Alex Ovechkin scored his 884th career goal in the Washington Capitals’ 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. The tally brought the Capitals captain to within 11 of breaking the NHL’s goals record.
Since returning from a near-two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Ovechkin has scored five goals in five games, including notching his 32nd career hat trick against the Edmonton Oilers last Sunday.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, who has made several astute predictions about Ovechkin’s season thus far, prognosticated big things for the Russian superstar coming back from his Miami, FLA vacation.
“I think his best hockey is to come in the season,” Carbery said of Ovechkin, who had already scored 26 goals in 38 games, on February 8. “That’s the way I feel… I think he’s going to look even better coming out of the break. That’s just my own personal opinion. These last 27 games – I’m looking forward to seeing them.”
Five games into the Capitals return, Ovechkin has upped his goals-per-game mark to 1.00, yet Carbery still thinks there’s a higher level in the 39-year-old’s production as he quickly closes on Gretzky’s goals record.
“Finishing and getting on the board, which is huge,” Carbery said Saturday. “I still feel and think it’s going to get better. A little bit off with their line chemistry-wise. Some pucks into each others’ feet, just not quite in the wheelhouse. And then on the power play as well, I think it’ll get better, but he’s finishing at a real-high rate coming out of the break. And I think his play and chemistry and the whole product of our group, whether that’s his line or the power play, will continue to improve.”
Ovechkin’s offense on Saturday was the only goal the Capitals could muster against a suffocating Lightning defense and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has won eight consecutive games.
“He’s the best goal-scorer for a reason,” longtime rival defenseman, Ryan McDonagh, said of Ovi. “You give him one little extra space there, he puts it home.”
“He’s obviously feeling it right now with the way he’s been scoring,” Victor Hedman added. “He’s arguably one of the best goal-scorers of all time, so he gets those chances in the slot, it’s tough to save those.”
