Ovechkin is out tonight

Alex Ovechkin will not play tonight, so says coach Bruce Boudreau. The Caps coach didn't have much else to say about Ovechkin, other than he's very close. It is pretty easy to surmise that, at this point, barring a setback, Ovechkin will likely make his return Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. It also looks like Ovechkin will get a real practice in, after all.

Boyd Gordon will replace Mike Knuble in the lineup. Boudreau didn't want to offer up his forward lines, but he did say he had to do some shuffling.

When asked why the Caps have been successful without Ovechkin, Boudreau said the other guys sometimes wait for guys like No. 8 to win games for them, but without Ovechkin they've had to do it themselves. He also tossed out a "they've pulled up their socks" -- which was a Boudreau fave in his first season but he hasn't gone to that well (unfortunately) very often of late.