The start of the new year turned out to be quite intense, but in relation to the main person, leader and leader of the team, Alexander Ovechkin, this story did not turn out in the best way. Since the onset of 2024, the capital have played four games over five days, and then went on a very long break. In total, the Caps had about five days to rest before facing a test of three straight games in less than four days.
In this mode, Spencer Carbury's team performed quite well, achieving three wins in seven matches. But she faced a serious problem in the form of the loss of Ovechkin. At the end of the match against the Carolina Hurricanes, Alexander unsuccessfully collided with Jordan Staal and injured his leg. Ovi was able to finish that match, but subsequently the Russian had to limit his workload. Due to injury, the Washington captain missed several training sessions, and decisions about his participation in matches were made immediately before the games. And if Ovechkin was still able to play against the Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken, the Russian was forced to miss the last three matches – twice against the New York Rangers, as well as against the Anaheim Ducks. < br>
During Alexander's absence, the role of leader was to some extent taken over by Ovechkin's compatriot and friend Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kuzya scored an assist in the winning game against the Rangers, breaking the streak without scoring, and also tried himself as a winger. In the end, both Evgeniy and the entire Washington team waited for Ovi’s full return. It happened in today's game against the St. Louis Blues.
As in the case of previous matches, the decision on the participation of the Russian veteran in it was made immediately before the game. Ovechkin did his pre-match warm-up and ended up being included in the lineup for the meeting with the “musicians,” returning to the line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson. What’s interesting is that their trio was nominally declared second. It was very unusual to see Ovechkin’s name not in the first link.
Coincidence or not, but in the outcome of the match Alexander was not in the first place. The main character of the meeting was not he, but another Washington legend, TJ Oshie. This season, the American also alternates matches with forced pauses for health reasons, but does this much more often than his captain. Yes, and Oshi scores much less often than Ovechkin, but today he shot, as they say, with all his heart and scored a hat-trick – for the first time since October 2021.
However, Alexander did not do without effective actions today either. The Russian leader of “Washington” has already accustomed everyone to the fact that this season he acts more as an assistant than a sniper, and therefore is happy to supply his partners with pucks, although the whole world is waiting for goals from Ovi. The last time he scored was on January 3rd. Since then, his goalless streak is five matches. But Alexander is more concerned about the team’s result, so he acts precisely in its interests.
The Russian also scored an assist this time. And Dylan Strome scored from it again. The Canadian forward remains the Capitals' best sniper this season, and he scored most of his goals off Ovechkin's passes.
For Alexander, this pass was already his 20th of the season. If we count the Russian’s matches personally, his scoring streak is seven games in a row. This is Ovechkin's best performance of the season.
“”I feel pretty good. The first few touches of the match were quite strange, but I kind of shake the dust off my shoulders and feel the puck, feel the game and the rhythm,” Ovechkin told reporters after match.
Washington has another meeting with the Blues ahead. But already in St. Louis, where the Caps will begin their Western road series.
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