Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin sparked reaction on social media after he refused to participate in team's campaign for LGBT rights.

Colorado Avalanche star Valeri Nichushkin did not play against the Washington Capitals after being involved in a car accident.

Kick save and a baby? Turns out Scott Wedgewood’s best save Monday wasn’t on Dylan Strome’s backhand after all.

Valeri Nichushkin was a late scratch on Monday for Colorado’s home tilt against Washington. After the game, coach Jared Bednar told reporters that Nichushkin had been involved in a car accident. The 30-year-old sustained some minor injuries, but Bednar said he should be fine and indicated he was held out of the game as a precaution.

NHL-best Colorado pulled away in the final 20 minutes, handing Washington a 5-2 defeat as it opened a critical six-game road trip.

While Sourdif is ready to return, Tom Wilson remains on the injured reserve and Ivan Miroshnichenko remains up with the Capitals, indicating that Wilson still needs some time before returning to the mix.

John Carlson leads the Capitals in assists (29) and is third in points (38). Alex Ovechkin is second on the Capitals in goals (20) and points (41) while ranking tied for third in assists (21). Dylan Strome is second on the Capitals in assists (25) while ranking fourth in points (36) and fifth in goals (11).

In his career, Panarin has played 799 NHL games and scored 318 goals with 603 assists (921 points). Capitals GM Chris Patrick told reporters that Washington is "actively pursuing" help on the wing. It'd be tough to find a better addition in this market than Panarin, if the Caps can make the money work.