The Capitals host the Rangers in the first game of a home-and-home series at 1 p.m. ET.
Update: Alex Ovechkin is out, Tom Wilson is in against the Rangers.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals will wait and see whether or not Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson will play on Saturday against the New York Rangers, as both are again listed as game-time decisions.
Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters pregame that it'll be up to Ovechkin and Wilson whether or not they will play.
Ovechkin has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the last week and change after colliding with captain Jordan Staal in the third period of a Jan. 5 meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes. Staal appeared to fall onto the back of Ovechkin's leg, sending the captain down in visible pain.
The ailment has led to Ovechkin missing four of the last five practices. However, he has not missed a game yet, as he played against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday and the Seattle Kraken on Thursday despite being listed as a game-time decision.
"He just battles. He gives you everything he's got... if he's got 85 percent, he gives you every ounce of 85 percent," Carbery said of Ovechkin, adding, "It's no different if he's fully healthy. That's what I see. There's a trade-off of him playing at 75, 50 percent of what is enough for the team because of his unique skill set and what he can bring and you know he's gonna give you every ounce of that. But also we need to be smart and make sure we're not putting him in a jeopardizing situation injury-wise."
Wilson, meanwhile, is dealing with the after-effects of a broken nose he suffered at the end of Sunday's 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings when he took the butt-end of Alex Laferriere's stick to the face. He skated Wednesday and Friday but did not play Thursday after waking up and feeling unwell. However, he was optimistic on Friday that he would be available for this weekend.
Sonny Milano and Rasmus Sandin remain out of the lineup with upper-body injuries.
Charlie Lindgren will get the start against his brother, Ryan, and New York, marking his first game since returning from an injury suffered back on Dec. 29.