"Alex Ovechkin took just one shot on goal and played a shade under 20 minutes. It wasn't the magnificent, light-up-Bell Centre sort of comeback that some in Montreal may have scripted, but the Washington Capitals' captain emerged from his three-game suspension thrilled to be back on the ice.

"I feel pretty good fresh out there. I go back and forth; I was not tired. It's a good sign for me," Ovechkin said. "It's just game situation and I miss it. I'm pretty happy we won and I'm pretty happy I was in that game."

Ovechkin didn't play much of a role in the Caps beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 on Saturday afternoon, though he had a couple noticeable passes or hustle plays that made it clear he was back."