The Washington Capitals will be back in action on Saturday night in front of a national television audience against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Alex Ovechkin and his chase of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record will again likely be a major topic throughout ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the rivalry game. However, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery says the team doesn’t focus on the near-incessant discussion of Ovechkin’s pursuit of hockey history.
“We honestly don’t talk about it, I’m not just saying this, at all,” Carbery said after the team’s practice Friday. “Now, where I would say it comes into play is there is a little added excitement of what’s going on that everybody can feel. Especially when he scores, and we’re not oblivious to it. We know what’s going on. It doesn’t play into anything we’re planning objective-wise, but I think it does add 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. Whatever it might be, I think it gives us a little more juice.”
While Carbery believes the team benefits from the excitement around the milestone, he also echoed an individual Ovechkin-related sentiment that he first shared ahead of the Capitals departing for the 4 Nations Face-Off break some 13 days ago. The second-year bench boss thinks his captain’s best hockey is still yet to come this year.
“Hopefully, I believe this, and that’s why I said it a few weeks ago, I think, [Ovechkin], this is going to be his best hockey of the year these last 27 games,” Carbery said. “I think you’re going to see a guy that’s highly, highly motivated and has the pedal to the metal for this last little stretch.”
Ovechkin must score 16 goals in his final 27 games to eclipse Gretzky’s all-time best mark of 894 career goals. Last season, he nearly managed that, scoring 15 goals in Washington’s final 27 games.
However, the 39-year-old winger is scoring at an even higher rate this year, 0.67 goals per game, potting 26 markers in his first 39 games. If Ovechkin sticks with that same rate to end the season, he will add another 18 goals to his ledger and take the crown from Gretzky on April 12 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“The goals are a byproduct of the way that I feel like he’s going to play,” Carbery said. “That’s a guy that is going to be on the puck and going to be doing a lot of things that we’ve seen from him – physicality, speed, getting into the offensive zone, getting around the net, getting a shot off in as many opportunities, whether that’s off the rush, in the offensive zone, or on the power play.”
How Ovechkin has returned from his Florida beach vacation has only added fuel to the fire Carbery appears to be stoking. Washington has been working hard in what Carbery agreed has been somewhat of a mini-training camp ahead of their return to play.
The Capitals have done line rushes, intra-squad play, and drills during their consecutive skates, and Carbery has noticed a difference in the team’s superstar winger. The extended break was Ovechkin’s first time away from the rink since he broke his leg in mid-November and rehabbed hard to get back for Washington as soon as possible.
“He looks great. He’s got tons of energy,” Carbery said after Thursday’s practice. “We all know he feels like he had a real good break to be able to get some work in, but also get mentally refreshed for this last little stretch. And we all know him as a competitor, too, and that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing.
“When you can see and smell the finish line, you get into that, like, here we go, trade deadline, whatever, a week and a half away. They can feel that as players, and him especially as one of the ultimate competitors this sport has ever seen. That’s what you look forward to seeing as you get down to the short runway we have left in the season now.”
Ovechkin spent his entire break in Miami with his family and several familiar hockey friends. He reunited with former Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov for a boating trip where they saw dolphins, had dinner with “best friend” Evgeni Malkin, and trained both on and off ice with former NHL player Darius Kasparaitis.
Carbery was impressed by Ovechkin’s approach to the time off, highlighting the training he did with Kasparaitis as an example of his dedication.
“It was purposeful, right?” Carbery said Wednesday. “He could have vacationed and gone halfway across the world, but coming back from the injury and wanting to stay stateside and make sure that he was looking after himself and getting ready for this last final push. I think him utilizing his time was the number-one priority for him in this situation.”
Ovechkin will look to prove his head coach right and get off to a hot start against the Penguins. He has 42 career goals against Pittsburgh, but none have come in his two games against them this season.
