Was Alex Ovechkin a detriment during Capitals’ second-round series loss?
The Washington Capitals’ 2024-25 season came to an end Thursday night when the Carolina Hurricanes defeated them 3-1, giving the Hurricanes a 4-1 series victory and sending the Capitals home.
Despite Alex Ovechkin having a regular season for the ages, scoring 44 goals in just 65 games, he only managed to score once during the Caps’ second-round series against the Hurricanes.
On Friday’s episode of Daly Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss Ovechkin’s second-round performance and if he hurt Washington’s playoff chances more than he helped them.
Frank Seravalli: I have a question to ask from the Washington Capitals’ perspective. It was tough to bow out how they did, this amazing 50th anniversary season, and Spencer Carberry spoke highly of this group.
But as the series went on, I couldn’t help but wonder: is Alex Ovechkin an asset or is he sliding into the liability category? He’s certain looked like he wasn’t contributing at times in this series.
Tyler Yaremchuk: I mean, it’s crazy to say that about a guy who had 40-plus goals at the age of 39. But I do think that maybe these playoffs showed us that Father Time is undefeated for a reason, and I’d raise an eyebrow and have some questions about what Ovechkin could maybe do next year.
But also – I’d feel very foolish about writing him off at any point.
Frank Seravalli: Yeah, I’m not writing him off, but I think the big question will be what kind of adjustment will be made by the Caps next season and beyond when it comes to ice time, power play usage, things like that. Those are real questions to ask as he enters the final year of his contract.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…