The Capitals are the top team in the East. The Washington Capitals continue to get encouraging signs when it comes to Alex Ovechkin, who was on the ice once again before practice in full gear, skating on his own. Ovechkin was doing some simple skating work in a non-contact jersey, marking the second straight day that he's skated ahead of practice. Though he hasn't joined the team yet, it's still a positive sign, especially as he continues to move well on the ice. The 39-year-old broke his left fibula just 17 days ago after a collision with Utah Hockey Club [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah-hockey-club] forward Jack McBain [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-tom-wilson-unwritten-code-hockey-jack-mcbain]. However, the fibula is a non-weight-bearing bone, so he's been able to walk on it and do light exercise on it as he continues to progress. Head coach Spencer Carbery said that this is just another step forward in Ovechkin's recovery. Up next will be playing with the puck, joining the group and getting reps in before upgrading to contact. From there, he will eventually be cleared to play. "It's so far removed and I'm being honest, I don't even entertain or go down that road or get my hopes up. As he gets into moving around with other players, that's when we start to plan and I start to think about where we're at," Carbery said of his recovery. "It's great to see him progressing and taking each step, I will not devalue that, because obviously it means he continues to get better and he's not taking any steps back. That's certainly a positive. He'll just continue hopefully staying on track to get back into the lineup." As of right now, Ovechkin's 4-6 week timeline [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-equipped-cope-without-alex-ovechkin-tough-day-hockey-world] remains the same, though there's reason to be optimistic that he could be back near the end of December and closer to the 4-week timetable. Getting Ovechkin back will be huge for the Capitals, who, despite being without his scoring prowess, lead the league in goals per game. Ovechkin has shined to open his 20th NHL season, picking up 15 goals in 18 games and placing among the NHL's top goal scorers. He sits at 868 career goals and needs just 27 more to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.
