Recreation by sport, Alex Ovechkin is chipping away at Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal-scoring file.
Now with 879 profession objectives, 16 away from surpassing Gretzky, he’ll look to maintain it going when the Washington Capitals host the Utah Hockey Membership on Sunday afternoon.
Ovechkin has scored in 4 straight video games to deliver his season whole to 26, placing him on tempo for 45 objectives. Ought to he maintain that tempo, it could be the 14th time in his 20 NHL seasons that he is reached the 40-goal mark. His 0.68 goals-per-game fee this season is the fifth highest of his NHL profession — and he is doing this at 39 years outdated.
Washington coach Spencer Carbery believes there’s much more to return from his captain, who missed 16 video games with a damaged leg from mid-November to late December.
“I believe his greatest hockey is to return within the season,” Carbery mentioned. “… In my head, at 39 years outdated, lacking that period of time and making an attempt to return again and get caught up within the Nationwide Hockey League. I believe that is actually, actually onerous, and I noticed a distinction in his particular person sport. I believe he’ll look even higher popping out of the break.”
The Capitals head into Sunday’s tilt with an opportunity to tie the Winnipeg Jets for first place general within the NHL. They’re coming off a 4-3 win in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, stretching their level streak to 5 video games (3-0-2).
Sunday would be the last sport for each groups forward of the league’s pause for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from Wednesday by way of Feb. 20. The Capitals are one among two groups with none illustration on the match.
“A psychological break is big for us at this level within the yr,” defenseman John Carlson mentioned. “Guys which can be a bit of banged up and injured, it’s going to assist them too. However principally the way in which I have a look at it’s simply the psychological. Sort of get away from the day-to-day stuff and are available again re-energized and invigorated to complete the yr sturdy.”
Utah arrives within the nation’s capital trying to bounce again after a 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. It dropped the membership again to the NHL’s model of .500 on the season, the place it has been for many of the marketing campaign.
Regardless of the middling file, Utah is eight factors shy of the second wild-card spot from the Western Convention.
“I appreciated our willpower on offense, I like the way in which we competed on offense,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny mentioned. “I believe we have been too brief on element defensively. All in all, we gave up an excessive amount of on offense for them.”
It has been a wrestle offensively this season for ahead Lawson Crouse, who sits at 12 factors (eight objectives, 4 assists) by way of 54 video games. He is on tempo for simply 12 objectives after surpassing 20 in every of the previous three seasons.
The Utah alternate captain was scratched Tuesday in opposition to the Flyers earlier than re-entering the lineup Thursday in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He scored simply his second objective prior to now 15 video games.
“I maintain myself to the next stage and customary,” Crouse mentioned of being scratched. “… Clearly, it is unlucky however I’ve acquired to play higher. It is on me.”
–Discipline Degree Media
