The Daily Faceoff Show: Alexander Ovechkin retakes the NHL lead in goals
Alex Ovechkin scored a goal and the Washington Capitals won a game.
We’ve heard that one before.
And on Tuesday, we heard it again, as Ovechkin scored in the first period, with the Capitals going on to defeat the Winnipeg Jets in overtime.
In the process of scoring his 27th goal of the season, Ovechkin not only drew to within nine of Jaromir Jagr for third place on the NHL’s all-time goal list; he also passed Leon Draisaitl for the league lead in goals.
This season. As in when Ovechkin is 36-years-old.
To put this in perspective, no NHL player other than Ovechkin has led the league in goals after the age of 30 since Mario Lemieux did so at age 30 in 1995-96. To find someone who’s led the league in goals at 36 years of age or older, you have to go all the way back to 1936-37, when Nels Stewart did so while splitting his season between the Boston Bruins and the New York Americans.
That’s right, the New York Americans.
On Wednesday’s episode of The Daily Faceoff Show, Rachel Doerrie spoke about the degree to which what Ovechkin is doing defies logic.
Doerrie: “Alex Ovechkin, I feel like we have these conversations about aging curves and once players kind of hit 32, they really start to fall off. When you have Alex Ovechkin, that stuff kind of doesn’t apply to him.
“I look at it and go: ‘OK, he’s on pace for the most assists he’s had in his career, saved for one season.’ He has 27 goals, which leads the NHL. He’s leading the NHL in 5-on-5 goals. So, he’s not just relying on the power play, which is something that maybe you’d expect as he gets older.
“That he’s just going to stand in the Ovechkin spot and absolutely hammer goals to the back of the net. But he’s scoring at even strength, he’s leading the league in shots at 185. He’s averaging almost 22 minutes a night in ice time.
“And you look at it and you just say: ‘he’s having a Hart season in Washington.’ Because Washington started the season without Nicklas Backstrom. And they’ve been without Evgeni Kuznetsov for a period of time, they’ve been without T.J. Oshie. And Ovechkin’s kind of been that constant.
“Now they’re without John Carlson. So, you look at it and you say: ‘Washington’s one of the better teams in the league and they’re being led by a guy who’s 36-years-old.’ The greatest goal scorer of all-time.
“We keep wondering when is he going to slow down? At this point, we just have to wait and see. All of the predictions are flying right out the window.”