Washington Capitals – Winnipeg Jets – 3:0
Washington, desperately fighting for a place in the playoffs by March 24, was approaching the home game against Winnipeg in a fighting spirit, having won four of five games. But by definition, facing one of the Western Conference leaders can’t be an easy walk.
While the first two periods passed without any goals being scored, the away team had a noticeable advantage, as the statistics clearly show: Washington goalkeeper Charlie Lindgren had 20 shots on target in the first 40 minutes, while his counterpart Connor Hellebuyck entered the game in the 11th. times.
The situation changed at the beginning of the third period when the home team took advantage of this chance and converted the majority; John Carlson scored the goal. And two minutes later, he scored the goal Washington fans had been waiting for the most.
Alexander Ovechkin scored another goal, knocking the ball out of the hands of teammate Connor McMichael. He also scored his third double goal in the last four games in the 53rd minute, setting the final score.
Washington won, scoring 79 points and returning to eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, thus qualifying for the playoffs.
“I don’t want to end the season in two weeks”
Washington head coach Spencer Carbery commented on his team’s success. spoke On Ovechkin’s performance:
“When it comes time for the biggest games of the year, when we’re fighting almost every night to continue the season, he keeps us going. Those are the highlights and he scores important goals for the team to keep us in the game.”
Ovechkin himself said the match was difficult and thanked goalkeeper Charlie Lingdren for scoring his fifth goal of the season.
“It was a big challenge for us to find our way to victory. Obviously we didn’t play well in the first two periods. But Chucky was incredible today. And we did it in the third period,” said Ovi.
Talking about Washington’s chances of making it to the play-offs, Rus noted that the team is acting confidently. Ovechkin emphasized that the current situation is a challenge for him personally.
“You see how we are playing now. Everyone is confident and everyone understands the situation we are in. That’s why we are fighting all season long, starting from the training camp. I don’t want to end the season in two weeks, I want to continue playing,” summarized the capital’s captain.
The unique Ovechkin
The goals against Winnipeg were Alexander’s 25th and 26th goals of the season. Thus, he came even closer to the legendary Wayne Gretzky’s sniping record. The Russian striker, who scored a total of 848 goals in his career, is only 46 goals behind the famous Canadian.
Alexander’s statistics in recent matches are impressive; He is having his best season finish in the last four years and set a unique record for the NHL in his match against Winnipeg. Ovechkin became the first player in league history, aged 38 or older, to score eight goals in five consecutive games.. The previous success – seven goals in five matches – belonged to Teem Selanna, who achieved such a streak twice, at the ages of 38 and 40, and also to Shane Down: he achieved the feat at the age of 39.
Moreover, Ovechkin ranks second in league history with 25 or more goals in most seasons.. According to this indicator, he is equal to the Czech Jaromir Jagr, who spent 18 seasons in both.
“Ovechkin haters should calm down”
Vladimir Plyushchev, former head coach of the Russian national team, spoke about Ovechkin’s performance this season. In a comment to socialbites.ca, he explained why Alexander started the season unconvincingly and went on a record-breaking run without scoring any points:
“It’s hard for him to get in shape and that’s normal, age is making itself felt. The man is already 38 years old. And hockey is a contact game, there are injuries and various effects on the body. So it’s only natural that he didn’t start the season very convincingly. “If he continues to maintain the form he’s getting now, I think he’ll be fine.”
Former Russian national team player Dmitry Sychev also commented on Ovechkin’s results. He called on Alexander’s critics to remain calm.
“Hockey is not an easy game; The season is long. All opponents watch Alexander’s game, study how he plays and adapt to him. In this context, Ovechkin had to rebuild his game. Now Alexander is in excellent shape and shows that even at this age you can only develop and change for the better. “It seems to me that Ovechkin haters should calm down a bit,” he said. “Match TV”.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.