TORONTO — Just after Alex Ovechkin returned to the ice following the brutal hit from Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri that sent him to the training room Friday night, Ovechkin himself laid a big hit on Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner.
It served as proof that Ovechkin was going to be just fine but, to some of the Maple Leafs, it also seemed a sign that Ovechkin was distracted by vengeance.
That, however, is not how Capitals coach Barry Trotz saw it. Trotz thought Ovechkin responded after Kadri’s hit, but didn’t think he got overly caught up in hit-hunting.