Capitals forward has just 5 goals this season after scoring 42 last season
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ARLINGTON, Va.<\/strong> \u2013 Mired in the longest goal-scoring drought of his 19-season NHL career, Alex Ovechkin<\/a> is searching for answers just like everyone else around the hockey world.
The Washington Capitals left wing hasn\u2019t scored a goal in 13 consecutive games and has five goals in 28 games this season heading into a visit from the New York Islanders at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, MNMT, TNT, TVAS). That\u2019s strange territory for the 38-year-old, who is second in NHL history with 827 goals.
So, what\u2019s going on?\u00a0
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ovechkin told NHL.com on Wednesday. \u201cSome luck. I have chances, I have pretty good chances, but sometimes it\u2019s just a period of maybe you hold the stick too tight because you didn\u2019t score or something. But I think overall, sooner or later it\u2019s going to happen, and everything is going to go in.\u201d
Ovechkin has remained 67 goals behind Wayne Gretzky<\/a>\u2019s NHL record of 894 since he last scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 18. That record felt well within his reach after he scored his 801st and 802nd goals against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23, 2022, to move past Gordie Howe<\/a> (801) into second on the NHL goals list and finished last season with 42 goals — his League-record 13th season with at least 40 goals.
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But the goals haven\u2019t come easy this season for Ovechkin and Washington, which is 30th in the NHL in averaging 2.39 goals per game. Ovechkin has scored the fewest goals through the first 28 games of a season of his career and he\u2019s on pace to finish with 15. He\u2019s never scored fewer than 32 goals (2010-11) in an 82-game season.
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Ovechkin has five assists and 46 shots on goal during his 13-game drought, which surpasses his previous long of 10 games without a goal from Feb. 22 \u2013 March 12, 2017.
\u201cI think it\u2019s frustration for me, I think frustration for everybody,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can see we don\u2019t score as many goals as we used to score, and I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re going to blame the system or whatever. We play hockey. We have to create chances. We have to create opportunities for yourself and for your teammates to set it up and have a good chance.\u201d
The Capitals (15-9-4) have been able overcome their scoring woes with strong goaltending and team defense that has them seventh in the Eastern Conference with a .607 points percentage. Ovechkin has had a hand in that success.\u00a0
He is third on the Capitals with 17 points, behind linemates Dylan Strome<\/a> and Tom Wilson<\/a> with 18 each.
\u201cHe\u2019s had a very high offensive impact at the same time he\u2019s not scoring, which I wouldn\u2019t say too many people would\u2019ve anticipated,\u201d Capitals defenseman John Carlson<\/a> said. \u201cBut you know him. He can defy all odds and pull something out pretty quickly. But I think he\u2019s done a great job of keeping his head down and going with what\u2019s happening and, obviously, the team is doing well and that\u2019s a big factor in happiness for everyone, too.\u201d
If it was a choice between winning and scoring goals, Ovechkin\u2019s answer would be easy.
\u201cThe most important thing is we collect the points, and we win the games,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d rather be in a playoff spot than score 20 goals and you\u2019re out of contention.\u201d
Ovechkin knows he\u2019s expected to score goals, though.
\u201cYeah. That\u2019s my job,\u201d Ovechkin said. \u201cIf I don\u2019t score, then I have do some different things to help the team to win, and I think everybody in this time right now knows who we are and how we have to play.\u201d
Of Ovechkin\u2019s five goals, he\u2019s scored one 5-on-5, one 4-on-4, one on the power play and two into empty nets. His 4.8 shooting percentage (on a team-leading 104 shots on goal) is down significantly from 14.3 last season and his career average of 12.8.\u00a0
Among the 31 players in the NHL with at least 100 shots on goal, only Matthew Tkachuk<\/a> of the Florida Panthers (five goals in 31 games after scoring 40 last season) has a lower shooting percentage at 4.5 percent.
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There have been some positive signs for Ovechkin lately. He had a game-high six shots on goal and 14 shot attempts in a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday and four more shots in a 2-1 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
But the puck hasn\u2019t gone in.
\u201cIt is surprising because last year, to score 42, I think we\u2019ve just grown accustomed to that it\u2019s going to happen,\u201d said former NHL goalie Brian Boucher, now an analyst on TNT and Philadelphia Flyers\u2019 telecast on NBC Sports Philadelphia. \u201cBut in saying that, we\u2019re only 28 games into the season and there\u2019s still 50-something games to play and he certainly could catch fire. Say he scores 25 the rest of the way, it would be a good second half of the year.
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\u201cI wouldn\u2019t bet against him just because of how talented he is and his knack for scoring and all that. But I think a big part of it is going to have to come on the power play.\u201d
Washington is last in the NHL on the power play at 9.8 percent. The NHL record holder with 300 power-play goals, Ovechkin scored his lone power-play goal this season against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 24. He has yet to score a goal at any strength on his trademark one-timer from the left circle.
Last season, he scored nine of his 14 power-play goals on one-timers from the left circle or above.\u00a0
\u201cYou can see the power play is a little bit struggling,\u201d Ovechkin said. \u201cWhen you didn\u2019t score, you hold the stick too tight. We played so many games without getting shots, without getting good look because of bad decisions, not moving the puck, not moving your bodies.\u201d
Ovechkin is still getting a lot on his shot, as evidenced by his 24 of at least 90 miles per hour. That\u2019s second most among forwards, behind Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres with 25, and tied for fourth overall in the League, according to NHL EDGE stats<\/a>.
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Ovechkin\u2019s average of 3.71 shots on goal per game is down from 4.03 per game last season (his NHL career-low) and his career average before this season of 4.72 per game. He is averaging 7.46 shot attempts per game after averaging 7.96 last season.\u00a0
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery believes that Ovechkin remains \u201cin a good head space\u201d despite his scoring struggles, and just needs to focus on the things he can control.
\u201cFocus on the process,\u201d Carbery said. \u201cFocus on getting yourself into those spots. Focus on having an O-zone shift, being with your touches. And I think he knows that and knows that his opportunities and shots will eventually start falling and I think once they start, that could snowball.\u201d
That\u2019s Ovechkin\u2019s hope as well.
\u201cLike I said, I have pretty good chances,\u201d he said. \u201cI just have to score. Sooner or later, it\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n