Shutting Down The Alex Ovechkin Criticism Amid Capitals' Second-Round Exit
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has only seen his team make it past the second round once over his 20 years in D.C., but that doesn't take away from what he brings to the table.
WASHINGTON — As the Washington Capitals’ season ended in heartbreak on Thursday, the attention shifted to captain Alex Ovechkin.
It wasn’t just attention; it was a giant target right on the 39-year-old’s back, and critics took aim immediately: Did he backcheck hard enough? Why didn’t he score more in the second round? Did he look out of gas on his last shift? Can he still handle top minutes at 5-on-5? Why can’t he get it done in the playoffs? Is it time to just call it quits?
It’s not shocking to see; after all, Ovechkin’s second round by no means went according to plan. He scored just once over five games against the high-flying Carolina Hurricanes while averaging 18 minutes per game, the second most among all forwards behind only Tom Wilson, and he was also a minus-3 through the final two games of the series.
Carolina’s “suffocating” style of play — as referred to by coach Spencer Carbery — didn’t bode well for Ovechkin, who struggled to find chemistry with his linemates, couldn’t get much going on the power play and, ultimately, found himself outmatched.
“I know this series, the stats won’t be flattering,” Carbery noted.
That said, while a crushing loss in the postseason can make the regular season seem like a waste, that’s not the case, and the criticism Ovechkin’s taking isn’t warranted.
First, one player doesn’t make a team.
Ovechkin wasn’t the only player who struggled for the Capitals. It was the same story across the board in the second round; all four lines struggled to get much going offensively, and D.C. was outscored 14-7 over the course of the series.
Also, his play wasn’t as brutal as critics made it out to be; he was on the ice for just five goals against all postseason, and his Corsi-for percentage of 55.07 and scoring chances-for percentage (58.38) were the most on the Capitals at all strengths over the course of the playoffs.
At 5-on-5, his CF% of 48 ranked second on the team behind only Ryan Leonard, while his goals-for percentage ranked first at 62.5 percent (tied with Connor McMichael).
"I thought he left it all out there. I think like most guys did, like all the guys did, honestly. Guys were obviously battling and fighting till the very end,” Dylan Strome said.
Ovechkin may not be as fast as he once was, but he’s adapted his game, and his shot is still what it used to be, as is his vision and passing ability. There’s also the possibility he was working through the wear-and-tear of the season, as several players do in the postseason (he’ll speak on Saturday, giving more insight into his health).
Then, there’s the matter of this: one playoff series doesn’t define a player, and it certainly doesn’t take away from what was a successful season.
At 39, the star winger overcame a broken leg to break the all-time goals record this season, all while leading his team to the top of the Eastern Conference. His 44 goals were the third-most in the NHL and showed he can still be a top producer.
“He did what he came back this year to prove and show, and he did it in the playoffs as well,” Carbery said. “I tip my cap to 'O' and the season that he had and as our captain leading the way."
Five rough games shouldn’t take away from that, let alone lead to questions regarding what he can continue to bring to the table. Yes, there’s a lack of playoff success over his 20 years in the District, but it takes everyone to win a Cup.
Ovechkin has one year left on his contract and figures to be back next year, despite those questioning his future. He’s committed to the team and has said that as long as he enjoys playing, he’ll continue to do so.
As for the Capitals, they’re happy to have him as long as he’ll stay, and they have no reservations regarding his play.
“Not much left to be said about him. It's an honor to get to play with him and see the way he competes and plays and wins battles and scores and does everything for the Caps. It's an easy guy to get in line and follow,” Dylan Strome said. “Who knows how much longer he has left, but we'll still be following as long as he's here. So obviously a tremendous teammate and person and human being."
Was Ovi playing injured? His get-up-and-go that he showed in the Montreal series wasn’t there during the later half of the Carolina series, especially in game 5.