"As Tuesday's Daily Dose anticipated, Alex Ovechkin won't participate in the 2012 All-Star Game. In a way, it's as "political" a protest as Tim Thomas giving the White House the shaft even though the target is the NHL's disciplinary wing rather than the federal government. Ovechkin isn't pleased with the three-game suspension he received for his questionable check on Zbynek Michalek, so he'll provide some civil disobedience by way of passing on this weekend's festivities.

While the three-game suspension is far from a good thing for fantasy owners, the combination of that and his little siesta on the weekend might just make for a strong stretch run for Ovechkin, who won't play in another NHL game until Feb. 4.

As I discussed yesterday, Ovechkin hasn't had many opportunities to rest, so this could give him a great chance to heal up a bit. Of course, it's pretty tough to imagine Ovi totally taking it easy – perhaps playing hockey merely slows him down – but a little break from the wear and tear could do some great things for him as the season's stretch run approaches. "