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OVECHKIN SITS IN ON RANGERS' PRACTICE; GETS ASKED TO LEAVE

There was someone doing some "scouting" at the New York Rangers' practice on Monday, but the team wasn't very keen on the idea. And who can blame them?

After all, it was Capitals' winger Alex Ovechkin who decided to observe his opposition from the visitor's bench at Madison Square Garden, just hours before tonight's Game 3 of the Caps/Rangers playoff series. Underdog New York leads the series 2-0.

One of the Rangers' trainers complained to the Capitals, who had a public relations staff member ask Ovechkin to exit the rink. According to the PR man, Ovechkin was just looking for a place to relax.

That wasn't the story from Ovechkin himself, though, who joked that he sat in on Rangers practice to "tick off" head coach John Tortorella.

According to espn.com, Tortorella said afterwards he didn't even know Ovechkin was at the practice, saying, "Ask me a question about the game, not that [expletive]."

Ovechkin was asked why the Rangers wanted his removal, joking, "Because they're afraid of me."

Caps' coach Bruce Boudreau playfully dismissed the idea that there was anything mischievous behind the sit-in.

"I don't think he had a pen and paper and was writing down line combinations," Boudreau kidded. "I can understand (the Rangers asking him to leave). I've gotten into the same arguments with people when I've wanted privacy in my practice, so I can understand what John was going through."