Washington Capitals Get Worrying News on Alex Ovechkin Ahead of Game Five

The Washington Capitals now hold a 3-1 lead over the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. Many things can explain those results, but the physical aspect of the game has clearly factored into the equation.

In the first four games of the series, the Canadiens landed 140 hits on Washington, while the Caps had 131.

On both sides, some players are dealing with injuries as a result of the physical series.

The Canadiens had to compete without their number one goalie and best powerplay scorer, Patrik Laine, for the past two games, while the Caps have been without Martin Fehérváry since the start of the series.

In a new development, insider Renaud Lavoie revealed that Alex Ovechkin wasn't on the ice for today's team practice, suggesting that the team captain could be dealing with an ailment.

The organization later confirmed that Ovi had a "maintenance day":

Ovi has had a tremendous impact for his team against Montreal, scoring four points in four games and making many big hits, including this one on Jake Evans:

Ovi getting a maintenance day is reassuring news for fans. Nothing indicates that the 39-year-old veteran will miss a game.

Eric Engels shared other great news, saying Aliaksei Protas looked a lot better on the ice, and it could be realistic to see him in Game 5:

With Ovi and potentially Protas jumping in for the next game, the Caps will be in a great position to confirm their ticket to the second round of the playoffs tomorrow night in Washington.

As for Montreal, the youngest team in the playoffs will look to bring the series back to the Bell Center for a sixth game. At home, anything is possible, with the team keeping short-term goals. The Canadiens did it many times in the past, and the Caps will need to be careful and close it as soon as possible to avoid a major setback.