Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin tosses a puck to a young fan before a game.

The great National Hockey League contradiction of sports, celebration and politics is upon us. We have already begun the daily Alexander Ovechkin watch, the giant leap as he makes his way toward the career goal-scoring lead in hockey history. This all comes at a time when the league couldn’t — or wouldn’t — find a place for a Russian team in its major in-house tournament in February. It will be Ovechkin — yay — in the days and months to come,...

Alexander Ovechkin’s bid to pass Wayne Gretzky for all-time lead in goals will have to be halted for now. On Monday evening, the Washington Capitals played the Utah Hockey Club.