Alex Ovechkin on Connor McDavid’s three-game suspension: ‘Sucks for him. Good for us.’

The Washington Capitals are in Edmonton to kick off their five-game road swing against the Oilers on Tuesday night. Caps superstar Alex Ovechkin will be on the ice looking to move closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record against the team most synonymous with The Great One’s career.

However, Ovechkin will not find himself lining up against Connor McDavid. McDavid was suspended three games by the NHL for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland in the head and will sit out his first game against Washington.

Ovechkin, suspended three times for on-ice disciplinary reasons in his career, was not sympathetic to McDavid’s plight.

“Sucks for him. Good for us,” Ovechkin said smiling after the team’s morning skate. “He’s not playing tonight. We’ll take it.”

“Well, you in Canada, so, of course, you turn on the TV you can see all the time this highlight,” he added. “It’s a game. It’s passion. Obviously, I don’t think he wants to do that.”

McDavid has torched the Capitals in prior meetings, as he has virtually every other team in the NHL. In 14 games against Washington, he’s recorded 24 points (9g, 15a). The three-time MVP is fifth in the league in scoring this season with 65 points (20g, 45a) in 43 games.

Ovechkin is a point-per-game player against the Oilers in his career. The Great Eight has recorded 26 points (14g, 12a) in 24 games against Edmonton. However, you need to go back to October 24, 2019, to find his last goal against the Oilers inside Rogers Place.

Edmonton is not just a one-man show, though, as Leon Draisaitl is the only player to have scored 30 goals already this season and ranks second in the league in scoring with 69 points (33g, 36a) in 46 games.

The Oilers have also been red-hot lately, winning eight of their last 10 games. They currently sit second in the NHL’s Pacific Division with a 29-14-3 record, one point back of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Washington got pulverized in the two teams’ two-game set last season, losing both games by a combined 12-2 score.