Ovechkin Morning Skate As the Washington Capitals look to keep their record road winning streak alive, they continue to get positive news on the Alex Ovechkin front. Ovechkin, who is still recovering from a broken leg suffered on Nov. 18 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/news/washington-capitals-alex-ovechkin-injury-update-broken-leg], is on the road with the team and joined the Capitals for their morning skate before Monday's contest against the Dallas Stars. It marked his second time skating with the group. "The next step would be him taking off the non-contact jersey and practicing full, which should get him into contact drills," coach Spencer Carbery told reporters in Dallas. The 39-year-old is still working on a four-to-six-week timetable, which would have him on pace to return to the lineup toward the end of the month or early in 2025. However, recent steps have been promising, and if he continues to trend in the right direction, he could be back sooner rather than later. Ovechkin making the trip to Dallas also means he could get the opportunity to get more skating in before Tuesday's game against the Chicago Blackhawk, though there's no morning skate for the second game of the back-to-back. The team's next full practice will be on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Capitals will see their lineup tweak slightly against the Stars, as Jakub Vrana will draw back in after 10 straight healthy scratches. It will be his first game since Nov. 21, and he will go in for Hendrix Lapierre. Per Carbery, it's a chance for Vrana to get back to playing after a long time sitting out and gives Lapierre a chance to take a break. Charlie Lindgren [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-goaltender-inteference-gray-area-nhl-charlie-lindgren-take] will start for Washington, while fellow Lakeville, Minnesota native and offseason training partner, Jake Oettinger, will be between the pipes for Dallas.
