Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin received praise from former teammate (Source: Imagn)

Evgeny Kuznetsov, now playing for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, praised Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s ability to play through injuries. Ovechkin had been off to an impressive start, leading the NHL with 15 goals in 18 games before his injury.

Unfortunately, Ovechkin suffered a fractured left fibula on Nov. 18 during a collision in a game against the Utah Hockey Club. Following the injury, he was expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Before the injury, Ovechkin had 868 career goals, just 27 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

In an interview with Match TV, Kuznetsov called Ovechkin’s health “heroic” and talked about his dedication to the game.

“He has heroic health,” Kuznetsov said, per Pavel Lysenkov of Match TV (translated from Russian via Google) “Some people have it, but many don’t. He trained a lot, he has a mountain of muscles.”

Over his 20-year NHL career, Ovechkin has missed just 69 games, with only 45 of those due to injury. Kuznetsov noted that Ovechkin often plays through pain without mentioning it.

“And Alexander is one of those players who played with injuries,” Kuznetsov said. It’s just that Ovechkin doesn’t talk about it, like most hockey players. He got hit on the little finger, the finger got swollen, the bone was broken, but Sasha doesn’t tell anyone, he keeps playing.”

“He once broke a finger but kept playing.”

Kuznetsov credited Ovechkin’s intense training and strong physical build for his durability. However, Ovechkin has recently taken more maintenance days to manage his body.

Despite missing time, Kuznetsov believes Alex Ovechkin could still reach 50 goals this season.

“I think there is nothing impossible for him,” Kuznetsov mentioned, “He can go 20 games without scoring, and then score 20 goals in 10 games… I hope he gets better soon and starts scoring goals again.”

Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals eye another Stanley Cup

The Washington Capitals have a record of 20-6-2 and are in first place in the Metropolitan Division. They have won seven of their last eight games, against notable teams.

They defeated the Blue Jackets (2-1), Canadiens (4-2), Maple Leafs (3-1), Devils (6-5), Islanders (5-4), Lightning (5-4) and Panthers (4-1). Their only loss came against the Sharks in a close 2-1 game.

The team has performed consistently, with solid defense and effective scoring. Dylan Strome is leading the team in points with 36. Connor McMichael is tied with Alex Ovechkin for the team lead in goals.