Alex Ovechkin returns to Capitals following death of father

By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin has returned to the Washington Capitals after missing the past week for the death of his father in Moscow. Ovechkin practiced to get some of his conditioning back after flying to and from Russia and skating only once during his absence. He’s eager to get back on the ice while he and his family are still morning Mikhail Ovechkin’s death at age 71. Washington’s longtime captain and leading scorer could play as soon as Thursday against Anaheim. The Capitals went 0-4 without Ovechkin and have lost five in a row in regulation for the first time in nine years.