The Washington Capitals are in for a difficult first-round matchup in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, fated to square off with the regular-season champion Florida Panthers. Superstar forward Alex Ovechkin had been battling an injury at the end of the regular season, which forced him to miss Washington's final three games of the year.

While the Capitals haven't made an official announcement regarding his status for Game 1, footage of Ovi at practice on Sunday should have Caps fans feeling confident regarding his availability. Via Tarik El-Bashir, Ovechkin could be seen rocking his standard red practice jersey on Sunday, and even said that he's feeling much better following the injury.

Ovechkin told reporters on Sunday that he's feeling good and indicated that he feels he could have played in one of the games he missed last week for the Capitals. That certainly bodes well for his availability against the Panthers in Game 1.

The 17-year veteran had been nursing an upper-body injury during the final week of the regular season. The Capitals struggled in his absence, losing all three games he missed as well as their final four games of the year outright. That culminated in the Capitals landing in the 8th seed in the East, ending the year with 100 points, three behind the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It will be a tough series against the Panthers, but having Ovechkin back on the ice and performing his usual duties will give the Capitals a fighting chance.

This season was another classic from the Russian superstar. Ovechkin recorded 90 points, his highest tally since 2009-10, back when he was just 24 years old. At 36, the Capitals star still managed 50 goals and even provided 40 assists for the first time in over a decade.