After breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record this season, Alex Ovechkin will likely go down as the greatest goal-scorer of all-time. But following yet another second-round loss in the playoffs, he’s developing a much less enviable reputation:
Post-season underachiever.
That might sound a tad harsh for someone who was crowned the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2018 after leading the Washington Capitals to their only Stanley Cup in franchise history. And yet, that magical season is proving to the exception — not the rule, especially after losing in the second round to the Carolina Hurricanes this year.
"It's too soon," Ovechkin said when asked if he can appreciate the year despite the early exit.
Too soon has become a familiar refrain for fans of the Capitals, who continue to watch this team dominate in the regular season, only to flame out earlier than expected in the playoffs.
Including this year, where Washington had the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Capitals have won their division 11 times — and qualified for the playoffs 16 times —since drafting Ovechkin in 2004. But during that same span, they’ve advanced past the first round just six times. And only once have they made it past the second round.
Of course, the one time they made it to the conference final was the year when Ovechkin hoisted the Cup.
As the saying goes, banners tend to fly forever. And championships cement legacies. So the talk of Ovechkin being a me-first player who was more concerned with padding his stats rather than sacrificing himself for team success, has mostly disappeared following that Cup win in 2018.
But should it?
Does one championship gloss erase 15 years of failing to get over the hump? Had the Capitals not won it all in 2018, would we be looking at Ovechkin’s career differently? Even with that win, is Ovechkin the guy you want on your team for a Game 7?
The answer is kind of complicated.
Capitals Reflect On Alex Ovechkin's Playoff Performance: 'He Left It All Out There'
WASHINGTON — For Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Thursday was too soon to appreciate everything he and his teammates did this season as he was left reeling from yet another early playoff exit, this time at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
On one hand, Ovechkin has done his part when it comes to producing in the post-season. This year, while chasing down greatness, he had 44 goals in the regular season. He then followed it up in the playoffs with five goals in 10.
In 161 career playoff games, he’s scored 77 goals and 147 points. That puts him 12th on the all-time playoff goal-scoring list, where he's the highest active goal-scorer.
On the flip side is team success. And it's there where Ovechkin's teams have not been able to get the job done. The Capitals have a 75-83 record with Ovechkin on the team. In Game 7s, he’s lost nine of 13 times.
Those aren’t the kind of numbers you tend to etch on someone’s Hall of Fame plaque.
This year was actually the first time since 2018 when the Capitals finally won a round. But after a 4-1 series loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, it was also the 15th time that Ovechkin was unable to lead the team to the conference final.
Much of that is because his stick went cold at the worst possible time.
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Ovechkin had four goals and five points in five games in the first-round series against Montreal. But aside from a goal in Game 4, Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet completely against Carolina.
That's not good enough from the world's best goal-scorer. And it hasn't been good enough from a Capitals team that once again underachieved.
‘It’s tough, obviously," Ovechkin told reporters. "We have a special group. Obviously, you know, we have our chances. Maybe we don’t execute, maybe luck was not on our side, because I don’t think we played bad hockey. I think we have lots of great chances to get the lead, but it’s tough.”