The Capitals captain was hurt in a knee-on-knee collision with Jack McBain in Monday's win over Utah Hockey Club.

ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals didn't get the update they were looking for on captain Alex Ovechkin, as he's week-to-week with a lower leg injury sustained on Monday in a knee-on-knee collision against Utah Hockey Club.

While that prognosis isn't the most reassuring for fans as he sits just 27 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record — his 15 goals through 18 games also lead the NHL right now — it's not the end of the world and D.C. will be okay.

First, Ovechkin being listed as week-to-week rather than month-to-month or longer is promising. He's undergoing further evaluation back in D.C. on Wednesday, but at this time, there's nothing at this time that indicates that he won't be returning. And while week-to-week can be long, it can also be shorter than expected.

There's also the fact that it's listed as a "lower-leg" injury rather than a "knee" injury at this time. The former is definitely preferred, and that assessment in itself could be better for Ovechkin. He was also able to turn his leg and stop on his left foot after trying to go for a twirl last night, another indicator that it's nothing too grave.

It's easy to get caught up on social media, with doctors, critics and more jumping to the worst-case scenario and making assumptions. Then, there's the psychological phenomenon of "magnifying," a cognitive distortion where p[people significantly exaggerate the severity of a negative situation and blow it all out of proportion.

Ovechkin's in the care of top doctors and medical staff who are hands-on and aware of the situation. The only words that should be trusted are the ones that come from his team.

Over his career, Ovechkin's also proven to recover quickly and respond well after injury and adversity. His longest stretch of games missed was six back in 2009 after suffering an upper-body injury in a fight with Jason Chimera.

Lastly, though Ovechkin's leading the NHL in goals and is off to the best start of his career yet, he's not the only player providing offense for the red-hot Capitals.

Washington's leading the league in goals per game, and Dylan Strome, Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas and more are big players in that success. The blue line has also contributed plenty, and though Ovechkin will be missed, he's not the team's only supplier of offense.

The Capitals will also bring up Ivan Miroshnichenko or another rising prospect with Ovechkin out, and that will give the team's youth more opportunity to show what they can do.

Of course, he doesn't just make an impact on the ice; off the ice, he's beloved in the room and pushes his team forward. However, the room is tight-knit, and there are several leaders who will step up with him absent for the time being.

At the end of the day, it's a lot to take in for fans and the hockey community who have enjoyed watching Ovechkin's "GR8 Chase," but it's not the end of the world for the organization.

It's also not the end for him; he knows how to recover and knows how to score goals. That doesn't go away because of an injury, and he still has plenty of time to bounce back and continue his pursuit.