovechkin was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered last week against the Philadelphia Flyers. He was on the ice for the opening face-off on a line with winger Tom Wilson and center Evgeny Kuznetsov.
The teams lock horns for the first time since a game featuring six fights in the first five minutes last May.
That game came days after polarizing Capitals forward Wilson was fined for his antics during a second-period scrum against the Rangers. Earlier in the day, new Rangers tough guy Ryan Reaves announced he was fit to play after recovering from a pre-season leg injury.
Reaves wasn’t yet with the Rangers at the time of that last bout, but his arrival via trade (and subsequent signing) sent a clear message league-wide that the Rangers are prepared to play with a physical edge — regardless of their opponent.
Ovechkin signed a five-year contract extension that the Capitals hope ends with him surpassing Wayne Gretzky as the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history.
The Capitals finished second in the realigned East Division last season and qualified for the playoffs for the seventh straight time before falling in the first round.
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