"McBain will pay", "Gutted for him": Capitals fans dejected as Alex Ovechkin's injury is confirmed to be a fractured left fibula

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin sustained a fractured left fibula, the team confirmed on Thursday. The injury occurred during the Capitals’ tilt against the Utah Hockey Club on Monday. Utah forward Jack McBain collided with Ovechkin, resulting in a knee-on-knee impact.

Now that Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss four to six weeks, fans are furious at the prospect of Ovechkin missing time as he chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record.

Here’s what fans had to say about the situation.

“Anyone else not know how to feel?? So sad but feels like best case lol. One thing is certain… McBain will pay,” a fan opined.

“Jack McBain we are COMING FOR YOU,” this fan commented.

“Dropping the gloves every time we see Utah now,” another fan posted.

While most fans are furious about Alex Ovechkin’s injury, some are looking at the silver lining. Here’s a look at what these fans commented:

“Better than a ligament injury. Or even a high ankle sprain. He will be back after Christmas. Maybe right before,” a fan chimed in.

“Could be worse, he’ll still break the record,” this fan posted on social media.

“Gutted for him man. He will be back for that record though. Cannot stop the Great 8,” another fan wrote.

There is optimism that Ovechkin will hit the ice sooner than expected. Given his age and games played, there is no telling how long it could take Ovechkin to recover from this injury.

Alex Ovechkin more likely to break Gretzky’s next season

A piece in The Athletic on Thursday examined what Alex Ovechkin’s injury means to his chase of Gretzky’s goal-scoring record.

At the time of the injury, Ovechkin needed 27 more goals to break Gretzky’s mark. While Ovechkin could conceivably do it this season, chances are he may not get there.

As such, the likeliest scenario would see Ovechkin waiting till next year to break the mark. In particular, the piece points out how the impact of such a serious lower-body injury is unknown at this point. Given Ovechkin’s playing style, he depends significantly on his legs. As a result, this type of injury could result in him losing a step.

At 39, Ovechkin has defied father time. But unless Ovechkin goes on a tear upon his return, he’ll most likely need one more season to beat Gretzky’s record. While there’s no doubt Ovechkin can do it, the question mark will be his body keeping together long enough for him to catch Gretzky.