By means of three video games of their second-round sequence with the Carolina Hurricanes, Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are in bother.
The Hurricanes now personal a 2-1 sequence edge after blanking Washington 4-0 on Saturday. The Capitals solely have one mixed objective of their two losses to Carolina, and Ovechkin has did not register a single level.
Whereas it is true that nice gamers can nonetheless influence a sport even with out scoring, the Capitals desperately want their captain to catch hearth. After scoring 4 targets, together with the primary playoff extra time game-winner of his profession throughout Washington’s five-game series win over Montreal, Ovechkin hasn’t been capable of take over any of the video games in opposition to Carolina.
It isn’t like Ovechkin has struggled to get pictures off both. He tallied 4 pictures in sport 3 and has eight to this point within the sequence. However regardless of his capability to get pucks on the internet, the NHL’s all-time main scorer has did not even report an help within the sequence.
With Ovechkin’s second-round scoring drought on show, Carolina has outscored Washington 7-4 by means of three video games.
In all probability, Ovechkin will finally get away of his hunch. He has 76 career postseason goals and 146 factors in 159 playoff video games.
However for the Capitals’ sake and if Ovechkin hopes to have a respectable shot at capturing his second Stanley Cup, he has to get on the board on Monday evening. No matter Ovechkin’s superior age, the Capitals’ offense remains to be constructed round him.
And constructing round Ovechkin has nonetheless labored for essentially the most half. Ovechkin scored 44 goals and totaled 73 points in simply 65 video games all through the 2024-25 common season.
Washington completed the 12 months because the Japanese Convention’s No. 1 seed because of their 51-22-9 total report and 111 staff factors. Ovechkin was even a +15 for the season, surprisingly the primary time because the 2021-22 season he was on the fitting facet of the +/- class on common.
Washington’s subsequent closest objective scorer behind Ovechkin throughout the common season was Tom Wilson with 33. Ovechkin was additionally one in all solely two Capitals to surpass 70 complete factors.
Merely put, the Capitals want their legendary captain now greater than ever, particularly with one other street sport on prime and a 3-1 sequence deficit seemingly insurmountable.
Sport 4 between the Capitals and Hurricanes will happen on Monday evening. The puck is about to drop from PNC Area in Raleigh, North Carolina, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
