The Capitals expressed pride in Ovechkin's play. (Geoff Burke — Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3015573c-2414-44a9-9714-76304f4f9c25.jpeg] The Capitals expressed pride in Ovechkin's play. (Geoff Burke — Imagn Images) 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. It was a different story for his teammates, who expressed pride in Ovechkin's play and performance in his 20th NHL season and 16th crack at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "He left it all out there," Dylan Strome said, adding, "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." Ovechkin led Washington with five goals in the postseason, but had just one in the series against Carolina as he and the Capitals struggled to come up with offense, at both 5-on-5 and on the power play. Despite the numbers, though, coach Spencer Carbery said he was happy witih what he saw from his captain in the postseason. "I thought 'O' was great in the playoffs. I know this series, the stats won't be flattered... he comes into the playoffs and hits the ground running. He was fantastic against Montreal, scores the OT winner (in Game 1)," Carbery ssiad, adding, "Long winded way of saying he was fantastic this year. I thought he had a great playoffs. He answered. He did what he came back this year to prove and show and he did it in the playoffs as well. I tip my cap to O and the season that he had and as our captain leading the way." The 39-year-old also ended the regular season in historic fashion, breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record despite breaking his leg and battling Father Time. His 44 goals were the third-most in the league as he continued to show his worth as one of the top scorers in the game while leading the Capitals to the top of the Eastern Conference. "For him to come back this year and play the way that he did, chase down this record, the start that he had, breaking his leg, coming back from that and just continuing to not only do things he did individually, statistically, but lead our team. That's part of the story that will be a minor part of it, but it's a big part of it," Carbery said. "It's why teams and people are going to look at this team and go, 'How did this team do so well? How did this team win the East?' He's a big part of that as our captain, everything that he did this year. Ovechkin has one more year left on his contract and said before the playoffs that he isn't planning on retiring early, so the expectation is that he will be back next season. With that being the case, Washington's excited to see what he has in store going forward. "It's an easy guy to get in line and follow. And who knows how much longer he has left, but we'll still be following as long as he's here," Strome said. "So obviously a tremendous teammate and person and human being."
