Athletistic/Hockey. Russian Alexander Ovechkin has not scored in 12 matches. However, his one-touch shot on the power play is still impeccable.

For example, let’s take an episode from the second period of a recent game against the Flyers. Ovechkin fired a powerful shot towards the goal of Phila goalkeeper Samuel Ersson, which hit the Swede directly in the helmet.

This throw from Ovi caused such chaos in the Pilots defense that it led directly to Tom Wilson’s goal.

Ovechkin, 38, was not effective in this match. However, he recalled that his shooting remained elite.

Before that, Ovechkin updated his NHL anti-record. Previously, the worst result was recorded in 2017 (10 games without a goal).

Here’s how Washington fans rate Ovechkin’s play on social media:

zmega:

“Everyone here wants him to succeed.” But I doubt his best days are yet to come. It’s very sad to see Ovi playing on the pitch.

Frank Kushner:

-He has a terrible shooting percentage. Hundreds of thousands of carb strategies will mostly not help.

Frank Zblewski:

– If his shot was still “elite”, he would score more.

Matt R.:

“I really thought he would come out of this slump and score some goals soon.” I even tried to help him, because I have a lot of jerseys, hats, T-shirts, but I never received anything from Ovi. I bought Alex’s jersey, dressed him for a few games, and still nothing. Well, I tried, haha. But even if this decline continues, frankly we are lucky to have encountered one of the greatest scorers of all time.

Acer cognitive test:

– Unless something drastically changes, I think Gretzky’s record will be safe.

Mike Lubey:

– With Pacioretty, Ethan Beer and potentially another top-six forward on the team, he’ll have a lot more scoring opportunities and I think his scoring rate will skyrocket.

Zen washer:

– An elite shot requires contact with the net, haha. Ovi is finished…

Gorgon Jones:

– I don’t think Ovi will score 20 goals this year. But I’ll be happy if he proves me wrong.

Owen Johnson:

– One day, pucks will start flying into the goal this season. I still believe!

Mike:

“I was thinking the other day that maybe the weight of expectations he’s felt for the last few years is just weighing him down, and he’s just exhausted.” Maybe Ovi was just tired. Nobody noticed his playing problems when he scored. Now that this aimless streak continues, all the gaps that existed all along are being revealed.

Miiky:

– I specifically looked at Ovi in ​​several teams. He was invisible. He barely fought for the puck, his presence in the defensive zone was useless. The passes didn’t look good either. He doesn’t seem to be trying. Or he’s injured. I don’t know exactly what the reason for its decline is.

Denis Lynch:

– Another thing I noticed this year… When he enters the zone, he looks for someone to pass to, instead of hitting the defender with a burst of energy and a shot. I still love that guy, and for everything he’s ever done, he has a lifetime of gratitude from me. But that doesn’t make the situation any less sad.

Mike Smolinsky:

– Yes, I agree with you here. It’s like every time the puck is on his stick, he just doesn’t want to score. He looks a little lost. Maybe the Carbury system doesn’t suit him? Just wild guesses.

BobManz:

“But if any other player on the team had been in his place, he would have been sent off a long time ago.”

Nkarczewski8:

– I’ve watched almost every Caps game since 2007 just to watch Ovi play. Watching him play was a great joy for me. This year has been tough, he acts like he’s playing in a beer league. It seems the fire has gone out. I think it’s a mental problem. I don’t know how much longer I can watch, I don’t want to remember him like that. However, he has had bad times in the past.

This season, Ovechkin has scored 17 points in 27 games. With 827 goals during the regular season, the Russian still ranks 2nd among the best snipers in league history, behind only Wayne Gretzky (894).

Ovechkin is the winner of the 2018 Stanley Cup. Three-time world champion (2008, 2012, 2014).

He began his professional career with Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16. He was selected first overall by Washington in the 2004 draft.

He made his NHL debut in the 2005-2006 season, receiving the Calder Trophy for best rookie. He won the Maurice Richard Trophy for best sniper nine times, the Ted Lindsay Award and the Hart Trophy for most valuable player three times and the Art Ross Trophy for top scorer of the season.

In 2018, he led Washington to the first Stanley Cup victory in club history, becoming the tournament’s most valuable player and the first Russian hockey player to win the Stanley Cup as captain of the team.

Ovechkin became the first Russian hockey player to score 500, 600, 700 and 800 goals during regular NHL championships. He is the record holder among Russian hockey players for the number of goals scored and points scored in the NHL championships. He also leads career goals among active NHL players. His goal against the Phoenix Coyotes on January 16, 2006 was recognized as the best in NHL history according to ESPN.

Ovechkin made his debut for the Russian national team at the age of 17, becoming the youngest player in its history. He participated in thirteen world championships, became a three-time world champion (2008, 2012, 2014) and also participated in three Olympic Games (2006, 2010 and 2014).

Andrey Andreev, Sport.Ru


@sportru