Ovechkin expected to miss 4-6 weeks with broken fibula

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has a fracture in his left fibula and will likely require four-to-six weeks to recover, the team announced Thursday.

The Capitals listed Ovechkin as week-to-week Tuesday after he suffered the ailment Monday following a collision with Utah forward Jack McBain. Washington placed Ovechkin on injured reserve Wednesday.

The 39-year-old was in the midst of a hot start to the campaign with 15 goals through 18 games. He scored 31 tallies all last season.

Ovechkin is just 27 goals away from claiming the all-time record from Wayne Gretzky. The Great One lit the lamp 894 times in 1,487 career games, while the Great Eight has 868 tallies under his belt in 1,444 outings.

Capitals teammate Tom Wilson said Wednesday that Ovechkin's absence is a "letdown" for the hockey world now that the sniper's chase is on hold.

Washington played its first game without Ovechkin on Thursday in a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The Capitals own the fourth-best points percentage (.711) in the league.