The Rangers’ stunning victory over the Capitals in the first round of the NHL playoffs made it abundantly clear that Alex Ovechkin’s best days are behind him.
The 38-year-old failed to record a point in any of the four games, marking the first time in his career that he was held scoreless in a playoff series. It looks like it’s time for a rebuild for the Caps, but Ovechkin isn’t looking away just yet. He also makes multiple playoff appearances.
“Hopefully we still have some opportunities,” Ovechkin said after Sunday’s game, according to the Associated Press.
Ovechkin is probably looking to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 regular-season goals. The winger has scored 31 goals this season, taking his career goal tally to 853.
It’s very possible that Ovechkin can score 42 goals in two seasons, but Ovechkin, who won the Hart Trophy three times and led the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018, is no longer capable of leading his team to a championship. I don’t think he’s a player who can do that. Championship.
Ovechkin did not record a shot on goal in Sunday’s loss, marking the second time in four straight games he has not had a shot on goal.
Prior to this series, that had only happened to Ovechkin three times in 147 previous playoff games.
“I didn’t play well,” Ovechkin said. “I don’t have that touch. I’m trying to find another way to get the puck in.”
The Capitals were sellers at the trade deadline, sending Anthony Mantha to the Golden Knights, Joel Edmundson to the Maple Leafs, and Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Hurricanes for draft picks.
However, Washington won four of its final five games, including the final three, and snuck into the playoffs as the second wild-card team after missing the playoffs last year.
Although they gave the Rangers fits at times, Ovechkin and the Capitals never looked like a threat to dislodge the Blueshirts.
“He’s been doing this for a long time,” Rangers center Vincent Trocheck said of Ovechkin. “He’s definitely one of the best goal scorers of all time, if not the best of all time, and he has to be a little more careful when it comes to the penalty kill. And that’s not easy for him. Obviously, I We’re so focused on him that we can’t attack him. He’s a great hockey player and we’re watching him a little bit.”
The Capitals have not won a playoff series since winning the Cup in 2018.
