Even though they were in the midst of seeking autographs from fellow all-stars to adorn their jerseys, Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green knew that their four-day break was winding down. The Capitals get back to work on the regular season, of which they have 31 games remaining, beginning with a late 5 p.m. practice Monday at KCI.

Washington trails the Tampa Bay Lightning for top billing in the Southeast Division by four points with 63 -- good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Unlike the past two seasons where the Capitals were able to comfortably make their way into the playoffs with a high seed, time is of the essence for the remainder of the year. While 31 games is a lot of time for Washington to accomplish its goals, the forward progress can't be delayed.

"I'm excited, this is an important part of the season winding down," Green said. "We need to rope our game in and it's going to be some time here but hopefully we can all get back on the ice [Monday] and get things going."

Of the 31 games left, 22 will come against Eastern Conference opponents and seven against Southeastern foes, including a very important game Friday in Tampa as one of the final two meetings between the clubs this season. Fifteen contests will be against teams currently in playoff position and 18 will be played on the road.

"I think right now, it's time to wake up and play well," Ovechkin said.