Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin leaves practice early after getting ‘tangled up’

Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin took a tumble in practice Monday. (Carlos Osorio/Associated Press)

In a scary sight for Washington Capitals fans, Alex Ovechkin left Monday’s practice slightly early and limped to the locker room. Ovechkin went awkwardly into the boards during a two-on-two drill near the end of the practice, but Coach Barry Trotz said he expects Ovechkin to be “okay.”

“I think he’s going to be okay,” Trotz said. “I’ve got to talk to the trainers. He got tangled up there, and it’s a contact sport. I think he’s going to be okay. I’ll have a better idea a little bit later today. He just got tangled up.”

After practice, Ovechkin participated in the team’s annual canine calendar shoot, and he did not appear to be walking with any sort of a limp.

Ovechkin and his dog, Blake. pic.twitter.com/WIbntRmUpW

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) October 23, 2017

As he left the photo shoot, Ovechkin said it's nothing serious. Got tangled up, lost an edge. He expects to practice tomorrow. #Caps

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 23, 2017

Ovechkin suffered knee and hamstring injuries during the playoffs last season, but he’s gotten off to a hot start this year with 10 goals in the Capitals’ first nine games. The captain rarely gets hurt: He has never missed more than 10 games in a season.

Washington travels to Western Canada on Tuesday for a three-game road trip. Its first game is Thursday in Vancouver.

More on the Capitals:

Andre Burakovsky misses practice with ‘upper-body’ injury

Capitals taking the good with the bad with their rookie defensemen

Capitals Coach Barry Trotz shuffles lines, puts Tom Wilson with Nicklas Backstrom