Alex Ovechkin injury update: Capitals captain to return Saturday ...

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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is ready to resume his run at Wayne Gretzky's record and aid his team's run toward the top record in the league.

The Capitals announced that Ovechkin, 39, will return to action on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time since he suffered a fractured left fibula on Nov. 18.

He had been working his way back to the lineup since Dec. 2, first doing a light skate in a track suit, then adding intensity to his on-ice work and eventually joining the team in practice for non-contact drills. He was cleared for contact last week.

"It was hard month," he told reporters. "Work out, watch the games. You always want to help all your teammates to win. Yeah, it was hard time."

Ovechkin had been the NHL's hottest player at the time of his injury. He had 15 goals in 18 games and five in two games before he was hurt.

When was Alex Ovechkin injured?

Ovechkin was felled by an inadvertent leg-on-leg hit from Utah Hockey Club defenseman Jack McBain during a Nov. 18 game. He was unable to return and was diagnosed with a broken leg three days later. He was given a timeline of four to six weeks to return. He missed five.

How many games did Alex Ovechkin miss?

Ovechkin missed 16 games. The Capitals went 10-5-1 without him. They entered Saturday's game three points out of the Metropolitan Division lead and first overall.

"The boys did a great job without me," he said. "They're playing well right now, so what kind of game I'm going to represent right now because practice is one thing and in the games, it's a different speed, it's a different (intensity). You just have to be smart and play the right way."

How many goals does Alex Ovechin have?

Ovechkin has 868 career goals, leaving him 27 goals shy of breaking Gretzky's record of 894, which has stood since 1999.

This story has been updated to add new information.