Spencer Carbery speaks on Alex Ovechkin's Great Chase.
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has a chance to achieve greatness by passing Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history by netting just 16. He has a chance to do it and everyone is on notice. Caps coach Spencer Carbery spoke on it after Friday's practice before the team departed to Pittsburgh where they'll take on the Penguins on Saturday afternoon.
The Capials have 27 games remaining. A year ago, Ovi notched 15 goals in his final 27 games so yeah he can definitely do it before season's end. Carbery said to the media after practice:
"It doesn't play into anything we're planning objective wise. But what it does play into is, it adds one more notch of guys being hungry, excited, trying to find ways to recover more pucks on the power play so we can be effective. It just gives us a bit of juice..."Spencer Carbery
Carbery would add this on the Ovechkin mindset:
"I think this is going to be his best hockey of the year, these last 27 games. I think you're going to see a guy that is highly, highly motivated and just has the pedal to the metal for this last little stretch. "Spencer Carbery
In the last meeting beween the Caps and Penguins on Jan. 18 in D.C., the Capitals held the Penguins to just 19 shots en route to a 4-1 win. The Caps have won five of their last six games at PPG Paints Arena.
Another player to watch besides Ovechkin tomorrow afternoon is Tom Wilson who has recorded at least one point in his last five games played in Pittsburgh including a four game goal streak. Wilson has recorded 20 points in 44 careeer games against the Penguins with 12 goals and eight assists and those 12 goals are the second most he has scored against a signle opponent. Seven of those 12 career goals against the Pens have come on the road.
Does it affect the great eight himself and does he fixate on the Gretzky goal total? "Not at all," Ovechkin said.
Dylan Strome added:
"He's very humble, very generous. He's going to be very humble when he does beat it."Dylan Strome
Tomorrow afternoon Alex Ovechkin renews a rivalry with Sidney Crosby. Puck drop is at 3 p.m. on ABC and ESPN plus.
