The last time Ovechkin scored a goal was March 26 in a game last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. During this period, Ovi delivered 5 assists, but that is not what is expected of him. The entire hockey world is watching how Ovechkin approaches what appears to be Wayne Gretzky’s “eternal” record for goals scored. Gretzky has 894 goals in 1,487 games, while the 38-year-old Russian currently has 822 goals in 1,347 games. He only needs 72 goals to repeat the record. Many experts said before the start of the season that Alexander Ovechkin would need 2 seasons to surpass Gretzky’s record. But the start of the season has been disappointing so far. For the second time in his career, Ovechkin was left without a goal in four starting matches of the season (the first such case occurred in the lockout season 2012/2013, in total he scored 32 goals in 48 matches).
For the first time in his career, he didn’t make a single shot in two consecutive matches. “Everything happens for the first time, you know? I think we had a very good training camp. We feel good. But when the season starts, we see that something is missing. For this reason, as a leader, I must move the team forward,” is how the Washington captain assessed the start of the season.
For the moment, the Caps can’t get out of it. This may have been influenced by the long preseason preparation coupled with the lack of a playoff, as well as the change of head coach. Spencer Carbery clearly didn’t give his players a break during preseason camp, so players may still be under pressure. If that’s the case, we’ll soon see a transformation from Ovechkin and his teammates. Human nature is to always believe in the best.
We hope that Ovechkin can quickly get out of the crisis and score his 40-50 goals. The capital’s next game will take place on the evening of October 25, when it will host the Toronto Maple Leafs on its ice. This is where Alexandre will try to prevent his “dry” streak from celebrating its 10 matches. And the question of whether Ovechkin will be able to surpass the record for goals scored, only he can answer.
Nikita Serbakov, Athletistic
Source: Sport
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
