Alex Ovechkin is a favorite to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player this season, but he may not play in Thursday's game due to a lower-body injury.
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According to NHL.com, Capitals coach Barry Trotz excused Ovechkin from the team's practice Thursday morning and he is now a game-time decision when the team takes on the Minnesota Wild Thursday night at the Verizon Center to kick off a five-game home stand.
Ovechkin is having a great year for the Capitals as he paces the NHL with 43 goals on the 2014-15 campaign and is tied with teammate Nicklas Backstrom with a league-best 67 points through 65 games.
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Trotz said that Ovechkin's status for the Capitals game with the Wild (34-22-7, 75 points) will be determined during warm-ups, but he could miss the game due to the lower-body ailment.
Washington recalled forward Andre Burakovsky on an emergency basis in case Ovechkin can't skate with his teammates Thursday night.
Burakovsky is likely to take Ovechkin's spot on the top line alongside Backstrom and Marcus Johansson.
Ovechkin has also been a force on the Capitals No. 2 ranked power play (22.9 percent) in the NHL as he has a league-best 19 tallies on the man-advantage. He also paces the league with 10 game-winning goals this season.
The Capitals are in the midst of a heated playoff race entering Thursday's game.
Washington (35-20-10, 80 points) owns the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and is just one point shy of the Pittsburgh Penguins (81) for the third and final automatic playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
The Capitals are also in striking distance of the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, who sit atop the division with 85 points apiece.
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